Hello, friends! I hope you had a great weekend!
It's clear to me that you guys love Trader Joe's as much as I do! Two of my most popular posts here at HH are my Trader Joe's Healthy Meal Plan and Shopping List , 25 Trader Joe's Dinner Recipes, and my 35+ Healthy Trader Joe's Recipes posts. I even have a full Healthy Trader Joe's Shopping List that I update every few months!
So masked up, I headed to TJ's and took a million photos of every healthy snack I could find so I could share with you guys today. Take a scroll to see what I found and in the comments, I'd love it if you told me what your favorite Healthy Trader Joe's Snacks are!
1. Fresh Fruit & Veggies
Sure, most stores have fresh produce. But, keep in mind Trader Joe's has your everyday staples like berries, apples, and bananas. As well as more fun items like fresh figs and pomegranate seeds!
Don't forget to grab some veggies like carrots and celery to pair with their delicious dips below.
2. Hummus
Trader Joe's has an array of hummus options available, so there is sure to be something for everyone. We always go back to the Mediterranean Style Hummus, though, as our tried and true favorite. What's your fav TJ's Hummus?
3. Black Bean Dip
I don't know why it took me so long to try this stuff. It's freaking amazing! Beans are full of soluble fiber, a type of fiber that binds harmful substances and gets rid of them in our GI tract. The ability to incorporate them into a snack is a huge win! Love this dip with carrots or crackers. It didn't make t 48 hours in our house!
4. Chunky Guacamole
This guac tastes AMAZING and is only 30 calories per 2 tablespoon serving. While I'm not typically a calorie counter, I do appreciate maximizing the amount of guac I can have without hitting 300 calories off the bat. It's low cal, so it's a great option to pair with healthier chips (I'll share a few below) or for a veggie, try bell pepper strips!
5. Cheese
Trader Joe's is well known for its cheese. Grab some cheese sticks for a delicious healthy snack full of protein or make deli roll-ups with your favorite nitrate-free deli meat (TJ's has plenty of options) and cheese slices.
Our favorite combo is the nitrate-free black forest ham and smoked gouda. What's yours?
6. Smoked Salmon & Tuna
I'm always partial to leaning towards protein for snacks. Protein helps keep you fuller longer, stabilizes your energy levels, and revs your metabolism. If you're into it (I know it won't be everyone's jam), smoked salmon or tuna on rice cakes would be a delicious healthy snack!
7. Canned Sardines or Smoked Trout
Another healthy protein option for a snack, if you like that kind of thing that stock up! (I'll be honest, I'm not an anchovy fan, but I know people who are, and the more fish, the better for you!)
8. Tuna Packets
Something I can get on board with are these tuna packets. First off, it's wild skipjack tuna. Wild = better for the environment. Skipjack = lowest mercury type of tuna. Packets = convenient single-serving portions! I've been known to eat it straight out of the pack with a fork, especially while traveling!
9. Hard-Cooked Eggs
I always say, the easier you can make meal prep on yourself, the better. Skip the 30 minutes boiling, cooling, and peeling hard-boiled eggs for these convenience pre-cooked eggs. If you aren't into the smoked tuna mentioned earlier, this is a great high protein, filling, low sodium option as well! Sprinkle with a little Everything But the Bagel Seasoning for a real treat!
10. Single Serving Greek Yogurt
I love the flavored Greek yogurts at Trader Joe's. I opt for the whole milk or 2% versions because they are a bit more filling, but any of them is a healthy choice. Just remember, the flavoring does mean they added sugar too it, so skip additional sugar in the form of granola or fruit if you have a flavored yogurt for a snack!
11. Organic Plain Greek Yogurt or Whole Milk Yogurt
If you can't live without your granola and fruit, opt for a plain version of yogurt (Greek has more filling protein, but for kids, I'd do the Plain Whole Milk Yogurt) and sweeten yourself with stevia, honey, or maple syrup then add fruit and granola!
12. Granola
My top two healthy picks are the almond butter and peanut butter granola. Both taste slightly sweet but don't overdo it on the sugar, plus they add a bit of extra protein as a bonus.
13. Popcorn
In general, popcorn is a healthy snack to choose from when you are craving something salty and crunchy. It's generally low calorie, high in fiber, and satisfying. In my opinion, your healthiest option is the air-popped popcorn as it has the least ingredients and fewest calories per serving. However, I fully endorse the other options as well. Just keep your portion size to 1-2 cups at a time!
14. Bambas
Admittedly, I love these as much as my toddler does. And again, if you are craving a healthier crunchy snack, these peanut butter delights are a great option!
15. Dark Chocolate
There is ample research to show that dark chocolate (60% or greater) supplies a massive dose of antioxidants that can benefit your health, including lowering blood pressure. Trader Joe's is stocked with all kinds of dark chocolate, and they are always adding seasonal items as well!
16. Date & Nut Bites
Great for a hike or a healthy sweet treat when the sugar craving hits! Similar to a Larabar but with the addition of super seeds like chia seeds, coconut, and sunflower seeds. I also think they would be delicious crumbled over plain yogurt!
17. Nut Butters Galore
I think one of the things I've always LOVED about Trader Joe's is their array of nut butter. They have all types of peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower butter, hazelnut butter, and mixed nut butter that are perfect for eating by the spoonful, eating with fruit, celery, or spread on a rice cake. They have sweetened and unsweetened versions of just about everything, as well as salted and unsalted.
Note - cookie butter is not on the list. While I love me some cookie butter, it's ground-up cookies. So, it's not considered a healthy snack. Delicious dessert, damn straight. A healthy snack, sorry, I wish it were but its not.
18. Multigrain Pita Crackers
Whole-wheat pita crackers? I'm pretty sure you couldn't find these anywhere else, especially with the addition of high fiber super seeds!
19. Whole Wheat Pita Chips
Although these aren't 100% whole grain, they are higher fiber and protein, and lower fat than traditional options. Plus, they taste delicious!
20. Brown Rice Cakes
Rice cakes are crunchy, 100% whole-grain options perfect for topping with anything you want!
Ideas:
- Avocado and hard-boiled eggs
- Nut butter and fruit
- Smoked salmon or tuna
- Deli meat and cheese
21. 3 Seed Sweet Potato or Beet Crackers
Packed with healthy fats and fiber from the super seeds and additional veggies! These gluten-free crackers are the perfect healthier dipping cracker!
22. Sweet Potato Tortilla Chips
These tortilla chips have a super clean ingredient list and fun flavor. You still have to watch your portions like any other chip, but at least you are getting more nutrients!
23 & 24 Cold Pressed Juice & Perfect Bars
Typically I'm not a fan of juice because of the high sugar content, but Trader Joe's has several green juice options that can help you get an extra serving of nutrients as a snack!
As for refrigerated bars, I love perfect bars! They have clean ingredients, high protein, and healthy fats!
25. RX Bars
RX bars are another of my go-to healthy snack bars. All real food, no BS, as their tag line says.
26. KIND Bars
Trader Joe's carries several of the low sugar versions of KIND bars, including my all-time favorite caramel almond and sea salt.
27. Quest Bars
These bars are super high protein and high fiber. If you are a long time reader, you know that I used to live off them when I worked at the gym. While I don't buy them as frequently anymore, I still often recommend them for those who need to get more protein in or want a cookie tasting dessert! (PS I also attribute them to helping heal some embarrassing GI issues I once had.)
28. Vegetable Chips
These vegetable root chips are a bit healthier than standard chips because they use a bunch of brightly flavored root vegetables that are more nutrient-dense than your typical potato. I love to use them as a crust on my chicken parmesan!
29. Uncured Jerky
High protein, low calories, no nitrates, what's not to love about this classic grab and go snack?
30. Protein Muffin
This is new, so not sure if they will keep it around, but I had to put it on the list!
31. Nuts & Seeds
Trader Joe's has a wide variety of nuts and seeds, which make great snacks! Not sure which one too chose? I recommend rotating every week! Each type of nut has a unique nutritional profile making it good for you in different ways. Choosing a different one every week will help you get in all the nutrition this group has to offer without becoming bored. I think the flavored versions are great too, just watch portion control. (pre-portion them out for the week if that helps!) Also, avoid trail mixes with dried fruit and chocolate.
32. Plantain Chips
Plantain chips are baked not fried, making them a healthier chip choice! While you are in that aisle you could also pick up some dehydrated carrots or okra for a fun and healthy snack.
Did I Miss Anything?
What are your favorite Healthy Trader Joe's Snacks??? If you are looking for quick snack recipes, check out my 35+ Healthy Trader Joe's recipes! One of my favorites snacks to make with TJ's items is my five ingredients chocolate chip cookie dough protein balls.
[…] I tried ours with two different sauces, classic marinara, and paremsan cheese. Always a win. And I also tried it with a white cheddar pesto by Williams and Sonoma I got at Costco a few weeks ago. Both were delicious! So white or red sauce works great if you want sauce at all! Like I said, I would eat these as a snack! (I should add them to my list of Healthy Trader Joe’s Snacks!) […]