Trader Joes - What Makes It Special for the Low Carber?

[Dismal_Bliss]

I stopped in Trader Joe's for the first time. I wasn't sure what all they had for a low carber and I was shy on time and needed to get back to work. It looked like they had a wonderful variety of marinated tenderloins though. Anyhow, I did find soy and flaxseed chips (can't eat more than 7 chips at a time though) and the infamous Stevia.

There is a lot of high speak around here at lowcarbfriends.com regarding Trader Joe's, and so I need your help....

What should I, as a devout low carber, have on my Trader Joe's shopping list?

- Bob

[hummingbird11]

Fearless Franks (uncured beef franks)
Uncured bacon (they have 4 types)
fage greek yogurt
avocados
organic spinach
Uncured pastrami
Uncured black forest ham
Organic cheese stix
Calamata Olives
Feta cheese
Freerange Organic Chicken & Turkey
Freerange Organic Eggs
Organic Heavy Whipping Cream
Organic Half & Half
Pellegrino
be sure to check-out the frozen fish too!

the list is endless...

and the best part is, they have phenomenal prices on everything!

Oh and if you like dark chocolate: Guaranda 71% (yellow label)

have fun shopping!

[SashimiMark]

Don't forget, they have organic avocados, too. And only for like 40 cents more for the 4 pack bag. I also get their organic strawberries and blueberries. I do the bulk of my grocery shopping here.

[hummingbird11]

Originally Posted by SashimiMark

Don't forget, they have organic avocados, too. And only for like 40 cents more for the 4 pack bag. I also get their organic strawberries and blueberries. I do the bulk of my grocery shopping here.

oh wow I didn't know TJ's avocados were organic? cool.
yes, from Oct to May, we get our berries there too.
but during the summer/fall, we get 'em at the local farmers market.

TJ's also has great deals on Olive Oil. regular or spray.

Bacon Boy!! I LOVE your new Avi!! You look THINNER!!

[SashimiMark]

HB, their regular avocados and organic avocados are side-by-side in my TJ's. I didn't realize they had organic ones for the longest time either. And thanks. I've definitely whooshed this week, but I'm staying off the scale during the month of August.

[Blood Sugar 101]

Very good relatively inexpensive cheese. Their cheapest store brand Brie is actually better than the imported one.

Frozen Artichoke Spinach cheese dip. Very nice low carb snack during a Game or party. Just eat it with a spoon instead of chips.

Fresh locally grown berries (in our area where farmers grow raspberries, strawberries and blueberries).

Chianti flavored Hard Italian salami.

The packaged veg our region's store isn't as nice as that in Stop & Shop. The avocados used to be good but have recently all been near rotten.

[hummingbird11]

Originally Posted by Blood Sugar 101

Chianti flavored Hard Italian salami.

Oh yes! I just discovered this too! Over by the turkey jerky!

[SashimiMark]

I love that artichoke spinach dip, Blood Sugar. I also love their organic frozen green beans. I'm going there tomorrow. Maybe I'll make a list of everything I love and post it here. I hope TJ's never gets bought by one of the food giants.

[wishnot]

They have a really phenomenal Blue Cheese Pecan Dip (it has a cream cheese base I think).....not for induction because of the pecans but if you're past induction definitely try it! I love it with celery or on endive leaves.

[SmileySue]

I am so jealous!!!! I wish there were a Trader Joe's near me......

[Blood Sugar 101]

TJ is a food giant. They are owned by a German company started by an ex-****, unfortunately.

I read a book about their corporate history. They promote the folksy image but are just another huge multinational corp.

[SashimiMark]

Interesting to know, BS101. That's kind of a bummer.

[hummingbird11]

wow, that is a bummer. they certainly don't act like it. and it just doesn't have that "feel". (thank goodness)

BS101, what's the name of that book?

[Margot 65]

I am so very, very jealous right now... you have no idea.

OTOH, as far as the avocados are concerned, unless they taste better, the regular ones are fine if you are not eating the rind (which I doubt that LOL)

same with grapefruits, kiwis and bananas.

there was a post around here with the top 10 foods that need not be organic (and the top 10 that should)..

but I do not know how the soils would effect the product inside.. if the soil was not organic IFYWIM.

[Ilpirata]

Bags of baby Romaine lettuces
Frozen Green Beens (these are amazing)
If you're past induction they have TONS of great priced NUTs (if you're on that rung)
Hansen's natural diet soda (sweetened with splenda)
Tri-Colored Peppers (one red one orange one yellow packed together)
Organic Cream Cheese
Frozen Artichoke Hearts
Organic Berries (fresh and frozen)
Mustard Garlic Aoili (by the other mustards SO GOOD)
Wasabi Mayonaisse


I am INCREDIBLY lazy so I also buy:

Canned Pot Roast (its really good I swear)
Canned Chicken (decent)
pre-cooked bacon (all natural Applewood Farms Nitrate Free)
And bags of frozen pre-cooked shrimp.
Shredded Parmegan Cheese

[pepperette]

Originally Posted by SmileySue

I am so jealous!!!! I wish there were a Trader Joe's near me......

[COLOR="DarkGreen"]Me, too![/COLOR]

[SashimiMark]

Kisha, have you been spying on my Trader Joe's list? And thank you for bringing up that canned pot roast again. You mentioned it in another thread, and I meant to add it to my list to look for it.

[hummingbird11]

Oh Hey Kisha, I did try that canned roast beef and you're right - DEELISH!

yep yep yep the nut selection RAWKS
(I love the spicey pecans on a spinach salad w/ blue cheese dressing - yummers)

I forgot the frozen green beans and pre-cooked bacon - YES MA'AM - me too!

Originally Posted by Ilpirata

Bags of baby Romaine lettuces
Frozen Green Beens (these are amazing)
If you're past induction they have TONS of great priced NUTs (if you're on that rung)
Hansen's natural diet soda (sweetened with splenda)
Tri-Colored Peppers (one red one orange one yellow packed together)
Organic Cream Cheese
Frozen Artichoke Hearts
Organic Berries (fresh and frozen)
Mustard Garlic Aoili (by the other mustards SO GOOD)
Wasabi Mayonaisse


I am INCREDIBLY lazy so I also buy:

Canned Pot Roast (its really good I swear)
Canned Chicken (decent)
pre-cooked bacon (all natural Applewood Farms Nitrate Free)
And bags of frozen pre-cooked shrimp.
Shredded Parmegan Cheese

[SashimiMark]

I love coating those frozen organic green beans in bacon fat and roasting them in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes. They get so crispy and yummy. Then I crumble some bacon over them. Divine!

[hummingbird11]

That sucks you don't have a TJ's

We're supposed to move to Hawaii in 2012 ~ but there is no Trader Joe's and since they already attempted the Hawaii market (it bombed) I'm told they will NOT be there - ever.

So I don't know ... I just don't know if I can do it ... live without TJ's??

Originally Posted by Prozak

I am so very, very jealous right now... you have no idea.

[SashimiMark]

Maybe they didn't do well there because healthy organic produce, yummy delicious uncured bacon, and lots of wild caught salmon is readily available there. Let's hope.

[hummingbird11]

hahaha! actually, I was told that the "distribution system" wasn't cost effective. they use trucks and warehouses on the mainland, and that just can't be done between islands, at least not the way it's done here. they tried using Honolulu as a hub, but it just wasn't feasible.

but yes, there is plenty of fresh fish and produce there, you just have to be a bargain shopper as things are even more expensive in Hawaii than here in California (as if that's possible) - lots of Farmers Markets tho.

the price of tomatoes blows me away. $5 or $6 per pound. it's the simple stuff like lettuce & tomatoes that don't grow so well over there, so it gets $$$hipped over, KWIM? oh and strawberries are super expensive! but of course you can walk down the street and pick a pineapple, banana, guava, mango or even an avocado!

not much salmon but plenty of Ahi, Opah, Ono, MahiMahi and Poke!

maybe I can become a wild pig herder and produce my own uncured bacon??

Originally Posted by SashimiMark

Maybe they didn't do well there because healthy organic produce, yummy delicious uncured bacon, and lots of wild caught salmon is readily available there. Let's hope.

[SashimiMark]

Okay, that's a dilemma. I think I may have to keep HI as a vacation destination, but not some place to move.

[hummingbird11]

Originally Posted by SashimiMark

Okay, that's a dilemma. I think I may have to keep HI as a vacation destination, but not some place to move.

I know, huh? We are seriously considering selling the Kona Kondo over this one!

[hummingbird11]

Originally Posted by Prozak

there was a post around here with the top 10 foods that need not be organic (and the top 10 that should)

here is something similar that Fawn posted awhile back:

the "dirty dozen"

Top Foods to Choose Organic

The “dirty dozen” are the most commonly and highly contaminated foods with pesticides and chemicals, even after washing and peeling. The research used to compile this list is from extensive independent tests run by the FDA and the USDA from over 100,000 samples of food. The chemical pesticides detected in these studies are known to cause cancer, birth defects, nervous system and brain damage, and development problems in children. Panic if it ain’t organic.

See Renée’s new book The Balanced Plate (due out August, 2006) for more in-depth information.

1. Meat: beef, pork, and poultry
The EPA reports that meat is contaminated with higher levels of pesticides than any plant food. Many chemical pesticides are fat-soluble and accumulate in fatty tissue of animals.

2. Dairy: milk, cheese and butter
For similar reasons to meat, the fat in dairy products pose a high risk for contamination of pesticides as animals concentrate pesticides and chemicals in their milk and meat. Growth hormones and antibiotics are also a serious concern and invariably found in commercial milk, cheese and butter.

3. Strawberries
Strawberries are the most heavily dosed crops with pesticides in America. On average, 300 pounds of pesticides are applied to every acre of strawberries (compared to an average of 25 pounds per acre for other foods).

4. Apples
With 36 different chemicals detected in FDA testing, half of which are neurotoxins (meaning they cause brain damage), apples are almost as contaminated as strawberries. Peeling non-organic apples reduces but does not eliminate the danger of ingesting these chemicals. Go organic, especially for children.

5. Tomatoes
More than 30 pesticides are standard regimen to spray on conventionally grown tomatoes. The thin skin does not protect chemicals from infiltrating the whole tomato. Bummer.

6. Potatoes
Potatoes are one of the most popular vegetables in America and rank among the most laden with pesticides. Fungicides added to soil where potatoes are grown is another story and reason to go organic.

7. Spinach (and other greens including lettuce)
The FDA found spinach to be one of the most frequently contaminated crops with some of the most potent pesticides used on food.

8. Coffee
Most coffee is grown is countries where there are little to no standards to regulate the use of chemicals and pesticides on food. Purchasing “Fair Trade” coffee is further assurance that the premium price paid for this treasured beverage supports farms and workers with more equanimity and reward.

9. Peaches and Nectarines
45 different pesticides are regularly applied to succulent, delicious peaches and nectarines in conventional orchards. The thin skin does not protect the fruit from the dangers of these poisons.

10. Grapes (especially imported grapes)
Because grapes are a delicate fruit, they are sprayed multiple times during different stages of growth. The thin skin does not offer much protection to the 35 different pesticides used as a standard in conventional vineyards. Imported grapes are even more heavily treated that domestically grown grapes. Several of the most poisonous pesticides banned in the U.S. are still used on grapes grown abroad.

11. Celery
At least 29 different chemicals are applied directly to conventionally grown celery as it grows, which cannot be washed off because celery does not have any protective skin.

12. Bell Peppers (Red & Green)
Bell peppers are one of the most heavily sprayed foods, with standard use of 39 pesticides. The thin skin of peppers does not offer much protection from spraying.

* Something else that is very important....with trade, other countries do not have the pesticide and chemical standards that we have yet the U.S. still allows the imported end product. (note from HB: ie berries from SA during the NA winter)

[SashimiMark]

What I don't get is why all food isn't required to be organic. Living in such a litigious society, why aren't food growers being sued for producing poisonous food?

[hummingbird11]

oh because it costs waaay too much to mass-farm "organic" (supposedly)
human lives are collateral damage for the big bucks of industrial farming.

[DorianH]

Oh man, I sooooo miss Trader Joe's. I used to go there all the time when I lived in NY, but there are none here in RI. At least I still have Whole Foods!

[SashimiMark]

Dorian, they are building a TJ's in Warwick.

[Margot 65]

Fertilizers come from petrochemical products and are transported using petrochemical fuels.

We know where petrochemicals come from and who makes money off of them and how powerful those people are. They will never stop making fertilizers and pushing people to use them. (unless the price of oil drops)

Our best bet is for the world stop eating vegetable oils and eating grains. When that happens, oil would be pretty much be a useless commodity.