I use Whole Foods market, and Trader Joe’s as my main two stores. Some things are a better deal at one store, some things at the other. Let’s take a trip thru Trader Joe’s in the first store guide.
First thing in the door, grab a basket. Don’t even think of grabbing one of those little basket cart things. Human beings are designed to lift and carry things, and I don’t care how hard you are exercising. Beneficial exercise happens in more places than the just gym – remember, our genes expect a certain amount of physical activity. Anyway, rant aside – let’s forage for some food.
First stop is the meats. There are a lot of good deals here. Most of the meats here are fair game, but just beware of many of TJ’s pre-spiced or marinated meats. Check the ingredient list first, which will often be quite lengthy. Ideally, avoid wheat, soy, and stuff you can’t pronounce. There are many good choices, though. Occasionally, you can even find grassfed beef. Some of the chicken sausages are awesome. When it comes to bacon, ham, or sausages be sure to get the uncured versions, or nitrate-free.
Next in line are the veggies. TJ’s pre-packaged, washed veggies are outstanding time savers. Chard of Many Colors, Southern Greens, pre-chopped onions, stir fry greens – you name it – all are huge time savers. Get them. There are some packages of squash and sweet potatoes that can become good post training meals. Also, check the fruits. Try to limit your fruit choices to things local and in season. Yes, this means less fruit in the winter months.
Next, you’ll come to the bagels and breads. Run quickly from this section, as poor recovery and eventual diabetes lurk here…..
Going down the frozen foods isle can yield some more time saving options. At the end of the isle are eggs; look for the omega-3 eggs. Frozen veggies you’ll want to keep on hand for when really pressed for time(great for quick slow cooker meals). Frozen berries are also good, and there are good choices in the frozen seafood section. Just like in the meat section, be sure to check the ingredient list on any pre-seasoned fish.
Next, we go up what is usually the center isle. This is normally no man’s land in most stores for the healthy shopper, but not here. Nut butters can be a great option for getting in enough fat for a hard training athlete. You’ll find cashew butter(actually, this a little iffy, it does have some added oil), cashew/macadamia butter, almond butter, and sunflower seed butter that are all good and inexpensive. Go for these nut butters rather than peanut butter.
The unsweetened applesauce, tomato and marinara sauces (look for low sugar options), olive oil, vinegars, spices, and various simmer sauces are all good. As always, get in the habit of checking the ingredient list of sauces and the like. Some here are ok, others are not.
There are great deals here on canned fish. The Wild Alaska Salmon, wild smoked salmon, sardines, and “chunk light tuna with no salt added” are all favorites of mine. Nearby, canned artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, and olives, can be found. Add any combination of these three to dress up your salads.
A great new product is the broth concentrate: chicken, beef, and now vegetable. Though slightly processed, they have acceptable ingredients, and add lots of flavor to quick meals.
Beware of the coconut milk. Nothing is wrong with the quality, it’s just that TJ’s only sells the “lite” coconut milk – which is simply watered down coconut milk. Buy regular coconut milk elsewhere, then thin it with water yourself if you feel the need. If you buy the lite – here or elsewhere – you are paying full price for half the product.
Nuts at TJ’s are always a good deal. The pre-ground almond meal is a great grain substitute that you can use in many recipes. Dried fruits can also be useful; check the ingredient list, though. You might get a surprise.
The last thing that I like on this isle is the pre-packaged Indian and Thai meals – great on the run. Some are ok, others not. You know the drill by now – look at the ingredient list.
You’ll usually done by this point. Some other things that you might occasionally buy here: wine, supplements, goat yogurt(rarely), and coffee. Remember that just because a store features quality, organic products does NOT mean that said food is automatically healthy. Organic junk food is still junk food! The only difference is perhaps a little less pesticide residue, but this isn’t the main problem. A product can start out using natural ingredients, but can easily be processed into something very unhealthy. As an example, you can peruse this list of cancer causing acrylamide content from the US FDA. Scroll down about 3/4 of the way, noticing that TJ’s “veggie chips” have one of the highest acrylamide contents measured anywhere.
That’s it for part one. This is not an exhaustive list by any means, and you might find some great things that I have missed. Have fun, and shop wisely.