My (mostly) Healthy Trader Joe’s Haul

I grew up going to Trader Joe’s all the time with my mom. I remember trying to find the stuffed animal hiding in the store, and they had a sample of some kind in the back corner. But as an adult, I just don’t find myself going there quite as frequently. There isn’t one conveniently located near my house, so unless I’m already nearby one, it isn’t in my usual grocery rotation.

So when I do find myself there, I love finding some of their healthier options, plus some of their fun seasonal snacks! I thought it would be fun to share a haul of my most recent Trader Joe’s haul and some of my favorite things ot grab.

What I Love About Trader Joe’s

Trader Joe’s is a fun store, and while I don’t shop there a ton, there is a lot that I appreciate. First, they tend to keep their prices pretty affordable! Especially for organic options!

I also love their fun seasonal products— while not always the healthiest, they consistently have really tasty items around the holidays.

What I don’t love…

I find that a lot of their packaged items are just that… packaged and processed. Again, I am not strictly against those in moderation for my family, but I try to keep them to a minimum.

We don’t buy many pre-made food options as is, so this doesn’t change from how I shop at other grocery stores.

My Trader Joe’s Haul

Here’s the list of what I grabbed this trip, plus some of my other favorites!

Produce

I find that overall, TJ’s has a pretty good produce selection with lots of organic options. Here’s what I grabbed this trip:

• Bananas- between my husband and 2 children, we go through 3 bananas a day… that means 21 bananas a week 😅 anyone else living with monkeys??

• Apples

• Butternut Squash- one of my seasonal produce faves

• Acorn Squash- another seasonal item to add into our meals

• Garlic + Shallots

• Herbs + Microgreens- both of these livin’ up a simple meal or recipe so much.

Dairy

On this trip, I was already stocked up on dairy items. But historically, these are some of my favorites:

• Kefir

• Organic Milk

• Organic Half and Half

• Organic Cheese— especially the Parmesan Reggiano, which is usually quite a bit cheaper than I can find at other stores

Frozen Food

I’m honestly not a huge fan of the frozen selection at Trader Joe’s.. I find that most of their stuff just has a ton of sugars, additives and processed foods. I’m not against any of that in moderation, but we definitely try to keep it to a minimum.

This trip, I did find a few things that I was excited to try:

• frozen root veggies

• roasted corn (I love throwing this into soups for extra flavor and fiber)

• organic frozen berries

Pantry Items

• Ezekiel Bread- there is a notable difference in my blood sugar when I eat a sprouted grain bread with breakfast, as opposed to a conventional organic bread

• organic maple butter- a spoonful of this in my morning coffee 🤤 it is so so yummy. I love that the only ingredient is maple syrup, and it skips any artificial sweeteners or flavoring

• spices- I love picking up spices from TJ’s. Not only are they affordable, but they have a great

• organic tea- one of my favorite teas ever is the organic turmeric herbal tea!

Protein

• Chicken Shawarma- this is not one of the healthiest options, but we love it! It is pre-marinated and so good. We love making homemade chicken gyros with this as the protein

• Organic Ground Turkey

• Organic oven-roasted turkey breast- we love having this lunch meat on hand for sandwiches or snacks. The ingredients are amazing! Literally just organic turkey, water, salt, and organic vinegar powder

• eggs- the Trader Joe’s in my area occasionally has organic pasture-raised eggs— and at a really good price compared to some of the other stores in my area

Other Things

• wool dryer balls- If you haven’t yet ditched your dryer sheets, these are a much healthier option!

• house plants- I love a good houseplant— and Trader Joe’s always has some of the most affordable options!

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Do you have any TJ favorites? I’d love to hear from you!

Kaelyn

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