Healthy Snacks at Trader Joes: Part 1
Written by Beatrice Walker / April 24, 2021
Healthy snacks that actually taste good can be hard to find, and I know this from my own personal experience as I’ve tried to adopt a healthier way of eating. I love trying new foods, but finding a healthy snack that tastes good is kind of like finding a unicorn. Trader Joe’s has a large variety of healthy snack options so I figured I could be the guinea pig and give you my honest review of the healthy products they have available so you can navigate the aisles a little easier.
Whenever I give advice for maintaining a healthy lifestyle one of the first things I recommend is to stop snacking, and to stop eating most all processed, manufactured snack foods. BUT, I am not a fan of restrictive dieting, and I realized that my elimination of snack foods in their entirety was causing me to binge, and when I say binge I mean BINGE. So I’ve been on a mission to find healthy snack foods that actually taste good! So where do you go for healthy, affordable, interesting snack foods? Why your friendly, neighborhood Trader Joe’s of course! Below is a list of items I’ve tried recently with my honest reviews, the good, the bad, and the just plain nasty!
Organic Acai Bowl 5/10
I was super excited to try this product from TJ’s when I first saw it because I love Acai bowls, and the thought of being able to have an affordable pre-made option was extremely appealing. Overall I must say that I was pretty disappointed. The taste was definitely lacking, and it came with a very small packet of toppings. Maybe adding your own freshly cut up fruit could make it a tad better? But it’s not something I would buy again. If you want acai go get it fresh from your local smoothie shop. My rating for this item is a 5/10.
2. Organic Dark Chocolate Covered Whole Cocoa Beans 4/10
These looked super interesting, and I thought they would be a good option for sweet cravings. Judging by the picture, for some reason I thought the cocoa beans would be white and fleshy, but rather the cocoa beans are dried and whole, covered in dark chocolate. They have an extremely bitter taste due to the natural bitterness of the dark chocolate, and the natural bitterness of the cocoa beans. So because of both of those bitter elements it’s just not a combo I love. I personally would not buy them again, but they could be a great option for anyone who likes things with bitter notes! I give these a 4/10 for a rating.
3. Broccoli Florets 7/10
I honestly did not have high hopes for these since I recently tried the crispy dried mushrooms and didn’t have many positive things to say, but these broccoli “chips” were surprisingly tasty! They have great crunch, and a mild broccoli flavor. I think they’re literally just air fried and freeze dried whole pieces of broccoli. I don’t know what the process is for how these are made, but the crunch factor is really something serious. They’re seasoned pretty lightly, and I personally thought they could use a tad more seasoning, so I added some salt and garlic powder. They have good amounts of fiber and protein, and they only have three ingredients; broccoli, rice bran oil, and salt. These are a great replacement for chips, and I would for sure buy them again. My rating is 7/10.
4. Seasoned Kale Chips 6/10
I’ve actually never tried store bought, packaged kale chips before, and I didn’t have high hopes, but these were surprisingly not that bad. They have a great crunch factor so they act as a good replacement option for chips. I wasn’t a fan of the cashew butter and tahini flavor though, so I don’t think I would buy again, but if you don’t mind these flavors then I would suggest trying them for yourself! They’re high in vitamin A, potassium, and calcium. I rate these a 6/10.
5. 100% Organic Carrot Juice 8/10
Carrot juice is the main ingredient used in a popular Jamaican beverage known as carrot punch, but it’s usually prepared with a blend of spices and added sweetener so I thought it would taste similar to that, but I was wrong . It tastes just like it’s labeled, which is 100% CARROT. There’s no added sweetener, and it’s incredibly high in Vitamin A, so it has lots of great nutritional benefits. However, I’m not partial to the flavor of raw carrots, so this was a little aggressive for me to drink straight up, but I tried mixing it with a little orange juice and it was fantastic! I also tried mixing it with some coconut milk and honey, which was also delicious. I will definitely buy this again. I give it an 8/10.
6. Cultured Coconut Milk Yogurt 10/10
I have tried so many different varieties of dairy free yogurt alternatives, and this is one of my favorites! It has great texture and flavor. Most coconut yogurts I’ve tried taste like coconut, but this one doesn’t. I have bought both of these flavors many times, and I’ll continue to do so. I give these a 10/10.
7. Dark Chocolate Covered Ginger 7/10
One of my favorite things in life is ginger so I already knew I would like these. They’re not too sweet and they definitely satiate any sweet craving I might be having, and I don’t need to eat that many of them. I would buy them again! I give these a 7/10.
8. Three Seed Sweet Potato Crackers 6/10
I love sweet potato so these peaked my interest. I feel like the word cracker is a bit misleading because these taste more like tortilla chips with a hint of sweet potato. The main ingredient is corn, and they’re gluten free. They also have flax seeds, sesame seeds, and chia seeds (hence the name) so there is some nutritional benefit as opposed to just plain tortillas chips. I thought I’d be able to eat these plain on their own, but I think they would be much better with some kind of a salsa or dip which I will for sure be trying. I give these a 6/10.
9. Gluten Free Crispy Ginger Chunk Cookies 9/10
Ok have you ever tried Tate’s cookies? Well these are almost exactly like them except with chunks of candied ginger! Did I mention how much I love ginger? But these cookies aren’t like typical cookies, and if you’ve ever had Tate’s then you know what I’m talking about. They’re crispy, crunchy, melt in your mouth addicting. I wouldn’t necessarily say that they’re healthy, but they are gluten free! The only reason I”m docking one point is that sometimes each cookie doesn’t have enough ginger pieces. I give these 9/10.
10. Organic Watermelon Jerky 4/10
Yeah all I have to say about this product is that it’s a no for me….. I thought this looked super interesting because of the word jerky, and I’m not even really sure what I was imagining, but it’s literally just dried watermelon. Don’t get me wrong I actually like dried fruit, but watermelon already doesn’t have a naturally strong flavor when it’s fresh, and to me it just doesn’t translate well dried. I for sure will NOT be buying this again, but if you’re in the mood to get a little weird then try it. 4/10
11. Truffle Marcona Almonds 8/10
I’m usually wary about truffle flavored things, but I have to say that I actually really like these. They’re salty and have a good truffle flavor that isn’t overwhelming. When I opened them up I thought I was only going to try one or two, but I kept going back for more. These would be a great item for entertaining, or to add to a charcuterie board. They’re also a great source of healthy fat. I give them an 8/10,