Paleo Favorites, Part 1 - Trader Joe's

Maneuvering through the Whole30/Paleo/Organic world seemed daunting to me at first. Although my shopping cart has always been full of vegetables, fruit and meat, my staple items were changing just like my diet was. I would pick up a product, look at the ingredient list and put it right back on the shelf. But as time went on I become more and more familiar with different products and it got better. But I always wished someone had a list I could follow to make it easier.

So for all you PaleoTastic people out there, I'm doing just that! A list of staple items I love, where you can find them, how much they cost, and what they are used for. Hope you enjoy!

Trader Joe's: I love Trader Joe's for certain items. But most of all for their nut selection. The prices are considerably less than other outlets and they taste great. These all can be turned into "Nut Butter", simply eaten alone, or made into a Paleo trail-mix. Nuts are a great source of healthy fat, aid in lowering cholesterol, and help fight cardiovascular disease. Just remember to monitor your intake, 1000 calories of nuts can sneak up on you very quickly! Here are my favorites to buy.

1lb. Bag raw almonds - $4.99 - Ingredients: Almonds
1lb. Bag organic dry roasted and salted cashews - $7.99 - Ingredients: Organic Cashews, Salt
12oz.. Bag dry roasted and salted - $8.49 - Ingredients: Macadamias

Here are a few more items from Trader Joe's that I stock up on - Raw Honey, Organic Coconut Oil and Thompson Organic Raisins. Yet again their prices are hard to beat. Other retailers could sell a different brand for double the price, if not more, especially when it comes to Coconut Oil. This healthy fat source oil is a staple in Paleo households and is the only oil that can withstand higher heat cooking without breaking down. Coconut oil can be used in many different ways. It can simply be heated while sauteing vegetables, melted to coat sweet potato fries while they roast or added to a Paleo baked item in place of vegetable oil.

Raw Honey is an amazing quality product. The "raw" means that it isn't tampered with or heated so it retains its naturally occurring enzymes. It tastes wonderful and doesn't leave a bitter aftertaste some conventional honey may. I use it as a substitute for white sugar when baking Paleo treats such as Chocolate Zucchini Bread. (Recipe to come!)

Thompson organic raisins are not only an amazing price but are simply just raisins, no extra sugar added and they taste amazing. Add them to your nut mix above for a little sweetness. Once again use in moderation so you don't spike your sugar level and calorie count to high.

16oz. Organic raw honey (Fair Trade) - $5.99
16oz. Organic virgin coconut oil - $5.99
1lb. Bag Organic Thompson Raisins - $2.99

All three of these products have only one ingredient in them! What the label says is exactly what it is.

More favorites coming soon, stay tuned!

Sarah