I am making my first-ever trip to Trader Joe's tomorrow, since I've heard such great things about it and have been wanting to check it out. The closest one is about an hour away from me but we are going to be in that area tomorrow. Does anyone have any suggestions on things I should look for? I've heard that the Better n' Peanut Butter is carried by TJ so I'm going to look for that but other than that I don't really know what all they carry.
I like to buy their frozen meals (fried rice, pasta...) for quick dinners. I add veggies and fake chicken to the fried rice and it is a pretty fast and low cal dinner. I also buy their frozen fruit (it's cheaper) to add to protein powders. Oh, and frozen soy beans! We all love them. I just think their frozen food stuff tends to be a little healthier and tasty.
They have one of the lowest calorie marinara sauces I've found, and in smaller jars that are only 4 servings (instead of 6-8 like the standard grocery store ones). It's only 50 calories per half cup...and cheap! 99 cents a jar! You can also get bargains on whole wheat or regular pastas.
They have some amazing salad dressings...Parmesan Ranch and Cilantro are two notable ones. They also have freeze-dried fruits I love...mango, blueberries, etc. They have no added sugar, and you get a pretty big serving for the calories.
They also have my favorite salsa...Pineapple salsa! This, as well as lots of other sauces (Indian and Thai simmering sauces that make a great, quick dinner, for example) are a good buy and very tasty.
I find they are very cheap on dairy (greek yogurt, eggs, milk, etc) compared to my store, so I usually get some of that. I also get coffee and teas there.
They have great grain blends...including a shelf-stable, microwaveable brown rice that makes a great quick side dish. They have a Harvest Grains mix that has lots of different grains including quinoa and baby garbanzo beans...delicious!
reduced carb whole wheat tortillas - 50 calories each! (small but still...)
unsweetened almond milk
fat free crumbled feta
light havarti slices
hummus (I like TJ's "original" - garlic is really good too)
frozen brown rice (for nights you are in a rush and don't have time to cook it)
whole grain couscous
kalamata olives
Black Mountain Pinot Noir (if you are a red wine sipper)
Dr. Beckerman Riesling (if you like SWEET white wine)
ground flax to put on oatmeal and cereal
Chili Lime Chicken Burgers - frozen, 4 to a box (smallish, but only 150 calories - load on the tomatoes and veg and they are great quick meal)
Vegetable Masala Burger --soooo good. Better than you think it will be. 120 calories. Frozen.
olive oil
basalmic vinegar
cranberry apple bran muffins - with the bread. VERY branny, high fiber. 80 calories
bread
kefir
mini-meringues (vanilla) - ONE CALORIE EACH
Lots of other stuff too, but those are some that come to mind.
Have fun and bring a cooler - I agree with Mandalinn - eggs and milk are cheaper than our local walmart. Some items are more expensive, of course, but dairy prices are good.
Nuts are very expensive, and Trader Joe's has the best prices I've seen. I usually keep a bag of walnuts and almonds in my fridge. I will eat a few almonds for a snack and I put walnuts on my husband's oatmeal (he just lowered his cholesterol 50 points - I think the oatmeal AND the walnuts helped). Certain kinds of nuts are triggers for me - just too many calories and fat - but I can have almonds and walnuts around.
Love the Better n' PB!! We also get some of our fish from them as well as marinara. I occasionally will get their Twigs, Flakes and clusters cereal to use as a snack (1 c is 3 points but I usually do a 1/2 c portion). If you like wine they usually have some ok wines at good prices. I like to allow myself one glass on the weekend.
I am allergic to peanuts and we buy their sunflower seed butter by the truckload! Also we love their dried fruits (mango and banana are huge hits with my kids). I second the marinara sauces too. We get loads of the mac & cheese because there are no artificial dyes or flavors, and it's only 99 cents a box.
whole wheat couscous
organic avocados (keep in the fridge to prevent them from ripening too fast)
fish
nuts
dried bing cherries
whole wheat english muffins (5g of fiber)
piquillo peppers (in a jar. yum)
almond butter
I went through all the aisles but it was SO crowded I couldn't browse as long as I would have liked. Next time I'll go on a weekday to avoid the rush. I did get quite a few things, favorites so far are the pineapple salsa and the freeze-dried mangos. Definitely will be making a return trip - even hubby thought it was a cool place!
* The pork tenderloin - it's super lean, has the American Heart Association seal on it, and is delicious. Throw it in the oven with a chopped onion and red bell pepper and it makes for a delicious meal and leftovers.
* Spinach Lasagna - single sized frozen lasagna. It's $2 and (I think) 300 calories. Perfectly filling and delicious.
One thing I really love about Trader Joes is their prepared food sections...they have loads of great salads, sushi, and other healthy options. All of these items have the calorie count for the salads with and without dressing, which I love!
Going to Trader Joe's tomorrow - any suggestions?
Also we love their dried fruits (mango and banana are huge hits with my kids). I second the marinara sauces too. We get loads of the mac & cheese because there are no artificial dyes or flavors, and it's only 99 cents a box.
