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Jasmine Westbrooks
- I'm a registered dietitian and my husband is a personal trainer, and we love Trader Joe's.
- The store has greatquick meal options, as varied as burritos, stir-fries, and burgers.
- I like to stock up on sparkling water and blue-corn tortilla chips in the summer.
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Trader Joe's may feel like a kitschy neighborhood grocery store, but it's actually a multibillion-dollar chain with well over 500 locations across the US.
Luckily, despite its business successes, it's still an affordable place to pick up organic, nutrient-rich staples.
As a dietitian who married a personal trainer, here are some of our favorite things to get at Trader Joe's in the summer.
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I love the Asian-style vegetable stir-fry.
The Trader Joe's stir-fry kit is unique because it contains fresh vegetables, not frozen ones.
We often use preprepared packs when we run out of ideas for the evening. We also use them on days when we want to put together a 20-minute stir-fry with tofu, chicken, or shrimp on a bed of white or brown rice.
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Chicken meatballs can do it all.
Trader Joe's chicken meatballs, which can be found in the refrigerated section, are more than just a nice addition to pasta.
They're low in sodium and high in protein, so my husband and I love using them to make lean meatball subs.
You can also create sweet and sour meatballs to vary the flavor profile of your meal.
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Organic firm tofu is a great plant-based protein.
Air-fried tofu is a favorite in our house.
Tofu takes on the flavor of whatever you add it to, so we can prepare it so many different ways. Plus, the plant-based protein has been known to improve heart health.
Sometimes, I'll season or marinate the tofu before tossing it in the Asian-style stir-fry to round out the meal.
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I always pick up some sparkling water.
Trader Joe's has several different flavors of sparkling water, so hydration is the least of my worries this summer.
My husband and I occasionally jazz up our sparkling water by mixing in lemons, limes, or other fruits for an infused flavor. You can also blend watermelon, drain the liquid, and add it to the water for a refreshing treat.
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The Trader Joe's PB&J bars are a nice bedtime snack.
My husband is always looking for a late-night snack that's light but also not too sweet. I like that the store's PB&J bars are smaller than your typical granola bar, so they fit the bill for us.
The chewy snack would also be great alongside nuts or seeds for added protein.
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I throw the Green Goddess seasoning blend on all sorts of dishes.
Trader Joe's seasoning blends are great toppers for streamed vegetables, pasta dishes, or a morning bagel.
There are so many varieties to choose from, but I like that the Green Goddess seasoning blend is a bit lower in sodium.
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It's nice to have burritos in the freezer on busy nights.
Both of us have busy schedules, especially during the weekend, so frozen burritos help us eat regular meals on a daily basis.
As an added bonus, the beans offer fiber to assist digestion and keep bowel movements regular.
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The spicy shrimp fried rice is another quick meal.
Shrimp fried rice is a great meal starter.
Adding vegetables such as mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, and spinach will increase the fiber content of your meal.
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I use the multigrain blend with vegetables to bulk up dinners.
The Trader Joe's frozen grain and vegetable blend has plenty of fiber, so it pairs perfectly with lean protein such as salmon, shrimp, chicken, or eggs.
I particularly like to pair this with the shrimp stir-fry to bulk and balance out the meal.
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Seafood burgers are a fun twist on the classic dish.
We love seafood, so when I first saw the Trader Joe's shrimp seafood burgers, I immediately checked the sodium content. Each patty has less than 300 milligrams of sodium and packs some heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, which is a win in my book.
My husband likes to grill but gets tired of eating the usual chicken, turkey burgers, and beef. These patties are great for switching things up in the summer.
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I add chopped greens to everything.
Chopped greens are great for soups and stews in the winter and smoothies when the weather warms up.
I like to eat at least two to three servings of vegetables a day, and frozen spinach helps me achieve that goal.
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The store's sweet-potato fries are great right out of the oven.
Regular sweet potatoes are excellent, so sweet-potato fries are fantastic.
I like to bake them in the oven with a drizzle of oil and serve them as a side for burgers and other meals.
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I love sprinkling low-fat shredded cheese on things for a protein kick.
Cheese is one of our favorite convenient protein sources, so finding a shredded version that's low in fat is a win for us.
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Blue-corn tortilla chips are one of my favorite sources of fiber.
When people think of fiber, chips might not come to mind. But the Trader Joe's blue-corn tortilla chips have 3 grams a serving. That's almost as much as a serving of brown rice.
Grab a bag for your next barbecue and serve them alongside some tasty salsa.
Click to keep reading Trader Joe's diaries like this one.
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