Full disclaimer: For my DC readers, I am usually that girl wobbling down the bus aisle juggling a tote and a Trader Joe’s bag stuffed with groceries all while tweeting away on my iPhone.
In my endeavors to get back on the clean eating bandwagon, I turn to my beloved Trader Joe’s. Recently, I’ve developed a bit of a full blown crush on these products. I decided to give a twist to the traditional “What’s in my bag?” blog post (although maybe that would be a post you’d like to see soon??) to highlight the products keeping me away from junk food snacking.
Frosted Maple & Brown Sugar Shredded Wheat Cereal: I used to think shredded wheat was utterly repulsive but my taste buds have clearly matured (somewhat). I pack a small baggie of this cereal as either breakfast or an afternoon snack at work. At $2.99/box, this cereal is a great bargain for a snack that’ll last you a week.
Vegetable Pad Thai: I never had Thai food until I came to college but you could say I’ve made up for lost times. This pad thai is more of a lunch than a snack but I wanted to showcase it anyway, it’s microwaveable but also cooks quickly on a stovetop (for those of us who don’t have a microwave!).
Fully Cooked Falafel: My relationship with falafel is a complicated one. The first time I tried it was on a date that was not going so well to be honest (after that, we never spoke again) and I translated the uncomfortable date atmosphere into the falafel, deciding at the end of the night I did not enjoy my meal or my date. Then, TJ’s gave away free samples of falafel and I realized that I should give falafel another chance (the guy, not so much). It’s now my favorite protein to add to a salad, because let’s face it, chicken on a salad can be repetitive and boring.
Cowboy Caviar: This Sunday’s post (SPOILER ALERT) will be fish tacos, a favorite meal of mine. I liked this salsa on my fish taco salad because its tangy flavor boosted the tilapia and guac. Also, a spoonful or two would mix well into TJ’s Turkey Chili, a favorite quick lunch.
Reduced Guilt Chunky Guacamole: Guacamole is another food I was rather suspicious of as a youngin, mostly due to its vibrant green color. Once I decided guacamole was actually incredibly wonderful, it was game over. Generally speaking, I try not to obsess over calorie counting; however, I do know people panic over how many calories are in guacamole. TJ’s Reduced Guilt Guac subsitutes Greek yogurt and cuts the calories and fat nearly in half. So you can eat more! Right?…Right?
What’s in your TJ’s tote?
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My TJ’s bag usually holds Spicy Hummus, frozen Butter Chicken (spicy but delicious!), plain goat cheese, and Spanikopita. Pretty random, but they are all delicious!
I’ve never had the Butter Chicken but I’ll have to try it, thanks for the suggestion!
I could live off of guacamole, but have yet to try that TJ’s version! Where the heck have I been?? Also need to try the veggie pad thai- yum!
The veggie pad Thai was delicious, full of bean sprouts! Would also recommend the spicy black bean dip, a nice touch with carrots as a snack