Isn’t Trader Joes just wonderful? I love how easy they make healthy eating! I can get in and out of the store in 10 minutes and the cashiers alone make it worthwhile; they’re so flirty and fun! But, honestly, the true win of Trader Joe’s is their excellent meal options, and the easy packaging and pre cooked healthy options for meals that come together quickly!
This grocery store is the ultimate lifesaver for me and my patients after a tiring day when you’d rather just pull through McDonald’s, instead. But, we have goals! So today, I’m sharing a round-up of easy meals that you can easily throw together from Trader Joe’s that are just as quick and 100 times healthier than fast food.
These meals are all in a component style meal format; meaning, I’ve given you a vegetable + protein + fat/sauce + carb to make it:
- Easy
- Balanced for blood sugar
- Satiating to prevent late night cravings
- Transferable to other similar ingredients!
This is the type of meal planning I support my patients on and the type you’ll find in my meal guides; there’s a twelve week and eight week version that delivers to your email weekly! Just like these options below, they’re naturally gluten and dairy free. And, naturally they are all blood sugar balanced.
4 Easy Meals From Trader Joe’s
Cruciferous Chicken Sausage Saute
Why it’s dietitian approved and why it’s healthy:
This is one of my favorite options because it satisfies all my flavor needs; sweet, salty, crunchy and filling! That’s probably due to the coconut aminos. Have you tried coconut aminos? It’s a soy sauce alternative that is soy-free, lower in sodium and provides a salty but carmelized taste! I use it in all my stir fried meals. This meal is high protein, loaded with vegetables and full of flavor!
How to prepare:
For this meal, saute a bag of cruciferous crunch in coconut aminos, until it’s softened. Whilethis is cooking, you want to slice your chicken sausage into 1” thick pieces and throw the rice in the microwave. Please use a microwave safe bowl that is not plastic; here’s why.
Then, add sliced chicken sausage to brown. I like the garlic herb chicken sausage here, but any flavor works. These are high protein and a great alternative to eggs as a breakfast meal, too! But, more often than not, we use them in dinner bowls. Once the chicken has warmed through (they are pre-cooked!) you want to serve this with a side of the Trader Joe’s frozen organic jasmine rice. There you have it!
Use this trader joe’s grocery list as a good start to your healthy shopping list
Shrimp, Spinach, Cauliflower Gnocchi
Why it’s dietitian approved and why it’s healthy:
This meal is a lighter take of a heavy carbohydrate pasta dish. Although the cauliflower gnocchi is still mostly starch, we’ve added spinach for fiber and shrimp for protein. This meal can be diversified with a number of sauces, but I usually choose the kale pesto (when it’s in season!) or a simple olive oil and vinegar combination with a hint of Trader Joe’s onion chili crunch
How to prepare
First; never saute your gnocchi or even pan try. You want to air fry the gnocchi for the best texture; otherwise it’ll get gummy! And, the texture is light and airy in the air fryer. Alternatively, you can throw these on a sheet pan and bake them!
While these cook, you’ll saute spinach in a pan with a light spray of olive oil, add a few tablespoons of preferred sauce, and then add in the defrosted, rinsed, shrimp and cook for 3-4 minutes until white. Add in the gnocchi once it’s cooked, scoop in a few more tablespoons of sauce on top and you’re set!
Rice light bowls with hot honey salmon using cauliflower rice
Why it’s dietitian approved and why it’s healthy:
I love a good rice bowl, but most Americans just don’t need that much rice at one meal. By incorporating a fluffy cauliflower rice, we get just as much volume but also meet our vegetable needs at a meal too. And, there’s something nice about not having our vegetables always be green, right? I love how sneaky this cauliflower rice incorporation is!
How to prepare:
Throw the salmon fillets and cauliflower rice on a sheet pan to roast in the oven at 400F for 20 minutes. Lightly spray with avocado oil and sprinkle with EBTB seasoning. Microwave the brown rice bowls. Once cooked, incorporate the rices together, top with the salmon and squeeze a drizzle of hot honey over the top.
Organic grilled chicken breast on top of any salad kit, sliced apple, drizzled with vegan creamy dill dressing
Why it’s dietitian approved and why it’s healthy:
This meal is a no brainer. It’s delicious, simple, and the exact combo I pick up when my brain is on overload. Which is probably at least once a week. I love the crunch of a good salad but packed with enough protein and fat to keep me full for hours with the addition of the apple’s fiber!
How to prepare:
Toss a sliced apple, salad kit (sans the dressing and crunchies), and precooked griled chicken (I like to slice up one breast) in a bowl and drizzle with dill dressing. Delicious and nutritious in 3 minutes or less.
Are Trader Joe’s Frozen Meals Healthy
Trader Joe’s Frozen Meals can be healthy. Here are a good few options to consider.
Use this easy formula with frozen meals: pick a protein, pick a veggie, pick a starch, use a sauce as your fat.
- Salmon Burgers + Organic rainbow cauliflower + sweet potato gnocchi
- Turkey meatballs + fire roasted bell peppers and onions + Carrot Coins
- Frozen shrimp + Cauliflower rice stir fry + frozen brown rice
Trader Joe’s Frozen meals can also be unhealthy. I would avoid meals that are mostly carbohydrate, contain little to no fiber, and a lot of saturated fat. Here are a few options to avoid/limit.
The cacio e pepe is delicious but not a balanced blood sugar meal. But, you can absolutely make this more nutritious and better for your blood sugar by incorporating an easy protein, like the chicken breast tenderloins, and a bag of frozen broccoli!
Although Trader Joe’s offers a lot of frozen meals, it’s important to not interpret this as a complete meal. For most offerings, like the Barbecue Chicken Teriyaki, Shiitake Mushroom Chicken, The Beef Burritos, and the organic 3 Cheese Pizza, you’ll need to fill in the nutritional gaps. All of these meals don’t contain adequate fiber! Consider adding a salad kit, a frozen bag of veggies, or a sheet pan of roasted asparagus to complete the meal.
If Trade Joe’s and really any grocery store overwhelms you, it might be time to ask for help! Working with a dietitian can ease the stress of grocery shopping and provide food confidence. Book a free discovery call here.
