If you are a fan of Trader Joe’s, like us, we are sharing some of our favorite current Mediterranean Diet items that we use often in our own home to create meals and snacks.
Trader Joe’s Finds
We are no strangers to Trader Joe’s. We go once a week for the majority of our grocery shopping. However, if you aren’t able to go often (or just choose not to), then it can be overwhelming. Mostly because they have a lot of items that are specific to their stores only.
A few year’s ago we shared 14 Items to Buy at Trader Joe’s and it’s still one of the most popular posts on our website. We used a recent trip to reassess our favorite current favorites and focused more on the items we purchase there that fit into our Mediterranean Diet.
Some Basics We Always Pick Up
In addition to the specific items below, in general we also love picking up some basics –
- lemons (much cheaper than our local grocery store and great for water, tea, homemade dressings)
- carrots
- cucumbers
- eggs
- sparkling water
- dijon mustard (great for sandwiches, sauces, salad dressings)
- frozen fruit (use daily in smoothies, baked goods or just as a snack with yogurt)
They also have a great cheese section. This DIY Charcuterie Board from Trader Joe’s lists some of our favorites and is made completely from Trader Joe’s items.
Mediterranean Diet Items at Trader Joe’s
These are just some of our current items we love at Trader Joe’s in our house. Some of them work great for quick meals and others are for snacks.
Pleas note that every Trader Joe’s is different and may not have the following items stocked at your specific store. Sometimes items vary by location.
When trying to focus on Mediterranean Diet items, we look for real ingredients, easy and quick meal additions and low in preservatives/added sugars.
Canned Beans
Our pantry is always stocked with different types of canned beans. They make easy and quick additions to meals, soups, and salads.
Typically we always stock up on black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans and white beans. Some of the meals we make the most with canned beans include –
- Ridiculously Easy Meatless Chili
- As a side dish for taco night
- Easy Bean Salad
Pre-Cooked Lentils
These are a weeknight dinner staple! The lentils are pre-cooked, which means you can add them as is to salads or heat them up quickly in the microwave for a fast side dish.
If you are new to lentils, they are a great addition to a healthy diet. Check out Why We Love Lentils and You Should Too for more health benefits and tips on cooking/purchasing/preparing lentils.
Vegan Kale, Cashew and Basil Pesto
We aren’t vegans but our whole family loves this pesto! It’s so great on top of eggs, on sandwiches or mixed into pasta. It’s bursting with flavor.
Snack Idea – add a few spoonfuls of this pesto on top of hardboiled egg
Mini Cottage Cheese
Half of our family loves cottage cheese and the other half don’t care for the texture. Personally I’m totally team cottage cheese. These single serving containers make it easy to grab and go for a healthy breakfast, snack or lunch. I love topping mine with a few fresh blueberries, sprinkle of cinnamon and a little bit of chopped walnuts for a balanced snack.
Chili Sesame Oil
I bought this months ago after seeing it on the end cap display and wow…it’s fantastic! It’s great on roasted chicken, drizzled on top of this Ahi Tuna Rice Bowl, and added to Stir Frys. A little goes a long way.
Frozen Fish
We typically buy the frozen Wild Cod, Wild Alaskan Salmon or Ahi Tuna from the frozen section to have on hand. The cod is great in these Healthy Baked Fish Sticks and our Cast Iron Skillet Salmon is one of our favorites.
Be sure to check the labels on the frozen fish though because some varieties are farm raised. We prefer the wild caught types.
Green Goddess Seasoning
This is a relatively new item (to us anyway) and we are already on our second bottle. It’s a blend of dried herbs, garlic, lemon and onion. It’s bright, fresh and versatile. We used it to make this dressing in this Mediterranean Pasta Salad recipe but also sprinkle it on roasted veggies, fish and just about anything else we can think of.
Frozen Edamame
My kids like maybe 5 vegetables and this frozen edamame is one of them. I always have a bag in the freezer for quick and easy side dishes.
Our favorite way to prepare them – 10 Minute Sesame and Garlic Edamame.
Lightly Smoked Mussels
Dan and I both love these in pasta for an easy weeknight dinner. I haven’t used them in any other way yet but for us, it’s still a favorite.
My go to recipe – prepare a package of pasta. While that cooks, heat some olive oil in pan over medium heat. Add sliced olives, capers, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and dried parsley. Heat for about 2-3 minutes, then add the smoked mussels. Add the cooked pasta, top with red pepper flakes and parmesan cheese.
3 Seed Sweet Potato Crackers
Due to some health issues, I’ve been trying to follow a gluten free diet for about 2 months now. These Sweet Potato Crackers (located in the frozen aisle, on a shelf above the frozen fish) are one of my favorites. They are crispy and have a mild flavor. My 7 year old son likes them too.
Dukkah Nut and Spice Blend
Trader Joe’s has some of the best priced dried spices in my honest opinion. Safeway spices are always like $8 and up but a simple jar of dried basil at Trader Joe’s is $2.99.
This Dukkah is an amazing staple to have in your spice cabinet. It’s a blend of nuts and herbs, creating a crunchy, earthy flavor.
It’s great on roasted chicken and roasted vegetables. A favorite is this Herb Roasted Zucchini with Dukkah.
Butternut Squash Soup
A winter time favorite! This soup comes ready to heat in a carton. It’s thick, creamy and so full of flavor. The ingredients are good and it’s low in fat and just a great, easy side dish. We like to dress it up with a dollop of Greek Yogurt or some chopped cashews and diced tomatoes on top.
Savory Thin Mini Rice Crackers
These are a gluten free cracker that honestly, everyone loves! They are a rice cracker so they are thin and crispy but seem to melt in your mouth at the same time. They are great for dipping.
Organic Chocolate Chip Granola Bites
These are one my kids’ favorite snacks to bring in their school lunches. Full disclosure – their ingredients are the best but they are better than the sugar filled granola bar alternatives that they always used to beg for. They have a total of 6 grams of added sugar and the ones they used to get (Quaker Big Chewy Granola Bar) have 13 added grams of sugar.
Organic Fruit Wrap
Another school lunch favorite, these fruit bars are are made from real fruit and fruit juices instead of a lot of added sugar.
Za’atar Tango Salad Kit
This bagged salad kit is so convenient and tastes great. It comes with a spice packet that consists of za’atar, sesame seeds, dates and pistachios that gets combined the cucumber yogurt dressing. It’s refreshing and goes well with a lot of dishes.
Olive Tapenade
We love making our own Homemade Olive Tapenade but sometimes we don’t have the time or desire to bring out the food processor. That’s why we love having this version on hand for quick additions to meals. It tastes great on toasted bread, added to pasta dishes or even on top of baked fish.
Sun Dried Tomatoes
During the winter, when the fresh tomatoes leave a lot to be desired (since they aren’t in season), we heavily rely on sun dried tomatoes. They are great on salads and added to pastas.
Thank you for this!