Trader Joe’s can be a tricky place to shop when looking for healthy foods. They have so many intriguing products that it can be easy to get caught up in the novelty of them all. While it’s fine to pick up one of these unique products every once in awhile, it’s probably smart to not buy them every grocery trip.

If you stick to the outside perimeter of the store, you’re usually safe when it comes to your health. Trader Joe’s is a great place to shop for fruits and vegetables on a budget. You can also find some other really great staples when you read the ingredients closely.

Here are my staple Trader Joe’s products with good ingredients:

Cauliflower Gnocci

Ingredients: Cauliflower, Cassava Flour, Potato Starch, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sea Salt

This is my absolute favorite Trader Joe’s product. It’s an easy frozen meal to cook up with some pesto and 100% grass-fed beef. However, I make sure to read the ingredient label each time because TJ’s has been known to later change the ingredients in order to reduce cost.

Albacore Tuna

Ingredients: Solid White Tuna, Water

Tuna is a great source of protein and provides tons of nutrients. It’s one of the best bangs for your buck. They have a bunch of good canned tuna options, but this is my favorite. Just make sure it’s wild-caught!

Organic Popcorn with Olive Oil

Ingredients: Organic Popcorn, Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sea Salt

It’s surprisingly really hard to find popcorn (or any bagged snack) that uses good oils. This popcorn is not only super cheap but it is all organic and uses a high quality olive oil. I pick this up every single time I’m there!

Simply Almond Beverage

Ingredients: Almonds, Water

If you’re looking for a good nut milk without any weird fillers or additives, this one is for you. It’s as clean as a nut milk comes!

100% Spanish Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Ingredients: Extra Virgin Olive Oil

High quality oil can be pretty expensive. Luckily TJ’s offers a lot of great oils at an affordable price. This Spanish olive oil is one of my favorites. They also have oils like avocado and coconut. Just make sure they aren’t blended with any vegetable oils!

Organic Hearty Vegetable Broth

Ingredients: Filtered Water, Organic Vegetables, Organic Herbs

This broth is especially great this time of year. I’m constantly using broth in soups and crockpot dishes, but this one makes all of those recipes reasonably priced. They also have a reduced sodium version, but I personally prefer this one! There’s actually no added salt in this original one.

Mirepoix

Ingredients: Celery, Carrot, Onion

Another staple in my kitchen this time of year. Is there anything better than a veggie soup when it’s cold outside? This takes all of the work out of cutting your own vegetables.

Coconut Water

Ingredients: Coconut Water, Absorbic Acid (Vitamin C)

Coconut water is another ingredient that can easily get pricey. Luckily TJ’s has a large bottle of it for a good price. I always use this as the base of my post-workout protein smoothies. The key with coconut water is to make sure it’s not from concentrate.

While I still have more TJ’s staples, these are definitely my favorite products. If you’d like any other blog posts related to Trader Joe’s, please leave a comment down below with any suggestions.