This week’s Trader Joe’s haul was all about keeping on track with our healthy eating habits! This haul was also a little on the lighter side since we had a long-weekend getaway planned and didn’t want to buy extra food until we returned. This was nice because it also kept my spending under control (haha). I struggle to keep my Trader Joe’s hauls under $200! Granted, I do shop for two weeks at a time, but I always like to challenge myself to do better with my grocery budget.
Haul Date: April 17, 2021
Haul Cost: $174.54
New Items
NEW items are marked accordingly in my post, and I’ll be reviewing them in a separate monthly recap post. This goes for new items to the store, and new-to-me items that I will be trying for the first time!
Meal Plans
I generally shop at Trader Joe’s two weeks at a time (I just hate going to the grocery store weekly).
Also, I do keep other ingredients on hand to incorporate with these meals, which I detail in the sections below. Some ingredients are also leftover from my previous haul(s), so I try to make good use of the rest of my items to eliminate as much food waste as I can.
Here’s what I planned for this haul:
Breakfasts
- Yogurt, Berries & Almonds
- Apple Oat Cake
- Eggs w/ Spinach and Veggie Sausage
Lunches
- Turkey Wraps
- Snack Boxes with Ham & Cheese
- Southwest Chicken Salads/Wraps
Dinners
- Sesame Udon Noodles
This week, I had plenty of left over fish in the freezer and rice, so I didn’t need much to get us by for dinners.
We do also cook three meals a week with Blue Apron and tend to order takeout at least once a week, so these meals are meant to be in addition to those.
Apple Oat Cake
When in search of new breakfast items to make ahead for meal prep, I stumbled across this apple oat cake by Your Hungry Highness. Whether or not you are gluten free, this is an easy make-ahead breakfast!
Note: I would definitely add a little extra honey for sweetness, or perhaps a drizzle on top of each baked piece.
Items Bought:
- Rolled Oats
- Butter
- Baking Soda (believe it or not, I was out!)
- Cinnamon
- Apples
- Greek Yogurt
Items on Hand:
- Eggs
- Honey
- Baking Powder
Eggs, Spinach & Veggie Sausage
One of my go-to breakfasts or brunches is a couple of scrambled eggs mixed with fresh spinach and a side of veggie sausage! It just takes a few minutes to throw together and I am satisfied for a few hours. Of course, I work from home and it’s easy for me to make my breakfasts on the fly.
Items Bought:
- Veggie Sausage
- Organic Baby Spinach
Items on Hand:
- Farm fresh eggs from our local farm
Yogurt & Berries
Yep – more yogurt and berries! This is a recurring breakfast for my husband who loves it. I like to prepare little “parfait” bowls with yogurt, fruit, and almonds (almonds not pictured but on hand from previous hauls) for an easy to grab breakfast during the week.
Coffee Time!
I’m steady into my foray with coffee now (although I still do drink tea on some mornings). I’ve found that I really love the French Roast coffee from Trader Joe’s, and their French Vanilla creamer is great!
Items Bought:
- Ground French Roast Coffee
- French Vanilla Coffee Creamer
- Colombe Draft Latte with Oatmilk (NEW to me!) for when I’m feeling extra lazy and want chilled coffee
Southwest Chicken Wraps/Salads
I love me some Tex-Mex style foods, and Southwest salads are a staple for me. They do take a little bit of time to throw together, but there’s lots of flavors and textures going on. Options with these ingredients are to either make some Southwest Chicken Wraps or just go with a Southwest Chicken Salad.
Ingredients Bought:
- Sprouted wheat wraps
- Organic herb salad mix
- Canned corn
- Organic black beans
- Guacamole to Go (these individual packets are the best!)
- Tomatoes on the vine
- Orange bell pepper (any of variety of bell peppers will do – other than green)
- Organic Grilled Chicken Breast (already cooked – super easy!)
Ham & Cheese Snack Boxes
Snack boxes, or charcuterie boxes if you will, are a lunch item that I probably prepare most frequently for the hubs to take to work. They are super simple to throw together, and easy to keep low carb.
Ingredients Bought:
- Uncured Black Forest Ham
- Lite cheddar cheese slices
- Sliced pickles (I normally like to get whole gherkins, but this was all that was available at the time)
- Apples
- Dry Roasted & Salted Almonds
Sesame Noodles
When I saw the new Thai Wheat Noodles at Trader Joe’s, I grabbed the box immediately! My husband and I love to eat noodle dishes, and this box (that comes with 3 packages) has a simple recipe for sesame noodles on the back of it. These noodles are in the non-perishable aisle (with canned goods, etc.) so you don’t have to worry about them going bad in the fridge either!
Ingredients Bought:
- Thai Wheat Noodles (NEW to store!)
- Green onion
- Organic Toasted Sesame Oil
- Fresh organic ginger
Snackies
This haul did not have too much in the way of snacks. Just a couple of old favorites, and two new items!
Items Bought:
- Almond Butter Filled Pretzel Nuggets (NEW to store!)
- Apple Mango Jalapeno Fruit Snacks (these are spicy but I love ’em)
- Chips & Salsa
- Dill Pickle Potato Chips (NEW to store!)
Misc. Haul Items
Lastly, here’s a rundown of the miscellaneous items I got for this haul:
- Ajika Georgian Seasoning Blend (NEW to store!)
- Spicy Chai Latte Mix
- Avocado Oil Spray
- Some green veggies for various sides to have with fish and rice (fish and rice already on hand)
- Micellar Makeup Remover/Cleanser Wipes (NEW to me!)
I must have forgotten I bought butter for my apple oat cake for breakfasts. Here’s a pic of it twice!
Thanks for checkin’ out my last haul from April 2021! Stay tuned for my April Trader Joe’s new item review.
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