Trader Joe’s Must-Haves: 40 Healthy Items to Try!

Cheese, bread, and wine are a few of my favorite things to consume. However, for the next 3 weeks I am saying “no” to them among other things! On January 21st, I launched my 3-week challenge to eat clean, exercise daily, and promote health & wellness. I am so excited to finally bring this list of my favorite Trader Joe’s items for clean eating! As many of you know, I love Trader Joe’s to no end, and I am incredibly loyal to their brand. Their food is fresh, super tasty, and marked at a great price-point! They also share recipes on their website! I’ve given a shoutout to many products overtime via Instagram, and this is my very FIRST comprehensive groceries list! P.S. the amount of items serves for a two-week period and was about $175 total.

What I am saying NO to (for my 3-week challenge):

  • Soda
  • Rice
  • Red meat
  • Pasta noodles
  • Baked goods
  • Candy
  • Processed potato chips
  • All alcohol (beer, wine, liquor)
  • Cheese
  • Coffee
  • Bread

What I am saying YES to:

Trader Joe's, poultry, salads, seafood, snacks, beverages, fruit, vegetables

TJ’s Poultry

  • Chicken apple sausage: Comes in a convenient 4-pack, super flavorful, and I add these to my omelettes! (calories per serving: 140)
  • Pesto Genovese chicken breast: These are seasoned so well and is enough food for 4 servings! I like to pair this with cauliflower rice and bok choy. (calories per serving: 160)
  • Kettle cooked chicken soup: This is my go-to for when I want a small and simple meal. It is packed with flavor, easy to heat up, and filling! (calories per serving: 120)
  • Lean ground turkey: I started eating this as a healthy alternative to red meat and I love it! I season it with salt and pepper, and pair with vegetables and avocado! (calories per serving: 180)

TJ’s Seafood

  • Frozen large cooked shrimp: This hold high value, as shrimp is usually very expensive. The whole bag is under $10 and includes 8-10 servings! I like to use these with my kale salads! (calories per serving: 120)
  • Barbecue cut salmon fillets: Not saying I should pick favorites, but this may be my ultimate favorite item at Trader Joe’s. It comes with two perfectly cut fillets for under $10 which is a STEAL. I bake them in aluminum foil using a small amount of butter, lemon, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper for the best flavor! (calories per serving: 230)

TJ’s Protein

  • Red kidney beans: I recently started substituting heavy carbs for beans to get more fiber in my meals. I prefer the red kidney beans over other types because these are on the healthier side! (calories per serving: 100)
  • Large brown eggs, 6 pack: I like to buy these for omelettes! I try not to buy the 12 pack because I know I don’t prepare eggs daily. (calories per serving: 70)
  • Fresh hard cooked peeled eggs: There’s something about hard boiled eggs that have always appealed to me! I like tossing one egg into my kale salads. (calories per serving: 60)

TJ’s Pre-packed Salads

  • Broccoli slaw and kale salad with white chicken meat: This salad is super filling because of the kale, and the dressing is delicious! (calories per container: 500)
  • Lemon chicken and arugula salad: One of the first salads I ever fell in love with at Trader Joe’s! It made me start liking arugula. (calories per container: 300)
  • Cobb salad: This is a classic salad at Trader Joe’s! I am not a fan of blue cheese so I remove that prior to eating. (calories per container: 380)

TJ’s Vegetables

  • Bok choy: I started getting interested in bok choy about a year ago, and since then I try to incorporate it more in meals! (calories per serving: 10)
  • Baby spinach: I like to add these to my omelettes, and want to also start adding them to my smoothies! (calories per serving: 30)
  • Kale: Absolutely LOVE kale! It is one of the healthiest foods you can consume, and it’s extremely good for your body! One pack (only $1.99) lasts me over a week! (calories per serving: 40)
  • Zucchini spirals: I recently started to eat these as a substitute for pasta. It meshes well with the foods I like to pair with it such as shrimp and chicken. (calories per serving: 15)
  • Riced cauliflower: I recently started to eat this as a substitute for rice. The seasoning is simple: salt, pepper, and a little olive oil and I’ve adapted to it nicely! (calories per serving: 20)
  • Baby broccoli: Broccoli is my favorite vegetable, and I discovered this type of broccoli at Trader Joe’s! It is something I can’t leave the store without! (calories per serving: 10)
  • Assorted colored bell peppers: I still find it funny that I thought these were spicy for several years and was missing out the whole time. I absolutely love bell peppers and like to get each color: red, green, orange, and yellow. I incorporate them in stir-fry, or as a side vegetable in my entrees! (calories per serving: 20)
  • Shredded carrots: I’ve always been a fan of carrots, and Trader Joe’s made me aware of the shredded kind which are so easy to throw into salads! (calories per serving: 35)
  • Frozen packet of mashed potatoes: I love mashed potatoes, however, I don’t eat them very often. I love the frozen kind because I can store them easily without the fear of them going bad quickly! (calories per serving: 90)

TJ’s Fruit

  • Large fresh strawberries: I love buying the large fresh packet, washing and cutting them myself, then freezing them to use for my smoothies! (calories per serving: 25)
  • Red grapes: Grapes are a great, refreshing snack, and I prefer red grapes over green because in my opinion they are the sweeter ones. (calories per serving: 60)
  • Frozen mango chunks: I use a handful of these for my smoothies! (calories per serving: 80)
  • Fresh cut cantaloupe: These are my favorite fruit, and I love that Trader Joe’s cuts and packages them in perfect little pieces! (calories per serving: 50)
  • Organic avocados, 4 pack: Avocados are a FRUIT (which trips me up sometimes) and I love that they are also a superfood with high healthy fats! I add them to salads and as sides in entrees. (calories per serving: 50)

TJ’s Beverages

  • 2% milk for cooking: I solely use milk for cooking my eggs, or with other recipes to make a sauce! (calories per serving: 130)
  • Orange juice: My favorite orange juice is at Trader Joe’s and I rave about it all the time! (calories per serving: 110)
  • Unsweetened vanilla almond milk: I use this for my smoothies and for cereal if I ever eat it. (calories per serving: 30)

TJ’s Meal Supplements

  • Strawberry yogurt: I usually add this to my smoothies, but I have also eaten it stand-alone with fruit on the side. (calories per serving: 130)
  • Aria Women’s wellness vanilla protein: I add a cup of this to my smoothies! (calories per serving: 90)

TJ’s Snacks

  • Sour cream spinach dip: I love spinach dip and this is one of the best I’ve had! (calories per serving: 80)
  • Pita chips with sea salt: I like using these for the spinach dip! (calories per serving: 130)
  • Organic white tortilla chips: I like using these with the salsa. These are the perfect tortilla chip (light, crunchy, and delicious)! (calories per serving: 140)
  • Organic medium heat salsa: I’ve been gravitating towards the medium heat salsa for more of a kick and have been really liking it! (calories per serving: 10)
  • Raw almonds: I found that almonds are a great source of fiber, protein, and healthy fats! Trader Joe’s sells them in one serving baggies which is perfect! (calories per serving: 200)
  • Organic popcorn with olive oil: This popcorn is addicting and not bad for you? A dream! (calories per serving: 130)

TJ’s Miscellaneous

  • Vegan caesar dressing: I recently tried this and its pretty tasty! I use it on my salads. (calories per serving: 70)
  • Unsalted butter for cooking: Unsalted is healthier than salted, and I only use very small portions for cooking. (calories per serving: 100)
  • Organic tomato basil marinara sauce: My go-to sauce for pasta, and now I use it on my zucchini noodles! (calories per serving: 60)

I hope you enjoyed my Trader Joe’s grocery list! Let me know if any of these items are things you love or would like to try!

To see the exact brands I buy of these Trader Joe’s products, watch my latest Youtube video below:

While you’re here, browse my other blog posts!

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