Think you have to spend big bucks for fancy, healthy food? Nope, just head to Trader Joe’s! I think my love of TJ’s has been well established in previous posts. (& this one) Since doing my 5-day detox last year, I have realized that Trader Joe’s has a TON of healthy stuff, for a fraction of the cost of Whole Foods. *this post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on them and make a purchase I get a small portion of the sale.
Here are a few of my favorite healthy items from Trader Joe’s:
Hemp Seeds: These are delicious and packed with healthy goodness. They taste more like a mini nut, as opposed to a hard seed. They are great on top of oatmeal or yogurt. I also blend them in smoothies. Just remember to store the bag in the fridge once you open it to keep them fresh.
Sauerkraut with Persian Cucumbers: Probiotics are super important, something I realized after reading Brain Maker. To get the benefit of live probiotics you need to buy sauerkraut that is naturally fermented. Many krouts you see in the store are speed fermented using vinegar. Well, to get the real deal can be pricey, but this stuff is only $3.99. It is delicious and full of live pro and prebiotics.
Jicama Sticks: Jicama a great source of prebiotics! I love how these come already cut up and ready to eat. They add a delicious crunch to salads!
Kombucha: Speaking of probiotics, TJ’s often has GT’s brand for at least 1 buck less per bottle than other places. They don’t have it all the time, but when they do I stock up!
Matcha Green Tea Packets: There are some healthy things that just don’t taste good to me. Tumeric, for example. I know tumeric is a powerhouse, but when I drink those tumeric drinks I feel like I am slowly being killed from the inside out. And even though I LOVE green tea, I have always hated matcha. However, when I mix a half a packet into my regular green and white tea it is actually good. I also like how it is packaged in easy to carry portions.
Frozen Riced Cauliflower: These are so handy for quick meals. Just saute with some veggies for a few minutes. You can make fried cauliflower rice or my favorite, Mexican cauliflower rice.
Shaved Brussel Sprouts: These are delicious raw in salads and even better lightly sauteed. The bags of baby kale and diced butternut squash are also cheap and awesome.
Almond Butter: I love both the crunchy and smooth almond butter. I keep a jar in my drawer at work to drizzle over my yogurt and snack on with fruit.
Tahini: I have recently rediscovered my love for tahini. In the past, I only used this to make hummus and a garlicky kale that I love. However, I now use this to make all sorts of different sauces and stirfrys and I am obsessed. (just search tahini dressing on Pinterest)
Organic Coffee: Organic coffee is pricey, but it is a bit more affordable at TJ’s. I hate that I have to grind them myself, but you take the good with the bad, ya know? #firstworldprobs
Coconut Oil Spray: This is the cheapest coconut oil spray I have been able to find. I use this to make my eggs every single morning. I know lots of people rave about TJ’s regular coconut oil since it is a great price, but in my opinion it doesn’t taste that great. Since I scoop a glob of coconut oil in my coffee each morning, I am willing to shell out a few more bucks for the Nutiva brand, which is my all-time favorite. However, the coconut oil spray tastes great and does the job.
Brown Rice & Quinoa Pasta & Red Lentil Pasta: Both of these are so good! The red lentil pasta has 13 grams of protein per serving, which is great for my son, who doesn’t like meat very much. (like mother, like son)
Marinara Sauce: It is REALLY hard to find premade tomato sauce with less than 6 grams of sugar per serving. (some sauces even have 8 grams per serving!) I know in a perfect world I would make my sauce at home, but we all know that ain’t happening. This sauce has only 3 grams per serving and tastes amazing!
Frozen Rice Bags: We live for these at my house. One microwavable bag is a perfect portion for two people. The mixed blend and the jasmine rice are our favorites.
Edamame Rice: Another favorite side dish for those quick weeknight dinner. Just toss in a skillet and in 5 minutes it is done!
Ghee: Trader Joe’s ghee is a great price, much cheaper than the brands at Whole Foods and it is really good.
Those are my healthy picks from TJ’s that are always in heavy rotation in my house! What are some of your favorite items from Trader Joe’s?
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