Trader Joes has become a favorite shopping spot of mine. Mainly because of the great deals and the amazingly pleasant employees. But seriously..even with lines and lines of customers a week before Christmas, they were still [appeared] happy as can be. I have also found a few nutritious staples I like to keep on hand.
1. Frozen Riced Cauliflower: Who has time to rice cauliflower? I like to buy a couple bags of this at a time. Usually I serve it to replace rice in a stir fry. You could also mix it into rice or mashed potatoes to add even more veggies to the meal! This takes only seconds to cook through which makes it a great addition to a weeknight meal.
2. Frozen Carrot Spirals: In my experience of trying the pre-spiralized veggies in the produce section – they always have a weird taste to them. Maybe it’s just me! These don’t have that same taste! They’re frozen and just get added to a skillet to thaw. I pair mine with pasta sauce, chicken sausage and a side of broccoli!
3. Steamed Lentils: If you’re catching on you’ve realized I love my convenience items. These little guys are on that list. They’re pre-cooked and are great for salads, grain bowls, veggie burgers, or soups. They’re a great source of plant based protein, fiber and iron!
4. Crushed Garlic: These are in the freezer section with the 
vegetables. Each portion contains one clove of crushed garlic that is easily popped out and added to a pan. They also make a ginger
version which is great to add to smoothies.
5. Everything but the Bagel & 21 Seasoning Salute: These are the coolest seasoning combinations!
Everything but the Bagel is literally the topping of an everything bagel! It’s delicious on top of avocado toast. I love to toast a slice of Dave’s Killer Bread, top with 1/2 of a mashed avocado, a hard boiled egg and sprinkle with the seasoning. The 21 Seasoning Salute is a mixture of every seasoning I could ever want. Amazingly it tastes great! I like sprinkling it on top of roasted vegetables. It also adds great flavor to scrambled eggs! 
6. Green Goddess Dressing: This dressing is a whole foods alternative to the typical
salad dressings you find in the grocery store. The only ingredients are avocado, green onion, lemon juice, garlic, chives, and basil. The shelf life isn’t fantastic but it lasts a couple of weeks in the fridge.
7. Turkey Burgers: Quick and easy staple for the freezer! Each package contains 4 turkey burger patties. They come raw so they’ll taste nice and fresh when cooked. Even-though they’re frozen, they have a fairly reasonable amount of sodium. You can serve these traditionally on a whole wheat bun, open faced on a slice of bread, or added to a salad!
8. A Handful of Olives: Ok how cute are these?? A serving of olives perfectly 
contained in their own package. Perfect for lunch boxes or quick, on the go snacks. Olives aren’t a typical snack for many people but with the ease of these who can say no? They’re are a great source of unsaturated fats!
9. Freeze-Dried Blueberries: I wish I could 
include the entire “nuts” section of Trader Joes but these guys will have to do. Every few weeks I stock up on raw nuts – they’re so reasonably priced here compared to a lot of other stores! I like to make my own trail mix and add these freeze-dried blueberries as a hint of sweetness!
10. Gone Berry Crazy: Last but not least are these yummy 
chocolate covered FROZEN strawberries! I occasionally like to have a couple after dinner for a yummy and refreshing sweet treat. They also make a banana slice version!
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