Trader Joe’s is pretty much the grocery store of our generation. They’re not afraid to offer 60 pumpkin-flavored products at once, but they’re also daring enough to have frozen ethnic foods that taste just as good as the real deal. And, quite frankly, everything is reasonably priced – even for cheap college students like us. Naturally, people may turn to their large assortment of food to look for healthy items, but there are some products that may seem healthy, but actually aren’t.
That doesn’t mean that you should avoid these foods altogether – just be more aware of what you’re eating.
1. Crispy Crunchy Broccoli Florets
Photo courtesy of @giiinaaagiiinaaa on Instsagram
There are only 220 calories per serving, but 130 of them are from fat, reaching just about a fourth of what you’re supposed to take in each day. Grab your broccoli from the produce section and not the snack aisle next time.
2. Just the Clusters Vanilla Almond Granola Cereal
Photo courtesy of @carrie_l_berry on Instagram
Each serving contains 12 grams of sugar, and that’s only 2/3 cup of granola. If you’re like most people, you’re eating more than that, which means you’re taking in much more than the sugar of one serving. Make your own granola at home instead.
3. Barbecue Chicken Salad
Photo courtesy of eatingatjoes.com
Forget that the word ‘salad’ is even in there, it might as well be just barbecue chicken. Each serving contains 20% of your recommended daily saturated fat, and 30% of your recommended sodium intake. All from a salad… sheesh.
4. “This Fruit Walks Into a Bar” Fruit Bars
Photo courtesy of thingsiloveattraderjoes.com
Cereal bars are quick and easy to eat, plus they have fruit in the middle, so they’re a great breakfast item, right? Wrong. Steer clear of the heavy added sugars and preservatives and get some fresh fruit and oats instead.
5. Falafel
Photo courtesy of laziestvegans.com
Falafel seems like a good, plant-based alternative to meat patties, but these puppies have 30% of your daily saturated fat and are quite high in sodium.
6. Meatless Meatballs
Photo courtesy of eatingatjoes.com
Lessening your red meat intake is helpful, but eating these as a direct replacement isn’t that great of a practice. These balls are salty AF, with 24% of your recommended sodium for the day in just 6 meatballs. Perhaps you should try these zucchini meatballs instead.
7. Soy Creamy Frozen Desserts
Photo courtesy of eatingatjoes.com
Sure, going dairy-free has its benefits like easier digestion and clearer skin, but this ice cream alternative has over 20 grams of sugar per serving. Make this non-dairy ice cream instead, that way you can control what you actually put in.
8. Tarragon Chicken Salad Wrap
Photo courtesy of animmovablefeast.blogspot.com
For a mere wrap that has chicken salad, the entire thing has over 600 calories in total, but it also has half of your total fat and sodium intake for the day. Ouch.
9. Greek Honey Yogurt
Photo courtesy of eatingatjoes.com
With 24 grams of sugar and 10 grams of saturated fat per serving, you’re better off just adding honey in plain greek yogurt. It may not help your seasonal allergies, but honey is still pretty damn good for you.
10. Strawberry Chia 100% Juice Smoothie
Photo courtesy of @traderjoesliving on Instagram
If you told us that there were 24 grams of sugar in one entire bottle, we’d be okay – except, there are 24 grams in one serving, which is just half the bottle. Ruh-roh. You might want to sneak in your chia seeds some other way.