Those who love grocery stores that offer unique products with a smile absolutely love Trader Joe’s, an American grocery store chain. One of the best products shoppers love is natto, which is made from fermented soybeans and traditionally eaten in Japanese breakfasts over rice. The question is, does Trader Joe’s sell natto?
Trader Joe’s does not sell any natto products, despite their reputation for a wide range of grocery options across many types of cuisine. Natto, which is a fermented soybean typically eaten over rice in Japanese culture, can be substituted by other Trader Joe’s offerings like their Organic 3-Grain Tempeh.
In this article, we will go over Trader Joe’s product offerings in place of natto, how to use these products, considerations for those with dietary restrictions and even answer a frequently asked question! Let’s jump right into this topic.
Trader Joe’s Product Offerings Related to Natto
People love the natto product for many different reasons. For one, the fermentation process gives the product a very specific flavor that you can learn to miss if your favorite grocery store, like Trader Joe’s, doesn’t have it. For another, natto is known to be extremely healthy!
If you find yourself missing these qualities, but still willing to shop at Trader Joe’s for a replacement, you’ll be happy to know that Trader Joe’s does have some natto-like products.
Below, we’ll give you a list of these offerings as well as a breakdown of how their ingredients and flavor compares to natto.
- Organic 3-Grain Tempeh – Tempeh is a very mild-flavored food, but it has nutty notes that are reminiscent of what some people love about natto. Natto comes with an earthy sort of taste, and this Tempeh offered by Trader Joe’s capitalizes on that with a fermentation process, too!
- Kimchi – Kimchi, which is a type of spicy cabbage, is sold at Trader Joe’s and can be used as a fermentation fix when you realize that Trader Joe’s doesn’t have natto. This brand of kimchi is particularly flavorful, especially if you are a fan of garlic!
- Grade A Cultured Goat Milk Kefir – Kefir may be a dairy product while Natto is made with soybeans, technically; however, the Grade A Cultured Goat Milk Kefir sold at Trader Joe’s is full of beneficial probiotics and a rich flavor owing to a fermentation process rivaling that of natto.
Ways to Use Natto-Like Products From Trader Joe’s
When you find out that Trader Joe’s does not provide the healthy, richly-flavored Japanese powerhouse that is natto, you may be tempted to give in to disappointment.
However, Trader Joe’s products that are either fermented, made from soybean, or have other natto-like qualities can help you to replace the missing food.
With that being said, even if you do go with one of the above-mentioned alternatives to natto, you could find yourself with no clue how to get started using them. Luckily, we’ve prepared a list of ways you might use each one below:
- Organic 3 Grain Tempeh Dish – Tempeh, which, as previously mentioned, is made with the same fermented type of soybean as natto and is often used as a meatless protein substitute. Use this over a bowl of white rice in the morning and season it to taste, and you’ll have a vaguely similar experience provided by Trader Joe’s!
- Grade A Cultured Goat Milk Kefir – Though Kefir is normally used as a liquid base, rather than the bean quality of natto, this does not mean you can’t replace natto as a breakfast option with Trader Joe’s Grade A Cultured Goat Milk Kefir! Try adding it to your eggs, salads, or even a smoothie for that fermented hit of intense vitamins in the morning!
- Kimchi – Finally, kimchi is one of the options which is most similar to natto in terms of health benefits and the way it can be prepared. Purchase Trader Joe’s spicy kimchi and add it over a bowl of rice, or even into soup, if you are looking for a savory meal later in the day.
Considerations for Those With Dietary Restrictions or Preferences
Natto is, in and of itself, widely considered to be a good food for those with allergies. This is because natto is made with soybean and therefore does not fall into many of the categories that allergenic foods do.
Even those with a soybean allergy are safe, since the fermentation usually degrades the components of the soybean that trigger an allergic response!
So how to our alternatives to natto, sold by Trader Joe’s, measure up for those with dietary restrictions or preferences?
Well, our first option, Tempeh, is both gluten-free and dairy free, so those with allergies for either of those categories are safe.
Not only that, but tempeh contains manganese, iron, magnesium, protein, and calcium without being high in sodium or carbs!
Our second option, which is the Goat Milk Kefir, is technically made from goat’s milk; however, it is about 99% free of lactose and fermented to prevent allergic reactions most of the time.
Just like natto, Goat Milk Kefir is high in probiotics, calcium, and protein, too!
And finally, kimchi is a perfectly healthy alternative to natto, too. It is chock full of vitamins A, K, and C, as well as being another great source of calcium and potassium.
Frequently Asked Questions
Take a look at our frequently asked question below:
Does Trader Joe’s Have Fermented Foods?
Yes, Trader Joe’s does sell fermented foods such as Kefir, Tempeh, and Kimchi.
Final Thoughts
To sum everything we have learned up, Trader Joe’s does not sell natto. Natto, which is a Japanese soybean dish which is fermented and full of probiotic health benefits, is sorely missed by customers of Trader Joe’s.
However, some of natto’s qualities can be replaced in a few of the other product Trader Joe’s has to offer. Kimchi, Goat Milk Kefir, and Tempeh are all non-allergenic, highly probiotic foods.
They can even be eaten over rice much the same way natto is! Therefore, natto fans don’t have to go home with empty hands when they shop at Trader Joe’s.
