Happy Wellness Wednesday. I know my WW posts have been a little scattered this Summer but I figured since my last post on Trader Joe’s was such a hit, I’d do it again! Mostly though, because I’m obsessed with Trader J. Like really, really obsessed. I could live there.
Truth: I walk 1.5 miles to get there and carry all my groceries back on an every other day basis. That’s TJ’s dedication if you ask me. It’s also because I live in the city and refuse to move my car unless absolutely necessary.
Anyway I’m here to share my (mostly) healthy list. Things without tons of preservatives and that I find myself buying frequently. I always leave the fruit and veggies out, because those are sort of just obvious. I’d love to hear your TJ favorites too! Here are mine:
1. This granola is AMAZING. Sweetened with all natural maple syrup; it is incredible on greek yogurt. And it kinda reminds me of Fall.
2. Apricot jam is the best jam in the world. I don’t know why but I’m strangely addicted to this and almond butter on english muffins the morning. Or stirred into my oatmeal with crunchy walnuts. AKA HEAVEN IN A JAR.
3. Kale, Sweet Potato & Butternut Squash Pizza. Basically everything you need for a girl’s night in meal Because I know Tony would NEVER eat this but all my girlfriends would.
4. Soy & Flaxseed Tortilla Chips. My friend Sarah got me addicted to these. I think they might also make a spicy version. Anyway I love that I’m getting some Omegas in, plus they are super yum dipped in hummus or salsa. PARTY PLEASER!
5. Pineapple Juice. I’ve been putting this into my morning smoothies with banana and a scoop of protein powder. I love the tangy sweetness of the pineapple. It’s also really great for mixing with coconut milk and cooking rice in.
6. Quinoa & Steel Cut Oats. Because sometimes you forget to prep your breakfast the night before and need something quick. This is delicious; you can find it in the freezer aisle.
7. Pizza al Pollo Asada. I LOVE the crust on this pizza. And I think the entire pizza is around 410 calories, so it isn’t too horrible. Plus, everyone needs pizza now and then.
8. 100-calorie oatmeal chocolate chip cookie packs. These are a nice little pick me up for when you are craving a little sweet snack.
9. Joe’s Dark Roast Coffee. Just delicious, that’s all.
10. Quest bars. YES Trader Joe’s now sells a variety of Quest bars (at least mine does!). I’m addicted to these.
11. Chicken Asada. Two servings of delicious chicken in this grab and go container. For those nights when you just can’t seem to find the time to cook (it happens!).
12. Roasted Plantain Chips. Simple ingredients and full of a slightly sweet crunch. Try them!
13. Wasabi Peas. How addicting are these?! I’m in love with anything wasabi. This is a great travel snack.
14. Lite Kettle Corn (individual bags). I’m all about a little sweetness in my popcorn. These bags only have 120 calories and are one of my favorite ways to end the evening. I’m been enjoying a bag every night. I can’t stop!
15. Fig and Olive Crisps. I want these RIGHT NOW. Seriously these with goat cheese = incredible.
16. Cowboy Caviar. Supposedly great on fish tacos. I love dipping chips in it or spreading it all over grilled chicken. YUM.
17. Tzatziki dip. Because we all need a little more greek food in our lives. And because this is creamy, cool and refreshing on just about anything.
18. Spicy Hummus. When I dip, you dip, we dip. Great on salads or for dipping grilled chicken in. I do it all the time!
19. Organic Cottage Cheese. This is where it’s at party people. One of my favorites. A great snack or breakfast with fruit and a drizzle of honey + toasted almonds. Or just sprinkled with black pepper!
20. Tomato Basil Marinara. Because sometimes you just don’t have time to make your own pasta sauce. This stuff is inexpensive, lip-smacking good and a wonderful base that you can doctor up with fresh spices and herbs.
21. Vanilla Bean Nonfat Greek Yogurt. I think of this more of as a dessert. I love adding fresh blueberries or raspberries and snacking on this before bed. Another great way to use this is in overnight oats because it adds a touch of sweetness & creaminess without you needing to add any extra sugar.
22. Plain Low-fat Kefir. This is such a great addition to smoothies or for drinking whenever your stomach is upset (if you aren’t lactose-intolerant). It contains good probiotics and packed a decent amount of protein per serving.
23. Three Cheese Pasta Sauce. So delicious on ravioli or in lasagna. A really great cheesy flavor for all those cheese lovers in your life.
24. Refried Black Beans with Jalapeno. Not too spicy, but has a great flavor. Great for breakfast burritos or just served warm with a fried egg on top. Also wonderful as a side dish or wrapped in homemade enchiladas. LOVE.
25. Habanero Hot Sauce. It’s time to spice up your life with a little kick from this sauce. Great on just about anything!
26. Grade B Maple Syrup. Rich maple flavor; this is my go-to maple syrup for all of my baking recipes. I love that it comes in a large jug too!
27. Coconut Flour. I think this was in the last Trader Joe’s post I did, but I’ll throw it in again because it’s AMAZING. This is the coconut flour I use!
28. Unsweetened Coconut Flakes. Great for baking and cooking and always in my cupboard for the coconut lover in my life (Tony).
29. Organic Ketchup. It’s ketchup without the corn syrup! As a girl who always has to have ketchup, I enjoy this. (Although I actually think Muir Glen is my absolute favorite natural ketchup.)
30. Cashew butter. For those who can’t have peanut butter. Or for those who just really love cashews. This has a nice mild flavor so it’s great for recipes and granola bars.
31. Sunflower Seed Butter. Know someone who has a peanut allergy? Don’t worry, this stuff is amazing and you can totally bake with it. Just remember sometimes you baked goods will turn green due to it reacting with the baking soda/powder, but don’t worry it won’t harm the taste!
32. Strawberry Coconut Milk Ice Cream. Imagine this with peanut butter drizzled on top…. or just imagine it straight out of the jar. TOO GOOD. Plus this is nice and creamy.
33. Low Calorie Pink Lemonade. Just the right amount of sweetness. Plus who doesn’t love pink lemonade?!
34. Organic Frozen Brown Rice Pouches. This is nice for when you need a quick dinner and you don’t want to wait 30 minutes for your rice to cook.
35. Trader Joe’s Sriracha Sauce. I put this on almost everything.
36. Sweet Potato Tortilla Chips. These are amazing with a nice fruit salsa, or even hummus. Or just by themselves.
37. Freeze Dried Strawberries. Delicious crushed up and stirred into greek yogurt! Crunchy, filling and great for when you are on the go.
38. Cashew Macadamia Trek Mix. Ummmm probably my new favorite trail mix. It has dried pineapple, cashews, cranberries, macadamias and almonds. Dangerously in love with this.
39. Cold Brew Coffee. Well I could make my own, or I could just buy this out of convenience. I know, I should probably just make my own.
40. Carrot Ginger Oat Bran Muffins. Pretty sure I could eat these every day for breakfast. The ingredient list is incredibly simple plus they taste amazing and are super moist.
41. Demi Baguette. I know you’re probably like WHATTT? But they do have a whole grain version! And it’s perfect for making the easiest french bread pizzas for two. Just slice lengthwise, top with cheese and veggies, and place in the oven til it’s all toasty. Easy and fun dinner.
42. Hot Smoked Sockeye Salmon. How amazing would this be in a salmon dip? Or on a bagel with cream cheese? Just sayin’.
43. Taco Seasoning Mix. No weird ingredients. Just spices!
44. Chicken Pot Pie Ravioli. I honestly don’t even think you need sauce with this. It’s so amazing! Maybe pair it with a butternut squash sauce? Damn, I need to make that ASAP.
45. Multigrain Triple Berry Hot Cereal. And it has flax and chia! So much goodness going on here.
46. Peanut Butter Panda Puffs. OH HELL YES. Not just for the kids. I feel like I never eat cereal anymore, however these are amazing with a little almond milk.
47. This Fig Walks Into a Bar… Cereal Bars. Were you a Fig Newton lover? If so, you are going to love these. They’re delicious and made with whole grains.
48. Organic Chia Seeds. You can put these in just about anything. I love adding them to my overnight oats or making a chia seed pudding. You can also make an egg replacement out of them. The nutrition and fiber kill it in these, so be sure to pick up a bag!
Again, I didn’t include fruits and veggies because I buy those all the time from various stores and farmer’s markets. I focused more on packaged products that are unique to TJ’s.
That’s all I have for you this time. I’m sure I’ll do Trader Joe’s round up… maybe of their sinful sweets?! In the meantime, I’d love to hear your Trader Joe’s favorites; leave a comment below! xo.
Don’t forget to check out my first Trader Joe’s post!
This is NOT a sponsored post. I’m just obsessed with Trader Joe’s.
Was heading to TJs this afternoon so had to revisit this post to get some inspiration. In addition to some of the products listed above, I found the most delicious TJ Mixed Nut Butter. Maybe you’ve tried it already but for those who love nut butter (🙋🏼♀️) it is a combo of 6 diff. Nuts and it’s so addicting!! It was on the very bottom shelf of my store (Chicago- Lakeview) so I almost missed it!
Perfect!! I’ve tried that nut butter before and it’s amazing. Definitely going to have to make a trip back to TJ’s soon!
Their pizza dough is an essential.
I love Trader Joe’s too.. going there makes me happy! I made a note to try that pizza and the freeze dried strawberries! My absolute favorite snack from Trader Joe’s are the Crunchy Curls – lentil and potato crisps. Obsessed with eating those with cottage cheese. I think my boyfriend’s favorite (he also loves Trader Joe’s) is the sriracha BBQ sauce.
Great List! There are so many hidden gems at Trader Joe’s and it’s always good to see what are the standouts. I really like the items on this list:
http://www.twentyfiveforever.com/lifestyle/2015/7/24/the-5-best-items-at-trader-joes
Not even kidding you, I’m bringing this list along with your first the next time I go there- The first time I went, I left empty handed because I was so overwhelmed.
Okay, I lied. I left with the trail mix that had peanut butter cups and chips!
Love TJ’s and love your Wellness Wednesday posts! You inspired me to try the pollo asado pizza tonight, and I was not disappointed! I added their salsa verde and the corn + chile salsa to give it an extra kick, which I highly recommend 🙂 Some of my other favorites include: the sweet and spicy pecans, Italian truffle cheese, rosemary raisin crisps, spicy hummus (small container), dark chocolate PB cups, frozen grilled peppers and onions (makes preparing fajitas a cinch), and their vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are to die for… would love to see a copy-cat recipe if you love them too 😉
so many great ideas! thanks for this – you just gave me so much inspiration for my next shopping trip
Love this post! I always love discovering new things at TJ’s. I could be lost in there for hours and easily walk out with way more than originally intended. haha! Per your request, there are a couple of staples that I have to get every time I go! They are:
Chipotle Chicken Burgers (in freezer section) topped with their spicy guac (amazzzing) and for convenience I will buy their frozen bag of bell peppers and onions to saute up to throw on top as well. SO GOOD!!
I also LOVE the Thai Green Curry Simmer Sauce. It’s great with chicken and veggies. I also really like using it to make chicken breast or turkey burgers (by throwing in some other things in of course).
Lastly, I love all their beauty products. I used their face cream for years until they changed the formula. My new obsession is their coconut body butter! It’s the best!
I also love freeze dried mangoes and also the dehydrated mangoes with chili spices (that’s not the exact name, but it’s like a Mexican type candy almost). Great with some lime on it.
We love TJ’s OJ, chocolate granola cereal, sprout bread, hazelnut flavored coffee creamer, coastal English cheddar, rosemary sandwich ham, frozen pineapple bits, toasted oatmeal, olive oil, raw honey, strawberry jam, green onion soup, vanilla ice cream, veggie fried rice and Japanese fried rice, sour candies(new item!), coconut water with aloe Vera juice, seaweed snack stuff, oatmeal soap and cat food to name a few. All great prices, no need for coupons.(: can’t wait to try the fig olive crisps and goat milk cheese! Thanks!
p.s. They have a great selection of vitamins. I buy their melatonin- chewable and mint flavored.
LOVEEE Trader Joe’s! I could seriously spend all day there! I love their almond butter and olive oil popcorn. 🙂
Looooove TJ’s! I’ve been obsessed with their cashew butter lately along with that Pizza al Pollo Asado…that crust is TDF! I need to try some of their breakfast items that you posted…the quinoa and steel cut oats is calling my name!
I’m obsessed with their frozen riced cauliflower at $1.99 a bag. It was so popular that it sold out and I’m told they won’t get supply in their warehouse until the end of August since it’s made in Italy. =( Good thing I bought like 10 bags to throw in my outside freezer 😉
I need that. I’m going to stock up when they get it back!
Trader Joes is amazing!! Love all the goodies 🙂
TJs is the best. I always stock up on their cowboy caviar when I go. And I am so happy they started selling Quest bars!!
Trader Joes has the most awesome things at the most affordable prices! I can’t wait to try some of these things, however I do wish I wouldn’t have to guy and buy the whole store ;). I love that they now have quest bars, and I really want to get those plantain chips!
A lot of great foods from TJ, for sure. I love what they carry! Thanks for posting these photos! It would be helpful even more if you would include in those photos ALL of the individually featured items’ price tags, too. That’s the real deal-breaker for most people staying within guidelines of their monthly food budgets — even those who eat/prepare healthy foods, whether as a single or with families.
Hi, I’m not sure if you are familiar with Trader Joe’s or not but mostly all of their items are well below other grocery store prices, especially since they don’t advertise. This post wasn’t meant to be about sticking to a budget, just a glimpse of products I love. Some of the prices may have gotten into the photos and some may have not.
oh wow, i thought i got a wide variety of tj’s products but i have a lot more yummy things to try! i used their freeze dried strawberries for a strawberry cake a couple weeks ago, and it was so intense and flavorful!
That low-sugar apricot jam is a stable in my kitchen. I practically use it every morning on GF toast with almond butter & hemp seeds – the best!
I have been wanting to do a grocery type post, similar to this — do you not feel weird taking photos in the store? Did you use your DSLR? Get any strange looks? 🙂
I know, it’s soooo delicious! Good idea with the hemp seeds on toast.
And I don’t feel weird at all! I’m sure I got some strange looks, but oh well I don’t really mind. I was just doing my own thing and snapping away. I just take them with my iPhone camera. 🙂
I haven’t gone to Trader Joe’s in such awhile since it’s such a trek and the whole-city-living-carrying-your-groceries-up-a-5th-floor-walk-up aspect of it. But this post really makes me want to go an try that kale-sweet potato-butternut squash pizza, carne asada chicken, and sweet potato chips. I love sweet potato fries but have never tried the chips. But maybe that’s a good thing…
And thanks for another TJ post (I wouldn’t even mind a third). I loved the first one, it looks like we have a lot of the same TJ favorites.
Good to know! It’s always good to hit up TJ’s at least once a month – so worth it.
I love their oatmeal flakes cereal, their coconut greek yogurt, and their vegetarian chili!
SO much good stuff I haven’t tried. I’m obsessed with TJ’s nut butter especially their flax & chia crunchy PB. I really want to try those pizzas, that tzatziki dip, and those fig crips omg!
The soy & flaxseed chips WITH the cowboy caviar is one of my favorites!!! I love Trader Joe’s so much, I might have to make a stop there today 🙂