Trader Joe's Finds

 Trader Joe’s is hands down my favorite place to shop when it comes to buying groceries. The pros definitely out way the cons, in my opinion. The only cons I see are: TJ’s is 20 miles from my house, TJ’s does not always carry all options (often they run out of an item and do not restock until the following week), and finally TJ’s expiration dates come up quicker than I would like!

I could go on and on about pros: great produce, I trust the food, it is clean, the workers are AWESOME (not to mention they care about food and almost always know what they are talking about), it is cheaper to get a lot of organic products at TJ’s vs. your everyday grocery store, there are samples (c’mon, who does not like samples?), ok I will stop now but seriously I love TJ’s.

I went shopping the other day and thought it would be fun to put together a blog post about my favorite Trader Joe’s finds. People always want to know what I eat besides meat and veggies! This time around I did not get any fruit and I got minimal veggies, but still got over $100 worth of groceries. (Soon I will post about preparing for the week, which will include a grocery list of items I get almost weekly).

Coconut oil spray – the bomb! I use this almost daily when I make eggs and I also put it in the pan before I do any baking or when I fry my meat on the stove. No one wants to clean and scrub a pan for hours. #whosgottimefordat

Inner peas – yummy! A salty snack that is not as bad as a potato chip. I love to put these in baggies and keep them in my car when I am in a pickle, aka want DQ.

Ground turkey – usually I get the 93/7 but I got the 99/1 because I want to make omelets that will have fat from eggs, cheese and avocado! (Side note: I almost always go for the fat when buying meat, those fats are healthy for you and much needed!)

Chicken dogs – currently my favorite meat. I LOVE these babies. And for only 60 calories you can have two without feeling guilty. Paired with some mustard, Oh.MY.Gosh my tummy is grumbling.

Turkey bacon – love it paired with eggs in the morning, 30 calories per a slice! Yummy.

Sliced turkey – I am picky with my meat, I like organic whenever possible, without having to put a down payment down to afford it. I will only buy Applegate’s turkey now and when someone in my family tries to buy something else I may or may not complain.

Just cashew meal – I have seen some people bake with it and I thought I would try it out. I’ll let you know what I think!

Greek yogurt – you cannot go wrong, ever! I love this with fresh berries or as sour cream in a taco salad. Recently I have been doing TJ’s taco seasoning packet with greek yogurt and my family is jumping on this dip like it is chocolate cake #JKbutseriouslyitsbomb

Cottage cheese - 4% fat cottage cheese is seriously the best snack. It fills me up because it has healthy fats and it is a great source of protein! I love cottage cheese with strawberries and cinnamon. 

Pizza sauce – I make homemade cauliflower pizza. This sauce is fat free and low in sugar, so it is always my go to.

Cucumber – organic, cheap, tasty, love em’           .

Celery – again cheap, organic, pair it with greek yogurt dip for a tasty snack.

Broccoli – always warming it up to eat with dinners for a tasty vegetable. Never disappoints!

Organic lettuce – easy for salads!

Cauliflower – not my favorite veggie, but when I put it in pizza – man I crave it!

Organic carrots – easy and quick snack that is always tasty.

Pasta sauce – paired with spaghetti squash it is awesome! Low in calories (45 calories/ ½ cup) and not much sugar. It is always my go to – until I get the courage to make my own!

Organic jam – I tried this today when I made a PB & J mug muffin. Lately for jam I have taken frozen berries and warmed them in the microwave then I would mash them. I needed something a little more so I broke down and bought organic, low sugar jam.

Peanut butter – can I say any more???? 9/10 times I buy my PB (nut butters in general) from TJ’s and they never disappoint. A spoon + a jar of peanut butter = one happy camper.

Taco seasoning – SERIOUSLY A LIFE SAVER. I love this. I know it is best to make seasonings with the spices in your cupboards but I cannot be a rock star in all departments. I can pronounce all the spices in this seasoning and it is MSG free.

Green tea – I drink it warm in the winter but year round I make kombucha with it!

Super green drink – eeeekkk. I have not tried this yet but Catherine is kinda, sorta a fan. And when I say she is a fan she hates the taste but loves the benefits! So I will give it a try. I did notice it has soy, so unless I have some kick butt results from it (energy wise) I probably would not buy it again. Also, this small 30 servings container was $20! Heeelllloooo no new clothes for two weeks.

Do you have any Trader Joe’s favorites?