I live far away from the nearest Trader Joe's, but I'm taking a trip next week that will take me near one on my way home. Because of COVID, I don't want to spend a long time browsing in the store, so I'd like to make a list of items that I can go in and grab without lingering. #1 on my list is the chili lime chicken burgers recommended by @Cheeseburgh on the favorite grocery products post (I hope they have these -- they look delicious!).

Please tell me your must-buy bariatric-friendly products at Trader Joe's!

Water. Joking! I don’t know any new products that are Bariatric friendly but if you see anything low carb for keto it’s a good chance it will have less carbs but not necessarily less calories, however I love Ak-Mak

They have a good selection of nuts. I often have nuts of some sort as my afternoon snack, and have picked some up there.

I like the black bean and corn enchiladas (frozen section). I eat half a package with an egg on top to up the protein. They are super yum. Cheese. Nuts.

Edited January 26, 20215 yr by WishMeSmaller

I heard they have great salmon burgers as well - I’ve been wanting to go so following this thread!! Chili lime chicken burgers sound good too yummmm.

I'm surprised I didn't get very many responses about this, but I guess if you don't live in the middle of nowhere, a trip to Trader Joe's is not a big event ?. I found some product recommendations on keto web sites and YouTube videos. Here's my haul:

They didn't have several of the items on my list, and there were a few things I didn't buy because they seemed way overpriced, but here's what I got (some of it is just general grocery items just to save me a trip to another store):

Meat

• Individually frozen boneless skinless chicken thighs ($7.99)
• Ground chicken ($3.79)
• Ground turkey ($2.99)
• Pork tenderloin ($4.15)
• Chile lime chicken burgers ($3.69)
• Chicken sausage ($3.99)

Produce

• Spaghetti squash ($2.99)
• Organic romaine bagged salad ($2.69)
• Heavenly tomatoes ($2.79)
• Head of garlic ($.49)
• Organic ginger ($1.79)

Frozen

• Frozen green beans ($1.99)
• Frozen asparagus ($2.99)
• Frozen raspberries ($2.49)

Pantry

• Avocado oil ($5.99)
• Kalamata olive oil ($8.99)
• Sesame oil ($2.99)
• Rice vinegar ($1.99)
• Salsa Autentica ($1.99)
• Salsa Verde ($1.99)
• Sundried tomatoes ($1.99)
• Masala simmer sauce ($2.69)
• Almond flour ($7.49)

Snacks

• Chomps jerky ($1.69)
• Quest Hero bar ($1.99)
• Power Crunch bar ($1.49)
• Freeze-dried raspberries ($3.99)

Refrigerated

• Plain nonfat Greek yogurt ($.99)
• Green goddess salad dressing ($3.99)
• Spicy cashew salad dressing ($3.99)

I've only tried a few of these items so far. I love the green goddess salad dressing; it's only 10 calories per tablespoon and surprisingly tasty (I actually licked the bowl when I finished my salad). Sadly, it's perishable and only has about a month shelf-life in the fridge. Haven't tried the spicy cashew dressing yet, but online reviewers love it. I like the chicken burgers, but they'd be better on a nice, fluffy bun.

I felt so weird buying all healthy stuff and no junk food! If I had made this trip a year ago, I would have been all over the delicious-looking baked goods and the snacks and desserts stacked above the freezer aisle.

@BigSue It sounds weird, but mango chutney from Trader Joe’s is really good on the chicken burgers. If you’re doing low carb, I’m sure it’s too high though. Salsa might work too. I always had them with a toasted slice of their multigrain bread and chutney.

I miss them, they don’t deliver here.

On 1/26/2021 at 2:38 PM, kristieshannon said:

They have a good selection of nuts. I often have nuts of some sort as my afternoon snack, and have picked some up there.

I get mine from there also. I buy the raw ones with no salt or anything added. The almonds are delish!!

On 1/26/2021 at 10:23 PM, DenverGirl88 said:

I heard they have great salmon burgers as well - I’ve been wanting to go so following this thread!! Chili lime chicken burgers sound good too yummmm.

Oh Salmon burgers sound so good. I am going to have to check it out. I have a Trader Joes like 10 minutes from my house. TY for the idea.

On 2/8/2021 at 12:13 PM, BigSue said:

I'm surprised I didn't get very many responses about this, but I guess if you don't live in the middle of nowhere, a trip to Trader Joe's is not a big event ?. I found some product recommendations on Keto web sites and YouTube videos. Here's my haul:

They didn't have several of the items on my list, and there were a few things I didn't buy because they seemed way overpriced, but here's what I got (some of it is just general grocery items just to save me a trip to another store):

meat

• Individually frozen boneless skinless chicken thighs ($7.99)
• Ground chicken ($3.79)
• Ground turkey ($2.99)
• Pork tenderloin ($4.15)
• Chile lime chicken burgers ($3.69)
• Chicken sausage ($3.99)

Produce

• Spaghetti squash ($2.99)
• Organic romaine bagged salad ($2.69)
• Heavenly tomatoes ($2.79)
• Head of garlic ($.49)
• Organic ginger ($1.79)

Frozen

• Frozen green Beans ($1.99)
• Frozen asparagus ($2.99)
• Frozen raspberries ($2.49)

Pantry

• Avocado oil ($5.99)
• Kalamata olive oil ($8.99)
• Sesame oil ($2.99)
• Rice vinegar ($1.99)
• Salsa Autentica ($1.99)
• Salsa Verde ($1.99)
• Sundried tomatoes ($1.99)
• Masala simmer sauce ($2.69)
• Almond flour ($7.49)

Snacks

• Chomps Jerky ($1.69)
• Quest Hero bar ($1.99)
• Power Crunch bar ($1.49)
• Freeze-dried raspberries ($3.99)

Refrigerated

• Plain nonfat Greek yogurt ($.99)
• Green goddess Salad Dressing ($3.99)
• Spicy cashew salad dressing ($3.99)

I've only tried a few of these items so far. I love the green goddess salad dressing; it's only 10 calories per tablespoon and surprisingly tasty (I actually licked the bowl when I finished my salad). Sadly, it's perishable and only has about a month shelf-life in the fridge. Haven't tried the spicy cashew dressing yet, but online reviewers love it. I like the chicken burgers, but they'd be better on a nice, fluffy bun.

I felt so weird buying all healthy stuff and no junk food! If I had made this trip a year ago, I would have been all over the delicious-looking baked goods and the snacks and Desserts stacked above the freezer aisle.

I love the green goddess salad also!! I will try the spicy cashew soon. TY

On 2/8/2021 at 12:13 PM, BigSue said:

I've only tried a few of these items so far. I love the green goddess salad dressing; it's only 10 calories per tablespoon and surprisingly tasty (I actually licked the bowl when I finished my salad). Sadly, it's perishable and only has about a month shelf-life in the fridge. Haven't tried the spicy cashew dressing yet, but online reviewers love it. I like the chicken burgers, but they'd be better on a nice, fluffy bun.

I felt so weird buying all healthy stuff and no junk food! If I had made this trip a year ago, I would have been all over the delicious-looking baked goods and the snacks and Desserts stacked above the freezer aisle.

I wouldn't worry about the 1 month expiration date on the salad dressing. Most of those are just "best by" dates, it will be fine for a long time afterwards. Just sniff it if you're unsure. Most products are find well after the so-called expiration date. Just keep it in the fridge. There are some things that don't stay very well like milk, meat, nuts, and soda, (and twinkies - it's a myth that they live forever. the oil goes rancid pretty fast). I buy Bolthouse Ranch from the refrigerator section and it's supposedly only good for a month or two but I'll use it at least six months after that.

Edited April 20, 20215 yr by lizonaplane

I do want to follow this thread as well. I do not have one near me but have a friend that does and hope to make that a trip sometime soon.

8 hours ago, lizonaplane said:

I wouldn't worry about the 1 month expiration date on the Salad Dressing. Most of those are just "best by" dates, it will be fine for a long time afterwards. Just sniff it if you're unsure. Most products are find well after the so-called expiration date. Just keep it in the fridge. There are some things that don't stay very well like milk, meat, nuts, and soda, (and twinkies - it's a myth that they live forever. the oil goes rancid pretty fast). I buy Bolthouse Ranch from the refrigerator section and it's supposedly only good for a month or two but I'll use it at least six months after that.

I finished the green goddess dressing within its expiration date, but the spicy cashew dressing (also delicious, BTW) expired and definitely went bad a few weeks after the expiration date. I don’t automatically throw everything out when it reaches the expiration/sell by date, but the expiration/sell by date can be a good indication of how long it lasts. Compared to, say, the SkinnyGirl dressing I just bought that expires in 2023, I can assume the Trader Joe’s dressings won’t last nearly as long. I think next time I get Trader Joe’s dressing, I’ll try freezing it and see if it still tastes good after thawing.

11 hours ago, BigSue said:

I finished the green goddess dressing within its expiration date, but the spicy cashew dressing (also delicious, BTW) expired and definitely went bad a few weeks after the expiration date. I don’t automatically throw everything out when it reaches the expiration/sell by date, but the expiration/sell by date can be a good indication of how long it lasts. Compared to, say, the SkinnyGirl dressing I just bought that expires in 2023, I can assume the Trader Joe’s dressings won’t last nearly as long. I think next time I get Trader Joe’s dressing, I’ll try freezing it and see if it still tastes good after thawing.

That's interesting that it went bad so fast. The bolthouse lasts so long after the expiration date. I wonder what the difference is?

I didn't go to Trader Joe's the whole pandemic because their stores are so crowded, but now that I'm vaccinated I should go again, especially with my bariatric mind in place. I might discover a whole different store! I actually have one about 5 minutes away from me and several others not too far.

On 4/20/2021 at 7:20 PM, BigSue said:

I finished the green goddess dressing within its expiration date, but the spicy cashew dressing (also delicious, BTW) expired and definitely went bad a few weeks after the expiration date. I don’t automatically throw everything out when it reaches the expiration/sell by date, but the expiration/sell by date can be a good indication of how long it lasts. Compared to, say, the SkinnyGirl dressing I just bought that expires in 2023, I can assume the Trader Joe’s dressings won’t last nearly as long. I think next time I get Trader Joe’s dressing, I’ll try freezing it and see if it still tastes good after thawing.

Please let us know how it works out freezing it. I would do that as well.