If you can meander your way passed the Pound Plus bars of chocolate, tubs of cookies and all the deceptively healthy, sodium-filled frozen dumplings without succumbing to temptation, Trader Joe’s is the perfect place to start stocking your home with healthy foods, especially if you’re on a budget. Not only can you find more modestly priced basics (at least compared to places like Whole Foods), but there’s a wide variety of them. Leafy greens — many of which are pre-washed and pre-cut — vegetables, fruits, berries, nuts, seeds, spices, virgin olive oils, hummus variations and countless other fresh produce are all widely available. You’ll also find surprisingly healthy packaged foods, many of which you probably never thought to add to your diet.
Here’s a look at 26 such delicious Trader Joe’s products to your supermarket cart — all of which you can indulge in with a clear conscience.
10 Healthy And Delicious Items From Trader Joe's
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Reduced Guilt Chunky Guacamole
We have yet to experience the predicted great avocado shortage, but should it actually happen, Trader Joe’s has a delicious and healthy way to cut down on your consumption with its Reduced Guilt Chunky Guacamole. While avocados are an amazing addition to most people’s diets given the high amounts of healthy fats, they’re relatively high in calories. This guac reduces the calories while giving you the health benefits by using Greek yogurt as a thickener (plus you get a probiotic boost!).
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Everything but the Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend
One of the best ways to add flavor without packing on calories is seasoning. Everything but the Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend is a fantastic, flavorful blend (think garlic, sea salt and onion). Swap your bagel for a high-fiber cracker, schmear some low-fat cheese and sprinkle this blend for a perfect afternoon snack.
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Organic Sprouted Tricolor Quinoa
If you’re in the mood for quinoa, check out Trader Joe’s Organic Sprouted Tricolor Quinoa. What’s unique about this is not only that it’s a blend of white, red and black quinoa, but that the seeds are sprouted, meaning they were watered and allowed to begin growing just enough to reduce the compounds thought to inhibit delivery of maximum nutrition. Sprouting is also said to make quinoa easier to digest.
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Mango Chipotle BBQ Sauce
Mango Chipotle BBQ Sauce is a great option for summer BBQs made with of-the-moment health nut favorite, apple cider vinegar. It also has bourbon, pineapple juice, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and an array of spices (aside from, obviously, mango and chipotle). Note, however, that this sauce should be enjoyed in moderation because of the relatively high sugar and sodium content.
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Cauliflower Pizza Crust
If you’re trying to cut down on carbs, check out Cauliflower Pizza Crust. It’s also a great way to load up on veggies for a healthy take on pizza.
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Mashed Cauliflower
Who doesn’t love creamed mashed potatoes? For an equally delicious, but more nutritious alternative, try Trader Joe’s Mashed Cauliflower.
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Matcha Joe-Joe's
Cookies are cookies, so don’t think of Matcha Joe-Joe’s as healthy, but if you’re going to have a cookie, it may as well have some antioxidant-rich matcha powder in it.
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Organic Carrot Turmeric Juice Blend
If you’re looking for a detoxing beverage, check out Organic Carrot Turmeric Juice Blend. It’s the perfect balance of sweet, tart and spicy (it also has organic lemon juice, organic black pepper and organic chili pepper powder).
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Heart of Palm Medallions
Fat-free, low in calories and high in fiber, Trader Joe’s Heart of Palm Medallions are the perfect addition to any salad.
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Dried Fruit Bars
Most fruit bars are high-fat, high-calorie and full of chemicals. Not so with Dried Fruit Bars. Each bar contains a short list of simple ingredients. For example, the Apple Mango Dried Fruit Bar is made only with apple puree, mango puree, citric acid and ascorbic acid (vitamin C for freshness). Same deal with Apple Strawberry, Apple Raspberry and Apple Apricot.
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Organic Popcorn with Olive Oil
By now you're probably aware that most of the corn crops in the U.S. are genetically modified. Unfortunately, it's almost impossible to avoid corn and we don't yet know the long-term effects of GMOs. Consume consciously when you can, like with this batch of organic popcorn.
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Super Seed Blends
These blends are a great addition to your morning cereal, oatmeal, yogurt or salad. The Super Seed & Ancient Grain Blend comes with chia, flax, hemp, red quinoa, amaranth and sprouted grains, like buckwheat and millet. Each 2-tablespoon serving gives you 2,000 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids and 4 grams of fiber as well as 4 grams of protein. The Super Seed Blend With Cranberry & Coconut Chips mixes seeds like chia, hemp and buckwheat with dried cranberries and coconut chips. A single 2-tablespoon serving delivers 1,000 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids and 5 grams of fiber.
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Contemplates Inner Peas
Next time you're craving something crunchy, reach for this baked green pea snack. Made from whole green peas still in their pods, they've got the texture of a chip, but the hints of both salt and sugar will kill two cravings with one bite.
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Organic Brown Rice & Quinoa Fusilli
Pasta is pretty much devoid of any nutritional value, which is why this substitute is so stellar. Made from 20 percent organic quinoa and 80 percent organic brown rice, expect a nutty, hearty flavor and firm texture along with protein to actually deliver some nutritional punch.
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Organic Whole Green Figs
If you're craving some ice cream, throw a few Organic Whole Green Figs in a blender with a little bit of ice and some almond milk or eat them straight out of the freezer after letting them thaw for a few minutes.
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Mochi Ice Cream
If frozen fruit isn't doing it for you when it comes to sweet cravings, try mochi, which Trader Joe's offers in a number of different flavors. While a serving does have sugar (11 grams), it's significantly lower than your run-of-the-mill Ben & Jerry's. It's also markedly lower in cholesterol and saturated fat.
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Roasted Seaweed Snack
Each of these $0.99 cent packages of seaweed chips have a mere 30 calories. They're also nearly fat-free, totally sugar-free, have no carbs or cholesterol and barely any sodium.
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Steamed & Peeled Baby Beets
Slice and pop them in a salad or snack on them on their own because these flavorful beets are rich in dietary fiber, potassium, folate, vitamin B, magnesium and iron, while being low in calories.
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Peeled & Cooked Chestnuts
Sure, roasting chestnuts sounds great in theory, but in practice said roasting process takes a long time and often ends in a dry result. Peeled & Cooked Chestnuts are pre-shelled, cooked, ready to eat and super flavorful. With zero additives, they're a great healthy snack.
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Spelt Risotto
Finally, risotto minus the rice! This creamy, risotto-like dish replaces white rice (aka empty calories) with a grain called spelt. The mix also has garbanzo beans, which adds to both the fiber and protein content.
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Kefir
Kefir is a probiotic-rich, yogurt-like drink and Trader Joe's has a number of low-fat and flavored options. Probiotics are key for keeping the gut healthy and the consistency of kefir makes it easy to enjoy on its own or in recipes or smoothies.
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Persian Cucumbers
Small and seedless Persian Cucumbers are flavorful enough to eat on their own and WITH their skin intact. That's right, no peeling required.
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Asian Vegetable Stir Fry
We all know you can save a lot of money if you cook yourself (not to mention control fat, salt, sugar and calories more effectively), but the task can be arduous especially when time crunched. While you'll pay a slight premium for this blend, it's still way cheaper and healthier than buying a pre-made meal and the convenience factor of washed and cut fresh vegetables that you can cook in a wok or skillet with very little effort is hard to beat.
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Shelled Edamame
Frozen (as in they will last forever) and quick to warm, these shelled edamame are high in both fiber and protein.
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Sauerkraut with Pickled Persian Cucumbers
Fermented foods like sauerkraut are having a moment and for good reason; they're not only delicious and typically low in calories, they'll boost your gut health, which will improve everything from your digestion to your complexion.
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Maple Water
Move over coconut water, it's all about maple water. With plenty of health benefits, including being rich in vitamins and minerals like energy-boosting B vitamins, maple water is a great source of hydration. It's also an excellent source of calcium, while being low in calories and sugar.
