A Nutritionist’s Grocery List to Trader Joe’s

Is it just us, or is grocery shopping actually fun?! With tantalizing recipes showing up on our Instagram feeds daily, new and exciting products being released, and healthy alternatives to things we love surfacing all of the time, we get a bit of a thrill upon entering the grocery store. What new item will we find this time? How can we make this recipe even better?

However, with all of the options nowadays, it can be a little difficult to navigate the store aisles. And especially difficult to realize what’s actually healthy and what’s not. To take us on a tour of some of our favorite grocery stores, we went to one of our favorite nutritionists Lindsay Surowitz of Weeknight Bite. You may recognize her from her one day detox or delicious taco bowl recipe. Well, today Lindsay is showing us what’s in her cart and giving us a nutritionist’s grocery list to Trader Joe’s. Yep, she’s revealing her secrets to getting not only the healthiest options in the store but the most affordable ones. Win win.

Watch us wander the aisles with her Trader Joe’s grocery list and bring home a haul of the good stuff! Plus, don’t forget to save her Trader Joe’s grocery list on Pinterest for future reference when you are at the store!

Fresh Produce

When it comes to produce I buy organic as much as I can (but always for the EWG dirty dozen). TJ’s has a great price point for organic fruits and veggies. Here are some favorites:

• Strawberries (a 2-pound box of organic strawberries is $6.99 right now!)
• Summer stone fruit: peaches / nectarines / cherries / plums / apricots
• Avocados
• Berries
• Lemons and limes – I love that TJ’s sells them in convenient large bags!
• Mini watermelon – so cute!
• Cherry tomatoes
• Pomegranate seeds
• Oranges / mandarins / clementines
• Persian cucumbers

• Greens – arugula, spinach, kale, spring mix
• Restaurant-style Microgreens – I love these little greens because they are nutrient-packed. They are perfect to throw into smoothies (my favorite way to use them), toss into salads, or use as a garnish!
• Cauliflower
• Broccolini
• Bok choy
• Sweet potatoes
• Squash
• Brussels sprouts
• Peppers
• Asparagus
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Celery
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Snap peas
• Snow peas
• Pot o’ basil: I love buying their fresh basil plant! It lasts much longer than the box of fresh basil.

Refrigerated packaged goods

Trader Joe’s is known for making things easy on us. These are your best options when it comes to refrigerated packaged goods:

• Eggplant hummus – I love this one because the ingredients are super clean! A lot of their hummus’ are made with canola or safflower oil (not good), and the eggplant one is not! It is so important to get comfortable checking ingredient labels!
• Avocado’s Number Guacamole – They carry full packs and single-serving packs for on-the-go snacking.
• Riced cauliflower
• Riced broccoli
• Sauerkraut
• Steamed & Peeled Baby beets
• Steamed lentils
• Healthy 8 chopped veggie mix
• Pre-cut squash and veggies
• Organic plain yogurt

Frozen Food

You’ve heard it said that you should stick to the perimeter of the grocery store. However, Trader Joe’s has a lot of great and healthy options in their frozen aisle, such as…

• Organic berries
• Unsweetened organic acai puree packets – amazing for smoothies! And 0g sugar!
• Just coconut chunks – another delicious smoothie ingredient, literally just coconut!
• Spinach & kale bites – These are a great appetizer for entertaining. I serve them with warmed marinara sauce on the side.
• Organic riced cauliflower – This is my absolute go-to TJ’s purchase. I never leave the store without it! Recipe idea: Cauliflower Fried Rice
• Veggies: organic spinach, kale, broccoli, peeled & cut kabocha squash
• Organic brown rice – so quick, just needs to be heated up!
• Organic quinoa – also just needs to be heated!

• Grilled cauliflower – already grilled, how easy is that?!
• Fire-roasted bell peppers and onions
• Dorot frozen cubes – garlic, ginger, basil, cilantro – just pop a cube or two into your pan as you’re cooking for extra flavor.
• Wild fish: sockeye salmon fillets, black cod, sole
• Wild blue shrimp
• 100% grass-fed angus burger patties
• Cauliflower pizza crust – a new TJ’s item! Buy a bunch of toppings for a fun DIY pizza night!
• Gone Bananas! (chocolate covered banana bites)

Meat / Poultry / Dairy

When it comes to meat, poultry, and dairy, buying organic, grass-fed, and pastured-raised will always be your best bet!

• Organic chicken breasts / breast tenders
• Organic grass-fed ground beef
• Organic, free-range eggs
• Organic, grass-fed beef hot dogs (as far as hot dogs go, these are actually pretty clean! No nitrates or nitrites added, very important!)
• Organic ground turkey
• Organic plain Greek yogurt – rather than buying flavored yogurt, I always suggest clients opt for plain yogurt since it’s lower in sugar they can add their own fruit or toppings to it!
• Organic cheeses – TJ’s gourmet cheese section is really reasonably priced!

Pantry Items

• Ezekiel bread – I go for the cinnamon raisin flavor and the low sodium whole grain.
• Gluten-free rolled oats
• Gluten-free Grainless Granola
• Unsweetened instant oatmeal
• Canned organic beans
• Canned organic pumpkin
• Canned wild-caught salmon and tuna
• Brown Rice & Quinoa Pasta
• Organic Black Bean Rotini Pasta
• Organic Brown Rice
• Organic Quinoa
• Freeze-dried fruit – watch your portions with these… they’re natural but a bag of them has about 20g of sugar!
• Roasted Seaweed Snack
• Organic pea protein powder (vanilla or plain)
• Diced tomatoes – look for the no-sugar added version!
• Low-sodium veggie or chicken broth
• Tuscano Marinara sauce – always check the labels and opt for one that’s made without soy or canola oil, and without added sugar
• Organic tahini
• Salsa verde / organic tomatillo salsa / serrano salsa
• Italian tomato paste

• Organic Coconut Aminos – This is an amazing swap for soy sauce! It’s lower in sodium and made with coconut instead of soy
• Coconut oil – the jars and the individual packs, which are great for travel.
• Avocado oil – This is a must for high-heat cooking – it has a much higher smoke point than olive oil!
• Ghee
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Apple cider vinegar
• Aceto Balsamico di Modena – my fave balsamic!
• Red wine vinegar
• Organic coconut milk (can)
• Organic coconut cream
• Organic unsweetened flake coconut
• Roasted cocoa nibs

• Nuts – stock up on all your favorite nuts! You can’t beat TJ’s price. Some favorites include:
  • Raw almonds (and sliced almonds for salads)
  • Raw cashews
  • Shelled pistachios – I love that I can be lazy and skip the shell!
  • Toasted & unsalted Macadamia nuts
• Individually packaged “just a handful” trail-mixes & nuts
• Seeds: organic chia seeds – a staple in my morning smoothies! Hemp seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds
• Nut butter: Mixed Nut Butter (yum!), Raw Creamy Almond Butter, Crunchy Salted Peanut Butter with flax & chia seeds
• Spices & seasonings: current obsession – Everything but the Bagel Seasoning – sprinkle it on your avocado toast and thank me later!
• Nutritional yeast – a great cheese substitute that’s full of B-vitamins!
• Flaky sea salt
• Organic liquid stevia
• Dark Chocolate Honey Mints – of all the tempting sweets, these are your cleanest option!
• Rx Bars
• Just Beets – perfect to dip into hummus or guacamole!

Healthy Baking Essentials

• Blanched almond flour
• Organic coconut flour
• Organic oat flour
• Ground flaxmeal
• Organic coconut sugar
• Organic Pure Maple Syrup
• Organic Raw honey
• Roasted Cocoa Nibs

Drinks

Spindrift sparkling water – lightly sweetened with real fruit juice!
Pellegrino & TJ’s sparkling water
Coconut water – look out for sugar content!
Coffee & Teas – I love their mint, turmeric & ginger, and green teas!
Tejava unsweetened iced tea
Unsweetened iced green tea
Health Ade Kombucha
Matcha Green Tea

And finally… you can’t forget flowers! Trader Joe’s always has the best assortment of fresh, in season blooms. Alright, are you ready to pin?? Here’s your MEGA grocery list to Trader Joe’s.

Lindsay’s Trader Joe’s Grocery List:

What are your favorite Trader Joe’s finds?!