I am a big fan of the Joe’s because they have affordable products and a lot of them are master mindset friendly. TJ’s leaves a lot to be desired with his parking lots though! Here is a list of some things we found during a Shift field trip. If you don't have one in your area, many of these items are now available in other nationwide markets. Have fun!
The big lesson with any store is that you have to read labels! Otherwise, seemingly innocent ”health food”-- that actually is really caloric-- ends up undoing you because you think you are eating light, but you are not. Case in point—we looked at the sushi section; the seemingly low cal “rolls” average about 600 calories per package!!! Yikes!
Almond Breeze’s unsweetened Almond Milk—back me up Joesters—we were practically misty-eyed singing the praises of this slightly almondy beverage that doesn’t come from a mammal or throw your hormones into a funk. 40 calories a cup and it’s rich and creamy to boot. Substitute for cream in soups or drink it for a pick me up.....
Yogurt rave: Fage 0% Greek yogurt-plain and Trader Joe’s 0% Greek version of the same. High in protein and calcium, low-calorie! This is strained yogurt so it's thicker, without thickeners. It be eaten as yogurt or used instead of sour cream-thick,creamy and mild, great for breakfast and snacks –topped with fruit or plain, stirred into savory dips. I use it to top stewed apples , bananas, and other fruit desserts.
Pasturized egg whites: (Near the egg beaters) I love these things because you can spray a casserole dish, pour some whites in, nuke 'em, and you can keep em for a couple of days. I sometimes make a breakfast from a tortilla, Canadian bacon slice-1 slice, one slice tofu cheese, and a bit of egg whites. It’s like an Egg Mc Muffin but it’s only 180 calories and low in fat and it takes seconds to make when the egg whites are prepped ahead of time. They are great for cooking, baking and omlettes obviously.
Zen muffins and Fiber cakes; These little fruit juice sweetened baked goods are the fiber child of The Zen Bakery. The fibercakes are 80 calories and 15 grams of fiber wow going in cause they taste great—and double wow going out—if you get my drift! The Zen muffins are a bit more zaftig—weighing in at 250 cals but with fiber. Low fat and the same size as those big Starbucks muffins, but only a third of the calories. These go off fast so store them in he freezer and take out as needed. Great for breakfast or snacking or dessert broken up over some of the above-mentioned yogurt.
Eggplant hummus: the lowest calorie hummus in the case. At 35 cal a tablespoon is a good thing-as Martha would say—spread on w/w toast or the low carb tortilla (I am going to be buried in a low carb tortilla I mention them so much), or as a dip for those sexy veggies that you all love to chomp on at snack time.
Guacamole: Low cal? We think not! However, there are ways to take this healthy, yet calorie dense, dip and make it user friendly--blenderize it with peas or cooked asparagus—it adds minimal flavor to the dip but cuts the cals way down. Or eat it as is, but just be aware of how much you are using. Ricardo gave us another idea—lettuce. Sometimes Mexican restaurants will blenderize the lettuce in the guacamole just to fill it out to save money—we like the idea because it saves calories!
Egg white salad with chives and egg white salad ranchero: These bad boys come in the same type of container as the hummus. I love this stuff, it tastes great, packs a ton of protein to keep hunger at bay and a whole container is 100 caloires! Put it on salads, over steamed veggies (this is actually awesome) on w/w toast or the low carb tortilla. I like the Ranchero best because it’s spicy and is reminiscent of a chili relleno when you put salsa over it.
Guacamole: Low cal? We think not! However, there are ways to take this healthy, yet calorie dense, dip and make it user friendly--blenderize it with peas or cooked asparagus—it adds minimal flavor to the dip but cuts the cals way down. Or eat it as is, but just be aware of how much you are using. Ricardo gave us another idea—lettuce. Sometimes Mexican restaurants will blenderize the lettuce in the guacamole just to fill it out to save money—we like the idea because it saves calories!
Egg white salad with chives and egg white salad ranchero: These bad boys come in the same type of container as the hummus. I love this stuff, it tastes great, packs a ton of protein to keep hunger at bay and a whole container is 100 caloires! Put it on salads, over steamed veggies (this is actually awesome) on w/w toast or the low carb tortilla. I like the Ranchero best because it’s spicy and is reminiscent of a chili relleno when you put salsa over it.
Just Chicken, Just salmon, Just beef: For the carnivore in us, these are packages of freshly poached and chunked meats and fishes that are prepped with nothing added and have all the fatty bits removed! These products would be great over a salad, tossed in a stir-fry, or just kept in the office fridge for a protein packed snack. Great for those of us who like to eat meat but don’t like cooking it.
TJs salads: these are the prepped ones that I have already mentioned but worth repeating because they are so convenient, tasty, fresh and low cal—
TJs salads: these are the prepped ones that I have already mentioned but worth repeating because they are so convenient, tasty, fresh and low cal—
California spa-nicoise
Low Fat Southwestern
Low Fat Greek
Garden with Tomato basil dressing
Sesame tofu
Low fat Chinese chicken
Low fat Shrimp Louis
I buy the organic garden salad, toss out the 300 cal dressing packet (TJ’s what are you thinking!) and put ½ the egg white salad over the top with some salsa on top. It’s really good and filling and for 120 calories TOTAL! gets you through to afternoon snack time without a tummy rumble.
Pete put in a good rave about TJs fat free Balsamic Vinaigrette and it was so low in calories you could bathe in it. 25 for 2 Tablespoons.
Spicy Spinach pizza (located on the top shelf above salads—in this TJs at least) these are thin things that are more like pizza sandwiches. Amy from our group has been enjoying them. They have about 120 calories each and look good. Amy any comments???
Chevre Lite at 35 calories an ounce it’s a great tangy topping to a salad, toast, apple slices—or dare I say it –a low carb tortilla, spread with a tiny bit of jam or a savory salty olive tapenade (just to impart a flavor).
Any cheese that is preportioned and packaged like the Bon Belle or Laughing Cow or cheese sticks are a help because then your rebel isn’t tempted into having you continue slicing away at the bigger piece of cheese “Go on—even up that edge—you know you want to.”
Hebrew national franks 97% fat free—A good tasting hot dog that weighs in at 45 calories.
Canadian bacon-Surprisingly this Canuck breakfast meat is super low in fat and calories—Oh Canada! 20 calories a slice.
Canadian bacon-Surprisingly this Canuck breakfast meat is super low in fat and calories—Oh Canada! 20 calories a slice.
TJs is great because they package up prepped veggies so it makes cooking them a cinch. I buy the bag of Southern greens (kale, collard) and sauté those all of the time. Liz puts cumin and Paprika on them and says it gives them that smoky southern thing without the ham hock.
Bags of sugar snap peas have about 100 calories and are a favorite of Alicia’s—my hypno-associate. You can munch for hours for little calories but a lot of nutrition!
Apples: we discussed slicing up apples, putting them in a microwave dish, adding cinnamon, a slice of ginger some vanilla and them microwaving for 5 minutes. The result is a comforting bowl of what tastes like apple pie. I will serve this as dessert to company with yogurt on top—always a big hit and great for breakfast too.
Freezer Section:
Freezer Section:
The freezer is your LTPWR friend. Not only is it a great place to put the gakky foods that you don’t want calling out your name, but it is also a wonderful hideout for all those healthy veggies and prepared dinners at your office and home for those days and nights that you just can’t put energy into cooking. The microwave and freezer together can be your answer to the take out or fast food drive thru.
Tjs freezer section has a lot of dinners but you do have to check labels. Here are some lower cal items for snacks, meals and desserts.
Chicken, Beef, or Black bean Taquitos. 100 calories per Taquito. Great for a snack attack—one is pretty big and can hold your hunger off. Or have a couple with a salad or veggies for din din.
Thai frozen Veggie Gyoza: 50 calories each—not bad and decadent feeling. Keep on top of the number you eat though.
Pizza fromaggio: These baby pizzas are very high quality and taste great—they have been the subject of my personal 3-bite rule many a time. Now they aren’t what I would call a healthy dinner but if you have to eat pizza, these are small and only 250 calories each.
Pizza fromaggio: These baby pizzas are very high quality and taste great—they have been the subject of my personal 3-bite rule many a time. Now they aren’t what I would call a healthy dinner but if you have to eat pizza, these are small and only 250 calories each.
Roasted Veggie pizza: W/W crust, no cheese and lots of cool veggies, 1/3 of the pizza is 260 calories and another idea for a pizza jonzing attack.
Just Grilled Chicken: Slices of grilled chicken breast frozen and put in a reseal able package. Need I say more—I see salads, stir fries, and romaine roll-ups in your future.
Just Grilled Chicken: Slices of grilled chicken breast frozen and put in a reseal able package. Need I say more—I see salads, stir fries, and romaine roll-ups in your future.
Asian veggie Mixes: TJs is your hub for frozen Asian veggie mixes. Just look on the back first. Some have a ton of calories and some are down right low cal. Another way to cut cals is to stir-fry one of these bags with another bag of just veggies.
Morning Star Farms: You either love the fake meat and soy burgers or you don’t and then sometimes you think you hate them but find a product that actually works. Here is a list of the MSF products that TJs carries that us Joesters were fans of:
Morning Star Farms: You either love the fake meat and soy burgers or you don’t and then sometimes you think you hate them but find a product that actually works. Here is a list of the MSF products that TJs carries that us Joesters were fans of:
Tomato basil burger 120 calories AND AWESOME
BBQ riblets: 230 cals a serving and hits the BBQ spot.Veggie bacon-the best I’ve had
Veggie breakfast patties- 80 calories each good Jimmy Dean feeling and Wilbur gets to live.
Also:
Dr. Praegers veggie burgers 100 calories each
Veggie Masala: Indian spiced veggie burgers-I love these-no protein though
Lime cilantro chicken patties: 100 calories.
Chicken skewers: Phyllis put in a good work for these and 120 cals each we listened!
The frozen broccoli, green bean, and spinach are all great ways to cut time and get green into your diet. Take the bag from your freezer, put it in your microwave and hit 6 minutes—it will come out nicely steamed and ready to eat. Sometime I will put out a bowl of salsa and dip the broccoli spears in for a snack or as I’m fixing dinner for the kids.
The frozen fruit is a must for the freezer for smoothies, sorbets, or eating out of the bag frozen—the cherries and mangos are great for this—they slow down you eating and it satisfies that late night sweet tooth. Another idea is to thaw and top cottage cheese, yogurt etc. I will put frozen fruit in a cup and let it thaw on my desk at work and then eat it.
Dry goods Aisle:
Here are some items from the always crowded pasta aisle.Tj’s Tuscana Marinara sauce, no sugar low cal.
Sesame oil-high in calories, but imparts tons of flavor so a little goes a long way in sauces(soy sauce+sesame oil+rice vinegar+ plus some sweetener and ginger if you want) and dressings or toss a ¼ t. in a stir fry.
Tapenades: Another higher calorie item but, as mentioned before, you can spread a bit on some goat cheese on some toast or tortilla for a great lunch or snack. Ideas: pesto, black olive, artichoke, red pepper and green olive, Indian relish.
Masala Simmer sauce, red enchilada sauce, red thai sauce, all come in glass jars and are great sauces that are low cal to transform humble proteins and veggies or beans into an amazing feast of the senses.
Indian and Thai boxed pouches: A lot of these have 160 calories or less for ½ a pouch and are great tossed into a bowl of broccoli instead of the way more caloric rice. Green Thai Tuna is my fave and the eggplant Indian one is also full of flavor.
Canned organic pumkin: I love making crustless pumkin pie and eating it for dinner. Take a can of pumkin (150 calories) add ½ c. egg whites, some sweetener (agave, stevia, applesauce splenda etc.), pumpkin pie spices, 1 cup almond milk put in a pie dish and bake at 300 for about an hour (depends—check). The whole dish is only about 350 calories if you get carried away and eat the whole thing. (Calories depend on how you sweeten it)
Okay one of the last stops-Breads
Love the Sonora low carb tortillas (really Rita?—that’s a surprise) 60 calories
Ricardo loves the Ezekial tortillas, bigger, more grainy and good for tortilla salads and strips (Blog Ricardo for the recipe)
Look Pa Bread: whole grain, no flour 90 calories but as whole grain as you can get.
Check out other breads—check labels a slice of bread can range from 40 to 160 calories a slice.
That’s it for now! Please add any other new items or items we didn't find--we're always looking for more ideas for our food adventures.
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