Everyones favorite aisle at Trader Joe's

It's no secret that the frozen food aisle at T.J. has some hidden treasures. Side note- I am not sponsored/employed by Trader Joe's, I'm just a fanatic. As a dietitian, the most important tool I use when shopping is the food label. The 3 most important things to look for with frozen items are..

1. The sodium (salt) content. The guidelines for Americans suggest keeping sodium intake under 2300 mg per day to avoid adverse health affects. Frozen foods are often packed with hidden sodium because it serves as a preservative that keeps the food fresh.

2. The serving size. At the top of the food label, you find the portion size of the food, and the amount of servings per container/bag. Often times we will pop in a frozen meal and assume that it is already properly portioned for us... this often not the case. For example, lets say the top of the label states a serving is 1 cup and the food is 300 calories. If the bag holds 4 servings, the entire bag is 1200 calories. This happens more often than you would think.

3. The list of ingredients. Many people do not realize that the list of ingredients on a food label actually goes in order. The food listed first on the label is the most abundant item in the food, and it follows in descending order. If you grab a frozen meal with salt, sugar, or high fructose corn syrup in the first 3 ingredients, I would move on. This is a trick to use before analyzing the label itself.

Now that we know how to read the label ourselves, lets look at some of the frozen items that I never skip out on.

Trader Joe's Frozen Zucchini Spirals

"Zoodles" are a hot trend right now, and I can't say that I'm mad about it. The beauty of buying "zoodles" frozen is that they do not perish or become mushy as quickly as refrigerated ones. The box contains 4 serving sizes with a modest 15 calories per serving! BONUS: it only contains 2 ingredients: zucchini and a dash of sea salt. Add a protein and more veggies for a balanced dinner.

Trader Joe's Quinoa Cowboy Veggie Burger

Veggie burgers are a versatile item that can be enjoyed on top of a salad, as a burger, or in a wrap. These guilt-free patties have only 180 mg of sodium, 6 grams of fiber, and 180 calories per patty.

Trader Joe's Vegetable Fried Rice

I keep this item in my freezer 24/7 for when I need my Chinese food fix, but can't afford the grease and salt from take-out. The serving size (over 1 cup) offers 210 calories, 5 grams of protein, and 510 mg of sodium. This sodium number may seem high, but I compared it to my favorite Chinese take-out fried rice that contains a whopping 3400 mg of sodium. I pair it with roasted chicken and broccoli.

Trader Joes Frozen Pumpkin Waffles

It's pumpkin-flavor season, and I couldn't resist not putting one on the list. These waffles have a decent amount of vitamin A, calcium, and protein. The sugar content is only 1.5 grams per waffle (donuts usually have around 10-20 grams of sugar just for a comparison). Everyone craves a sweet breakfast every now and then.

Trader Joe's Organic Superfood Pilaf

Even though "superfood" is usually used as a marketing term, this item is packed with nutritious ingredients that contain antioxidants, fiber, and fat-soluble vitamins. 1 cup contains 160 calories and 230 mg of sodium.

Trader Joes Mandarin Orange Chicken

This food is a favorite for many loyal T.J. shoppers, so I felt the need to analyze it for myself. The serving size is 1 cup with 320 calories, 21 grams of protein, and 330 mg of sodium. The sodium content was surprising to me- I figured the sauce would add a hefty amount. The food also contains 16 grams of fat (3.5 from saturated fat). Not the end of the world when comparing this with other Chinese foods, but definitely not the healthiest frozen meal they offer. I would suggest adding some non-starchy veggies such as broccoli or asparagus.

If you have questions regarding nutrition or grocery shopping, feel free to contact me.

Happy Shopping!

Morgan Mendenhall, RDN