One place where it is easy to shop for healthy and inexpensive foods is Trader Joe’s. I love going there and get some staples for my Smart Life kitchen. I always find new products that I can share with my clients. Here is my top 15 from Trader Joe’s:
- Green Goddess Salad Dressing: Delicious and flavorful low calorie, low fat, low carb dressing. When you don’t have time to make your own, this is a good choice for a ready-made dressing. It is also nice for dipping your crudité veggies for afternoon snack.
- Seasonings: The Chile-Lime Seasoning Blend adds flavor and a nice kick to any raw veggie. Also great to sprinkle on chicken or shrimp. Great seasoning for taco ground meat. I also like the Everything But the Bagel seasoning blend to sprinkle on raw veggies, eggs, salads, and just about EVERYTHING I eat. I add the Mushroom Umami Seasoning blend to cooked or roasted veggies including mushrooms.
- Jicama Sticks: Ready to eat crudité veggie that is packed with fiber and is delicious with a sprinkle of the chile-lime seasoning blend or the green goddess salad dressing.
- Organic Spicy Avocado Hummus: This is a delicious organic hummus that is low in fat compared to traditional brands. Serving size is 2 Tablespoons but it goes a long way when you eat with your salad or crudité veggies. I also like it as a spread over GG crackers.
- Organic Cucumbers: Enjoy these with the skin for more nutrients and fiber. These are my favorite veggie and they add hydration to your day. I enjoy them for snack and in my salads.
- Toasted Sesame Oil a tiny drop adds flavor and umami to any marinate/dressing. It makes everything taste like a warm and delicious Asian food.
- Coconut Aminos Skip the soy sauce and reach for coconut aminos. Most soy sauces are filled with highly processed ingredients many of them have been genetically modified. It’s also loaded with sodium. Coconut aminos is an excellent organic alternative that is both gluten and soy free.
- Dijon Mustard always stock on great tasting Dijon mustard to mix into home made salad dressings. I use it to brush over fish fillets and add some herbs and bake.
- Traditional Tunisian Harrisa Paste you can use this paste to add to cooked tomatoes and greens as a base for Shakshuka (Mediterranean Egg dish, see the recipe on my website). This is also great to any tomato based cooking dish that goes well with some Mediterranean flavors and spices.
- Frozen Organic Green Vegetable Foursome excellent combination of green veggies to steam for a fiber rich side dish.
- Frozen Organic Rainbow Cauliflower for cauliflower lovers this mix is heavenly for a steamed healthy side dish. It can also be used for cauliflower soup.
- Fresh Organic Berries are my favorite fruit and the best choice for fiber rich plus tons of antioxidants. Berries are also on the top of the list of the “Dirty Dozen” so the organic choice at Trader Joe’s is the smart choice.
- Chosen Foods Organic Avocado Oil is a healthy cooking oil with a very high smoke point that is good for high-temperature cooking. It can be used for stir-frying, sautéing, or searing. Avocado oil is high in monounsaturated fatty acids and good levels of antioxidants and many other nutritional compounds.
- Organic Olive Oil Spray this is best for those who need better control for how much oil they use. Great choice for making eggs.
- Steamed Ready to Eat Lentils are the best for those with busy schedules and little time to cook. Lentils can be enjoyed many ways — on a salad, in soup, or even just on their own. These legumes clock in at 18 grams of protein per cup. Plus, they also contain a good amount of fiber and minerals, including iron and magnesium, as well as antioxidants and B vitamins.
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