Tips for Your Health: The Secret to Avoiding Premature Spoiling of Fruits and Veggies

Don’t you hate when you try to be all healthy by buying a bunch of produce, but it goes bad before you can even eat it? Annoying. The key to preventing spoilage is separating ethylene-producing and ethylene-sensitive produce. Learn which is which here, and never make excuses for skipping the produce again!

Trader Joe is my boyfriend (shhh, don’t tell the real one). Read on to find out which of his amazing qualities I love best.

maryrambin:

Top Ten Best Trader Joe’s Purchases

—By Nutritionista

A few days ago, I got a question from reader Mary Beth. She’s one of the lucky ones who’s getting a Trader Joe’s in her neighborhood, and asked me for a list of my top ten favorite items. What a great (but hard-to-answer!) question. It’s no secret that I love Trader Joe’s and basically think it’s the mecca for healthy foodies everywhere. So I thought long and hard about this question, and here’s what I came up with (note that this is not a comprehensive list of all great TJ’s items, just some of my classic and versatile favorites!):

1. Flavored Greek yogurt (honey, blueberry, and pomegranate): Though fun-flavored Greek yogurt is popping up all over the place now, I’ve always had a special place in my heart for TJ’s version. This yogurt is filling, has great flavor and consistency, and is fairly affordable.
2. Just A Handful trail mix: Yes, it’s true, you CAN make your own trail mix and portion it out into individual baggies. But let’s keep it real: Will you? This is such a great item to have on hand, and I almost always keep a pack in my desk at work or in my purse. I think they make two or three different types, but they all contain a mix of dried fruit and nuts in a nice portion-controlled serving size. If you do want to make your own trail mix, TJ’s sells a plethora of affordable dried fruits as well as a variety of nuts (some flavored).
3. Apple cranberry bran muffins: I’m in awe of the nutrition stats on these babies: 80 calories, 13g fiber, and 5g protein. These make for a perfect (filling) snack or accompaniment to breakfast. I’ve mixed them into yogurt and oatmeal, too. A warning: these muffins are pretty “branny” (read: they taste like they have as much fiber as they do), so if you’re not a fan of bran, stay away.
4. Multigrain cereal: I’ve basically replaced oatmeal with this stuff. It looks like oatmeal, tastes like oatmeal, but boasts better nutrition stats (see the linked post for more info). I usually mix in PB and banana for a little more flavor.
5. Organic peanut butter: The first time I had organic PB, I almost choked. That stuff tasted nasty to my Jiff-seasoned tongue! But I was relieved to find that TJ’s peanut butter doesn’t have the weird texture and taste that other organic PBs do. And peanut butter is one of the things to definitely buy organic (nuts can soak up a lot of pesticides!). Their almond butter is also affordable and delish.
6. Shelled edamame: Trader Joe’s is one of the only places I’ve found that sells shelled, NON-FROZEN edamame. It’s perfect for snacking or adding to stir-fries, etc.
7. Precooked grains and beans: I know this is kind of a cop-out answer, but for the time-crunched chef, TJ’s sells all the precooked time-savers you could ever ask for. I’ve heard the frozen steel-cut oats are great, and they carry lots of premade rices and other grains. The precooked beans (like lentil and fava) come packaged rather than canned, so they don’t have that weird tinny taste. They’re great for throwing in soups or salads.
8. Dark chocolate wedges: These come in a little tin by the front of the store. At 35 calories each, they’re a great way to get a portion-controlled hit of dark chocolate without having to break a bigger bar with a hammer.
9. Banana, flattened: This “banana roadkill” (tm delishyourdish) is a great portable snack. Turn it into a roll-up by spreading on some PB or AB, and adding dark chocolate chips if you like. Say “yum.”
10. Mirepoix: This one’s just on the list for it’s pure usefulness. It can be the base of almost any sauce or soup, no chopping necessary! A great thing to have around.

I know there are so many other great items at TJ’s that aren’t on this list. And now I feel really bad for those of you without a store nearby. I also feel bad for rubbing it in just now. Sorry! I’m sure someday, you’ll get to know Joe. Anyway, for those of you who shop there already, what are some of your favorite healthy Trader Joe’s finds?

As usual, I prepped some food as soon as I got home from the grocery store. Along with chopping all my dry salad veggies, I made tofu crispies and sweet potatoes. Here’s a revised recipe for the crispies:

You’ll need:

• 1 block extra firm tofu
• olive oil
• salt & pepper

Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Cut tofu into 1/2 inch cubes.
• Grease the bottom of a non-stick baking sheet with a swipe of olive oil on paper towel and spread tofu evenly on baking sheet.
• Add salt & pepper to taste.
• Cook for about 30 minutes, turning once or twice, or until tofu is fully golden and crispy.

These little lovelies are delicious on salads, in stir fries, or plain as a crispy snack.

Shop: Long Overdue Groceries

Instead of splitting up my shop between Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods like I usually do, I spent all my time (and money) at Whole Paycheck. I love that place, but I definitely recommend buying staples at TJ’s. It saves a ton! Today’s shop included:

Produce
kale
sweet potatoes
apples
bananas
red & yellow pepper
baby carrots
avocados
nectarines
grape tomatoes
watermelon
spinach

Frozen
okra
haricot verts
spinach (back up!)
edamame
various Amy’s & Kashi entrees
Dr. Praeger’s spinach pancakes
Dr. Praeger’s california veggie burgers
Quorn cutlets (what can I say? They grew on me)
Coconut Bliss coconut milk coconut ice cream

Other
goat cheese
Newman’s Own lite balsamic vinaigrette
hemp protein powder
Amazing Meal powder
Zico coconut water
LesserEvil Krinkle Sticks (these got opened in the car on the way home)
whole wheat pita pockets
medjool dates
rolled oats

Total: $133 (Whole Paycheck indeed!)
Pricey, yes, but it should last me at LEAST two weeks. Plus, I consider investing in good food like investing in a healthy and fit body, so I don’t mind. There are much worse things I could be spending money on.

Move over, Amy’s. I have a new love…

Moo Moo’s!

I recently sampled their Sweet ‘N Spicy Curry Tofu — marinated organic tofu cubes tossed in Moo’s Curry Sauce with fresh purple cabbage, plump raisins, chunks of pineapple, toasted sesame seeds, and cilantro. It… was great! Very fresh-tasting and the perfect amount of spice. It was a tad sweet for my taste, but definitely still delish.

I love that all the ingredients in Moo Moo’s food are recognizable and I also love that the company is based out of a town not too far from me. Their products are around the same price as Amy’s, so I think I’ll be switching to Moo Moo’s for my go-to frozen meals. I can’t wait to try all their products (and I’ll let you know how they taste).

Note: Moo Moo’s looks like it’s currently only available in the Midwest and on the East Coast… but they’re expanding, so the rest of you should look for their products at your natural food grocery stores soon.

My number one grocery-related trip: PREPARE FOODS AS SOON AS YOU BRING THEM HOME FROM THE STORE (as long as you don’t need them for specific meals).

I know it’s not always the first thing you want to do as soon as you come home from a two-stop shop (trust), but your future self will thank you.

I prepared oven-baked rutabega fries (I used olive oil instead of butter and slightly different seasoning) and kale chips for snacking and lunches during the week. I also pre-chopped all my salad veggies.

After not going for a few weeks, I finally went grocery shopping! Why this pic is half blurry, I’ll never know…

Remember my rules for shopping:

• Go in with a (detailed) plan.
• Your produce and staples don’t have to come from the same store (I buy all my produce from Whole Foods and a lot of my other staples from Trader Joe’s).
• Stick to the perimeter of the store (where there’s less processed food).

Trader Joe’s
real fruit leather
shelled edamame
grated parmesan
extra firm tofu
Greek yogurt
garbanzo beans
almond milk

Whole Foods
avocado
banana
mini seedless watermelon
Ezekial sprouted wheat buns
apples
red bell pepper
grape tomatoes
cucumber
rutabega
spinach
kale
Amy’s entrees
Quorn meatless cutlets
coconut water
Annie’s instant mac & cheese packets
raw goat cheese

Total: $20 (TJ’s) + $70 (WF) = $90
This should last me a week and a half to two weeks (though I may have to pick up more produce at some point)

Grocery day! The goods:

Trader Joe’s:
soy milk
Greek yogurt
whole wheat pita
raw almond butter
white meat ground turkey
raspberry spread
tomato-basil hummus
organic kidney beans
shelled edamame
extra firm tofu

Whole Foods:
bananas
cherry tomatoes
cucumber
avocado
sweet potatoes
red bell pepper
baby carrots
Newman’s Own lite Italian
ground flaxseed
dried dates
Kashi and Amy’s frozen entrees
LARABARs
baby spinach
clementines
canned pumpkin
agave nectar
coconut milk coconut ice cream (I’ve heard good things)

Total: $30 @ TJ’s + $82 @ WF = $112

These groceries should last me almost two weeks. I made a huge salad with all the produce, tofu, beans, and avocado for lunches and dinners for this weekend/beginning of next week. I also plan to make a big batch of sweet potato & goat cheese turkey burgers when the salad starts to run out.

Notice how I bought most of my produce and hard-to-find items (flaxseed, agave nectar, etc.) at Whole Foods. Their produce is usually much fresher than TJ’s and they obviously have a wider selection. But I get other staples at Trader Joe’s where they’re cheaper but still high-quality (organic beans, almond butter, etc.).

Dinner inspiration:

• tofu crispies (seen here pre-crisping)
• sugar snap peas
• ginger
• garlic
• quinoa I cooked last week
• Sriracha
• soy sauce