- I'm a registered dietitian in New York who loves to shop at Trader Joe's.
- I always pick up pantry staples like 10-minute farro, flaxseed meal, and pecan-praline granola.
- I love Trader Joe's cold-brew concentrate and frozen vegetable spring rolls.
Flaxseed meal is a healthy option that tastes great in pancakes, waffles, oatmeal, and smoothies.
Trader Joe's organic flaxseed meal contains a decent amount of Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), which is a powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants can help protect us from some diseases and reduce inflammation.
Plus this product has a light, nutty flavor. When I make my morning oatmeal, I add a tablespoon or two of flaxseed meal to the water before I place it into the microwave.
The package of flaxseed meal also features a great recipe for no-bake Energy Bites.
A 16-ounce package costs $3.00.
Trader Joe's nonfat Greek yogurt is an amazing protein boost.
I really love the flavor of this yogurt and I've struggled to find any similar products.
Plus 8 ounces of Greek yogurt will give you 24 grams of protein whereas regular yogurt gives you closer to 13 grams.
I enjoy this as is, in smoothies, mixed in oatmeal, or added to pancake batter.
A container just over 5 ounces is only 99 cents.
I usually buy three blocks of Trader Joe's feta cheese, which is rich in protein.
A vegetarian has to stock up on protein somehow, and I think feta is a great way to do it.
For dinner, I enjoy cutting up chunks of feta cheese and tossing it with spinach leaves, red-pepper slices, and dried cranberries.
My Shih Tzu, Teddie, also gets a ration of feta every evening.
Trader Joe's wild-blueberry and vanilla goat log is 8 ounces of heaven.
I adore the blueberry-vanilla goat log for special occasions or just because. Goat cheese has fewer calories than cow's cheese, plus it has some protein.
It's great to spread on crackers or bagels. You could also slightly warm the chunks and toss them into a salad.
One log is just $4.79.
I'm obsessed with Trader Joe's pecan-praline granola and always keep it on hand.
I love this stuff for breakfast but I wouldn't eat too many bowlfuls because it doesn't make for the most healthful eating.
Instead, I sprinkle it on my oatmeal, cottage cheese, and yogurt. It's a judicious topping that adds crunch and tasty flavor.
A 16-ounce package costs $3.49.
I can only find 16 ounces of roasted and salted pumpkin seeds for this cheap at Trader Joe's.
Seeds are a solid source of antioxidants and I think people should be eating more of them.
This bag of pumpkin seeds from Trader Joe's is definitely a bargain when compared to other health-food and grocery stores.
This 16-ounce bag is $6.99.
Trader Joe's vegetable spring rolls are an easy, meat-free meal.
Add some punch to your weeknight meal by heating up a package of Trader Joe's vegetable spring rolls.
These take about 20 minutes in the oven and come out crispy. They're a great alternative to take-out, and even my carnivorous husband enjoys them.
Depending on the size of your family, you may need multiple packages, but each is only $3.99.
Trader Joe's reduced-guilt macaroni and cheese is a quick meal.
I love carbs, but the calories can add up fast when you're eating traditional macaroni and cheese.
Fortunately, the reduced-guilt version from Trader Joe's is only 270 calories per serving and contains less fat than most typical mac and cheeses.
Add a salad and a side of vegetables for a satisfying meal.
One package of the frozen dish is just $1.99.
I like to drink the cold-brew coffee concentrate hot.
The cold-brew concentrate from Trader Joe's makes my life easier when I'm short on time.
I just mix the concentrate with boiling water and I'm rewarded with a steaming cup of smooth brew.
A 32-ounce bottle makes 12 8-ounce cups of coffee. At $4.99 a bottle, you're getting a lot more coffee from Trader's Joe's than that other guy with the green logo.
The chain's multigrain hot cereal has a hearty taste and texture.
If you're ready to branch out from your typical oatmeal bowl, give Trader Joe's organic multigrain hot cereal a try. I enjoy this in the morning because it has a solid texture and unique taste.
Plus whole grains like these have some perks — they're associated with a reduced risk of diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers.
To make it more filling, I top it with yogurt, brown sugar, granola, blueberries, and pecans.
An 18-ounce package costs $2.69.
Trader Joe's cheese blintzes are a quick meal option.
I've made cheese blintzes from scratch, even first whipping up the individual crepes — but these frozen ones from Trader Joe's taste great and require way less work.
My husband and I eat them for dinner with warm maple syrup, pecan halves, and whipped cream. To balance out the meal, we pair these with a large salad.
A package of six costs $3.69.
Farro is a solid source of protein and fiber.
Farro is an excellent source of fiber, which naturally improves our digestion of food. The grain is a first-rate source of magnesium and iron, too.
Farro usually takes 30 to 40 minutes to cook, so thank goodness Trader Joe's brought us a 10-minute version.
In a few minutes, you can cook stir-frys, make a farro risotto, create homemade veggie burgers, or concoct a mixed-ingredient salad.
A ¼ cup serving of farro will also provide 6 grams of protein. But like all grains, farro is comparatively high in carbohydrates, which aren't always the best for you, so just be mindful of portion sizes.
A package costs just $1.79.
Click to keep reading Trader Joe's diaries like this one.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7o8HSoqWeq6Oeu7S1w56pZ5ufonyjsdKtZKetpKe2tbXOrqpmnp%2BksbR506hkm62pYq61edOrmJ2domK3sLHSZpuinaSewaqtzWajoqukYn9xfpBmaGk%3D