Kanwal’s Healthy Corner – It’s a Trader Joe’s Evening
By Kanwal Ullah
Taste of CALIFORNIA
Have you ever had one of those evenings when you’ve been so exhausted and drained that you don’t even want to step foot in the kitchen? Maybe you’ve had a hectic evening and have absolutely no time to whip something up for dinner or even time to go out and eat… There are even times when you just want to have a relaxing and casual evening with a friend and decide to make a low key dinner. This last alternative is exactly what happened to me and my dear friend Nina, just last week! We decided to make it a Trader Joe’s night with some wonderful vegetable pizza and a simple cucumber salad.
I love TJ’s, mainly because their ingredients are fresh and even their packaged foods are healthier — you can actual pronounce all the ingredients! The quality of ingredients and food provided is incomparable to their low prices. Not only is the quality great, but the atmosphere always makes you want to go back and visit. Seriously, how many grocery store chains do you know that make a bold fashion statement by their employees wearing Hawaiian shirts?
A few of my favorite staples to get at Trader Joe’s:
- Creamy Almond Butter –- for those quick to make Almond Butter and fruit sandwiches
- Trader Joe’s Whole Wheat Bread –- seriously, otherwise how are you going to make those delicious sandwiches?
- Dark Chocolate Wedges –- a box of perfectly portioned dark chocolate triangles, perfect for those unexpected chocolate cravings
- Frozen pizza –- probably one of the best frozen pizza’s you’ll ever have. All made with natural ingredients. If you’re looking for L-Cysteine Hydrochloride, you won’t find it there!
- Fresh fruits and veggies – go for fruits and veggies that will last: apples, oranges, avocados, potatoes, cucumbers
- String Cheese –- seriously convenient for a healthy, filling snack!
- Frozen veggies bag – so versatile and can be used in anything
- Whole wheat pasta and organic pasta sauce –- great for putting a quick dinner together
These are just a few of my favorite things to get from TJ’s, but if you have time to look around, you will find some pretty amazing things! If you are lucky enough to have a TJ’s next to you, step in and have a look-see. Once you’ve experienced TJ’s, you won’t want to go anywhere else!
Top image — of Joe Coulombe’s shirt, founder of TJ’s – courtesy of WorkingWorld.com
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