Trader Joe's Fans Can't Agree On Its New Organic Chicken Nuggets
Trader Joe's has a new product for nugget fans (you know who you are). This week, Instagram fan page Trader Joe's List posted a picture revealing the new Organic Chicken Nuggets.
In classic TJ's style, the organic grocers package the plate-ready nuggets in a tray sealed with a viewing window. Nugget fans can find the new Organic Chicken Nuggets in the same section as other packaged meats, according to the Instagram post, and bring them home for $4.99. Unlike other Trader Joe's products like the Impossible™ Chicken Nuggets, the Organic Chicken Nuggets don't belong in the freezer — and they come fully cooked. Trader Joe's List recommends reheating the nuggets in an air fryer and dipping them in TJ's Magnifi Sauce, a self-described "mustard-mayo-ketchup-relish kind of blend."
Less than 24 hours after the post was made, the results are in. Already, over 300 people have chimed in to comment on the new Organic Chicken Nuggets, and the reviews are... mixed.
Soybean oil is driving away some Trader Joe's customers
These nuggets wear an organic label, but the fact that they're pre-cooked and packaged is still a variable. One Instagram user comments, "These were pretty good for already being a fully cooked chicken nugget and reheated in an air fryer." Other positive reviews praise the ease of the product, particularly parents of young children.
Not everyone shares this sentiment, however. "So sad to see the soybean oil," one customer comments. Another reviewer writes, "NOT with all that cane sugar, additives I can't pronounce, and oils!"
Many conscientious consumers are wary of nutrition labels featuring soybean oil as an ingredient. Soybean oil is high in omega-6 fats, says Healthline, which can cause inflammation and other potentially severe health ramifications, including obesity and cognitive degeneration. A 2020 study by the University of California Riverside found that soybean oil is even linked to neurological disorders like anxiety, depression, and Alzheimer's disease, via Science Daily.
But, despite these risks, consuming some soybean oil is also nearly unavoidable. It's the most used oilseed in modern cooking: According to the USDA, it makes up a whopping 90% of American oilseed production. Over 68 million tons (62.247 metric tons) of soybean oil were produced globally between 2021-2022, via the Soybean Processors Association.
Nuggets fans will have to decide for themselves whether the ready-made bites are right for them.