I Shop At Trader Joe's Every Week. Here's What's Never In My Cart

I've been shopping on a budget since I got my first job when I was 14, and I have my weekly grocery shopping routine down to a science at this point. Because I'm always trying to save money, I usually go to two or three stores to make sure I'm getting the best deals on my weekly pantry staples. But the one store I look forward to visiting each week is Trader Joe's. Shopping there is really a unique experience because the inventory changes so often, and I can always find a great deal on something new and fun. Yet there is one item you'll never find in my cart: Trader Joe's prepared salads.

This is, in large part, because the salads just aren't a great deal economically. For instance, the Trader Joe's Lemon Basil Pasta Salad is $4.99 for an 11.5-ounce container, which is about two servings. It is made with bowtie pasta, lemon vinaigrette, peas, zucchini, spinach, and shredded asiago cheese. If I bought the ingredients separately, I could make enough homemade pasta salad for at least seven servings — enough to enjoy all week — for only around $12, or $1.72 per serving.

Plus, I like cooking, and I actually think it's more enjoyable to eat salads I've prepared myself. By making them myself, I also have full control over the ingredients. While grocery store prepared salads often taste bland and artificial to me, the ones I make myself can be seasoned perfectly, exactly to my liking. I also know that every ingredient I'm choosing is as fresh as possible, which plays a huge factor in how good the salads taste.

There is another huge reason why I avoid prepared salads in any grocery store, not just at Trader Joe's. There is a much higher risk of contracting a foodborne illness from a prepared salad when compared to making one yourself at home. Of course, that isn't to say that you will automatically get food poisoning from eating a shrimp and macaroni salad from your local store's deli. But you only need to do a quick Google search to discover thousands of news headlines regarding food recalls and multistate outbreaks of food poisoning linked to deli salads, ready-to-eat salads, and packaged salad mixes.

Because these food items are handled more often as they are being cut, prepared, and packaged, there is a greater risk that they will become contaminated with Listeria bacteria. Listeria outbreaks are serious and potentially life-threatening. The bacteria thrive in cool, damp environments and can survive refrigeration. Since pre-made and bagged salads are eaten straight from the packaging without being washed or heated, they are a convenience you should think twice about buying at the grocery store.

Full disclosure: I have a relatively strong aversion to getting food poisoning. And although this may make me a little more cautious than most about following food safety tips, I'm comforted by the fact that it means I'm less likely to get super sick. When I prepare food at home, I know that I have a lot of control over the environment and thus the safety of the food. All in all, I'd rather be safe than sorry, which is why you'll never find bagged or prepared salads on my shopping list.