I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Trader Joe's!
THESE are my favorites!
1. FROZEN produce
Fruit! MANGO, pineapple, berries, ...
Frozen veggies! ARTICHOKES, shelled edamame beans (so convenient!), mixed peppers
PS: once I bought their delicious edamame hummus!...it was kind of expensive for the quantity, but truly tasty! (not frozen or on the top 8 list, but something to try!)
2. Indian SIMMERING sauces in a jar, and boxed Indian dishes!
3. Freeze dried raspberries! These are SO FLAVORFUL! Check it out: you can eat this whole, big bag for only 130 calories and 11 grams of fiber! I don't think I could ever eat this whole bag at once :~ Plus, NO other ingredients necessary to preserve the fruit!
4. Roasted, unsweetened PEANUTS are our favorite! ...plus, there's a large variety of nuts, all at a great value!
5. Lots of healthy healthy bread choices! Whole wheat tortillas, Food for Life Ezekiel bread (sesame seed and cinnamon raisin), and pitas too - note: smaller size is cheaper than larger.
6. Larabars -- if you've ever stopped by FRESH-YOU, you know how much I love these -- may be the perfect snack! I even make them at home!
7. Chocolate covered espresso beans, dark chocolate covered edamame beans, and single serving dark chocolate bars (each of these treats have some sugar, but are still better than other options!)
8. Fresh fruits and veggies -- when anything is on sale, the prices are pretty good! And also dried fruits, like mango, yum! Make sure there isn't added SUGAR.
9. Tempeh for sure, and for times when you're stuck in a jam: meatless meatballs and falafel in frozen section.
If you must use something like "butter", PLEASE USE SPARINGLY! Earth Balance buttery spread is a non-animal, non-hydrogenated spread, so it's an alternative to butter or any other "margarine" on the market. TJ's price is the best. If you know of something better, please share what you enjoy :) Avocado, hummus, and nut butters are my favorites!
Bonus! Flowers!, even potted basil! ...wine there is also impressive in value and quality!
So, I love Trader Joe's. I love the value. I love the friendly atmosphere. I love that the ingredients lists don't require magnifying glasses!
There are many other Trader Joe's products that would also likely be staples if it were not for my neighborhood Costco! Still, I am always sure to be stocked up on my list!
So does Lisa at 100 Days of Real Food -- here are her favs! (there are a few animal foods there - I don't recommend those!)
COMMENTS? What are your favorite healthy foods from Trader Joe's?!
6 comments:
Sprouted Bread and Unsweetened Almond Milk.
Thanks, Melissa! Great choices!!! Have a nice weekend!
How do you prepare the edamame? Thanks :)
I was enthusiastically nodding along as I read until I hit Earth Balance spread. EB spread as a viable alternative to pastured or cultured butter? You just lost all credibility for me.
Dana, we normally don't do anything exciting with the edamame beans. Steaming or cooking in the microwave with a Tbsp water. I want to try to come up with a hummus recipe, like the TJ's spread I mentioned. We even eat them cold out of the bag! Some people like them with some soy sauce. You can throw them into any casserole dish and add some super nutrition!
Organic is the best option if you really want butter, but it contains just as much saturated fat as conventional butter, and saturated animal fat is harmful to our health. Organic meats tend to have better fat profiles than conventional meats/poultry, but unfortunately for organic butter that is not the case.
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