Trader Joe’s Favs:
–Popcorn:
Reduced Guilt
Literally 110 calories and hardly any fat in 2 ½ cups! So good, and lots of fiber, too
–European Yogurt
Can I hear 12 grams of protein, no fat, and only 120 calories per cup? Yeah!
This is the incredibly smooth, lower sugar, and did I mention smooth, yogurt that is identical to the mysteriously different but wonderful Ireland had as it’s insanely inexpensive ‘generic brand’ of plain yogurt. Amazing. Add those frozen blueberries, banana, granola, cinnamon, and peanut butter…. And mmmm
–Orange-Flavored Cranberries
In small quantities! Recently reading articles about the amazing benefits of cranberries—who knew they were such powerhouses?! Whole Foods has a particularly good overview of them on their website. Be careful, as sunflower oil and sugar have been added, but just A FEW of these atop almost anything are delish.
–Bananas
$0.19 each no matter what the size. Nothing more to say.
–Spinach
$1.99 for a good-size bag. Add to nearly every meal, be it a sandwich, salad, eggs, or a smoothie (yes, mix it in- you won’t taste the spinach, but you’ll get lots and lots of nutrients)
–Frozen Vegetables
Big bag of broccoli is just $1.49 (beat that New Jersey!) and big bag of sliced multi-colored peppers for $1.69, I believe, and they have some neat not-your-everyday-in-a-bag veggies, too: Leeks ($1.99!), Asparagus, Pearl Onions, and more
–Coffee
Not in the past ten years has a delicious, large carton of freshly (aka you do it yourself in the store) ground coffee been consistently $4.99. Much larger than the small bags from Shop Rite (Mom, you should buy this one), and grinding it at purchase just makes it that much better— that smell is so wonderful. (Add a little cinnamon to the grinds when brewing to add in some extra nutrients and taste!)
–Olive Oil
Again, price is hard to beat for a large, dark glass jug of it. Extra Virgin, of course.
–Oranges
Big bag of oranges is $2.99. That means 9 smallish oranges for $3. $0.33 each. I have yet to find that beat.
–Bread
Have you heard of Ezekiel bread? Well, that’s the kind I have been getting since college when an NYC friend hooked me onto it. I get the Trader Joe’s version, which is $3.49. At the rate I eat it, that is a good price. It is fantastic bread, though takes some adjusting to-It’s made with sprouted grains as opposed to flour. So, along with many other positives, you don’t get the heavy, tired feeling of eating wheat and you get lots more protein. Toasted is really where it shines. A nice little snack is a piece of the toast with a small spread of Smart Balance butter and cinnamon (there we go with that cinnamon again…)
–Almonds and Walnuts
16 ounces of nuts at prices that are less than Shop Rite (or Marsh for the Indiana people!)
–Eggs
Fantastic source of protein, a quick snack hard-boiled, and, at $1.99 per dozen, makes me seriously question going out for a $12 NY omelette…
–Rice Crackers
The ones that are called something like Mini Soy Multigrain Crackers are my favorite. A hint of soy sauce does add some sodium, but all in all a great snack. Not wheat, so again, no heavy feeling, and they are tiny, so 35 is a serving at 130 calories and very little fat. Good ingredients, and with hummus, divine.
Well this list could go on and on, but I have to go to bed! Goodnight all, and dreams of Trader Joe’s!
)
