I know I'm not missing loot by skipping trash mobs, but I'm missing the chance to fight said trash mobs if I so wish in order to get the loot.
Um... you aren't making a lick of sense.

You don't get loot form trash mobs (other than the junk you don't want that the same monster would drop anywhere else). Therefore, you have no reason to wish to kill them in order to get loot they don't have.

/me scratches head at quoted post