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Selfie of the writer Sheena Pradhan at Trader Joe's in front of canned tomatoes and pasta sauces
When I shop at Trader Joe's, I like to grab ingredients and quick meals that are low in sugar.

Sheena Pradhan

  • I'm a former dietitian who likes to buy items from Trader Joe's that are low in sugar.
  • I combine Trader Joe's English muffins, kale, mushrooms, and eggs for easy breakfast sandwiches.
  • I've been buying the retailer's one-ingredient creamy unsalted peanut butter for years.

As a former dietitian of 10 years, Trader Joe's is one of my favorite places to shop for ingredients and easy, filling snacks — I've been going to the retailer for about 15 years now.

Since leaving my career as a dietitian for a marketing job, though, I've started skipping kale and drinking more soda. However, I recently got a high-cholesterol diagnosis, so I'm trying to cut back on high-sugar foods.

Here are some of my favorite things to buy to make low-sugar snacks and meals.

I love having an egg sandwich with vegetables on an English muffin for breakfast.
Composite image of a gray and orange cartons of eggs on a shelf and packages of English muffins with blue packaging on a shelf at Trader Joe's
I get eggs and Trader Joe's classic English muffins to make breakfast sandwiches.

Sheena Pradhan

When I have time to make breakfast, I opt for an egg sandwich with mushrooms and kale on a Trader Joe's classic English muffin for a low-sugar, moderate-carbohydrate meal.

Because I exercise a lot, I try to ensure I'm getting my macros — a balance of carbs, fats, and proteins my body needs.

This English muffin has 24 grams of carbohydrates per serving, and the two eggs have about 12 grams of protein.

Trader Joe's has the best one-ingredient peanut butter I've come across at any grocery store.
Jars of creamy peanut butter, which have green labels, on a shelf at Trader Joe's
I've been buying Trader Joe's creamy unsalted peanut butter for years.

Sheena Pradhan

I've stuck with Trader Joe's peanut butter my whole adult life. I use it in homemade protein balls or simply have it with a banana or apple for a quick snack.

I love that this product has only one ingredient — dry-roasted peanuts.

Trader Joe's small-curd cottage cheese can be used for both savory and sweet breakfasts.
A hand holding a white and red container of cottage cheese in front of more containers at Trader Joe's
Trader Joe's small-curd cottage cheese is delicious in a high-protein breakfast.

Sheena Pradhan

Not to sound boring, but cottage cheese can be a great high-protein, low-carb breakfast. This particular cottage cheese has 12 grams of protein per serving.

If I want something simple for breakfast, I'll have cottage cheese and fruit. If I'm in the mood for something savory (but don't feel like bringing out a pan), I'll eat it with salsa.

The roasted seaweed snack with sea salt is satisfyingly crunchy.
A hand holding a green package of roasted seaweed snacks in front of a shelf with green containers and a sign with a $0.99 price tag
I think Trader Joe's roasted seaweed snack with sea salt is a delicious potato-chip substitute.

Sheena Pradhan

For me, Trader Joe's seaweed snacks are a perfectly portioned low-carb potato-chip replacement.

They give me the same satisfaction as a handful of chips, and each package contains 3 grams of protein.

The chicken-sausage breakfast bowl is a great option when I'm pressed for time.
A hand holds a yellow box with an image of a chicken-sausage breakfast bowl and a fork on it
Trader Joe's chicken-sausage breakfast bowl comes with scrambled eggs and cheddar cheese.

Sheena Pradhan

I love keeping microwavable breakfast bowls in my freezer for busy weeks when I don't want to deal with dishes.

This breakfast bowl has scrambled eggs, chicken sausage, and cheddar cheese — so each serving is mainly protein (32 grams) and fat (27 grams). However, it's important to remember that some fat is not necessarily a bad thing.

Trader Joe's chicken strips are so easy to add to salads. 
Green, yellow, and blue packages of grilled chicken strips and chunks at Trader Joe's
Trader Joe's chicken strips are already cooked, so they're easy to incorporate into meals.

Sheena Pradhan

Trader Joe's chicken strips are high in protein, and the retailer carries various prepared options: grilled chili-lime, grilled balsamic-vinegar-and-rosemary, plain, and grilled lemon-pepper chicken.

I go through moods when I can eat the same thing for several days or weeks at a time, and these strips, paired with a bag of salad, are a great go-to option when I'm in this routine. 

I pick up a few Trader Joe's salads for my weekly lunches.
Composite image of a hand holding a bag of Trader Joe's spring mix and a hand holding a plastic container of Trader Joe's classic Greek salad
When I need a quick lunch, I choose from a few Trader Joe's salads.

Sheena Pradhan

I like to pair Trader Joe's broccoli-and-kale slaw with chicken for a low-carb, low-sugar salad. I also like the classic Greek salad because it has fiber, protein from feta cheese, and little sugar. 

Additionally, the lemon-basil pasta salad is pretty low in carbohydrates and sugar (considering it's made with pasta), with only 26 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of sugar per serving. 

The Sunset Sprinkles teeny tiny tomatoes are cute and delicious.
A hand holding a small container of yellow and orange teeny tiny tomatoes in front of a display of tomatoes
I add the Sunset Sprinkles teeny tiny tomatoes to salads.

Sheena Pradhan

On my latest trip, I wanted fresh veggies and dip, so I opted for these teeny tiny tomatoes to pair with a dressing.

These look and taste like tiny heirloom tomatoes and are great in salads. Because they're so small, they don't even need to be sliced.

Trader Joe's carries a few low-sugar dressing options — this week, I went with the Green Goddess dressing. 

I grabbed chevre with honey to include in a nutritious, satisfying snack.
A hand holds a package of Trader Joe's chevre with honey in front of a shelf of cheese
Trader Joe's chevre with honey is perfect for a sweet snack.

Sheena Pradhan

I couldn't resist buying figs when I saw them, so I impulse-purchased this cheese to pair with them.

Though I was craving a sweet snack, my Trader Joe's also carries goat's-milk cheese without honey.

Sometimes, I mix things up with a stir-fry containing Trader Joe's squiggly knife-cut-style noodles.
Composite image of a hand holding a red package of squiggly noodles with an image of noodles on the package and a hand holding a bag of frozen raw Argentinian red shrimp
I combined Trader Joe's squiggly knife-cut-style noodles and wild, raw Argentinian red shrimp for a quick meal.

Sheena Pradhan

Trader Joe's squiggly noodles take only four minutes to boil. They come with soy-and-sesame-sauce packets, though I also like to pair them with a high-protein peanut sauce or Trader Joe's crunchy chili-onion topping.

This week, I used the noodles in a stir fry. To make the dish, I sautéed a few vegetables and baked Trader Joe's wild, raw Argentinian red shrimp on a sheet pan for 25 minutes.

I tossed everything together in the same pot and had leftovers for the rest of the week.

Click to keep reading Trader Joe's diaries like this one.

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I was a registered dietitian for 10 years. Here are some of my favorite low-sug…