Trader Joe’s is known for its ever-changing list of stellar products. Sometimes the shelves look different after saying goodbye to old favorites. More often, though, the neighborhood grocery store drops new bites for customers to discover, and it just launched these new products for summer.
But which ones should you Really add to your cart? Not all foods are created equal, especially when your health is considered. We spoke with Eat this, not that! Member of the board of medical experts Lisa Young, PhD, RDNauthor of Finally full, finally slim, a nutritionist in private practice and an adjunct professor of nutrition at NYU. Young shared with us which three summer items you can feel good about bringing home, and which three you might want to avoid.
Items to Skip
for 1 bun: 430 calories, 25 g fat (4.5 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 390 mg sodium, 47 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 23 g sugar, 4 g protein
For those with a gluten intolerance, it can be difficult to find baked goods. But made from a combination of rice flours and potato and tapioca starches, buttermilk, sour cream and two types of chocolate, one of these buns it won’t do the trick.
“I’d skip this 400+ calorie muffin,” says Young. She points out that a muffin contains more than 20% of the daily recommendation for saturated fat and almost half of the recommendation for added sugar. Although, maybe if you cut it in half, this could make a nice occasional gift.
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for 1 cake: 220 calories, 14 g fat (9 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 170 mg sodium, 20 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 8 g sugar, 4 g protein
Cheese seems to make everything taste better, but at the cost of nutrition. Y this flaky croissant it’s filled with cream cheese for a warm, runny bite that Young warns not to add to your daily breakfast. “A puff pastry roll contains 9 grams of saturated fat, almost half of his recommendation for the day, so I’d skip it.”
for 1 cup: 230 calories, 7 g fat (4.5 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 310 mg sodium, 31 g carbs, g fiber, 2 g sugar, 11 g protein
Some more bad news for gluten-free food lovers: this wheat-free pasta It’s not the substitute holy grail it appears to be. Young warns to be careful with this alternative because of how processed it is.
“These ravioli may not be gluten-free, but buyer beware: It’s not much healthier than regular varieties,” he says. “It has about the same number of calories as regular ravioli, tapioca starch, and a very long ingredient list.”
Trader Joe’s new items to try!
per 10 pieces: 200 calories, 8 g fat (1 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 550 mg sodium, 22 g carbs, 7 g fiber, 2 g sugar, 8 g protein
the pickle flavored falafel it’s a great side dish for those who avoid meat because it’s made with protein-packed chickpeas. You can heat it up from frozen and add it to a mezze dish or a bowl of rice and fresh vegetables. And the best part: It’s also guilt-free, according to Young.
“This is a delicious combination for a plant-based dish,” she says. “It’s a good alternative to protein and it’s also high in fiber, which makes it a good choice.”
for 6 cookies: 130 calories, 6 g fat (2.5 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 160 mg sodium, 15 g carbs, <1 g fiber, 9 g sugar, 3 g protein
Looking for a way to satisfy your sweet tooth without going overboard? This tub of mini cookies should do the trick.
“Since we all love the occasional treat, I would allow myself a serving of these Peanut Butter Crunch Cookies,” says Young. “6 cookies is a serving size and peanut butter cookies are my favorite!”
for 1 piece: 130 calories, 9 g fat (3 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 550 mg sodium, 7 g carbs, 5 g fiber, <1 g sugar, 4 g protein
These artichoke cups topped with cheeses, spices, onions, garlic, and spinach flies in the face of the saying, “don’t play with your food.” In fact, maybe you should look at more ways to make eating vegetables more exciting.
Young calls this an interesting twist on the appetizing artichoke. “I would enjoy this dish. It has a lot of flavor and also contains important nutrients like fiber, calcium and potassium.”
Although these six items are new, the supermarket chain has to make room for them, and so Trader Joe’s is discontinuing these 4 items.
