Shopping at Trader Joe's

We used to have to stock up on Trader Joe's goodies when we visited family, but Trader Joe's opened a store nearby last year, and I'm sure you can imagine my delight at being able to stop by any time I need to get something! It is conveniently located near our church, so yesterday we stopped by with long list in hand, and I did a bit of shopping for the week plus picked up a number of TJ staples. I like to buy some extra and store in a little food area in the basement...

• So these are items I can eat that we often buy at TJ's:
• Canned chicken (with chicken, water, and salt only) - Great for mixing with legal Mayonnaise, grated cheddar cheese, chopped green onions, salt & pepper to make a yummy chicken salad. Eat alone, with some fruit, and/or make Cheese Lace to dip in it! 
• Freeze-Dried Mango (my go-to stress-relieving snack when it has been "one of those days" with the kids. ;-) )
• Dried Flattened Banana (A great snack for me or the kids.)
• Trader Joe's Real Mayonnaise
• Sunflower Seeds
• Roasted Unsalted Pecan Pieces (I love to add these to yogurt and honey. It reminds me of a favorite childhood snack - Yogurt with Grape Nuts.)
• Dried Apricots
• Whipped honey (It's just honey whipped with air and great to dip nuts in or as a topping for apples & nuts.)
• Vacuum-Fried Pineapple (a great crunchy snack)
• Fruit Bars with just fruit like "Apple + Mango"
• Any of the unsalted nuts
• Any juice that is 100% juice with only a preservative like ascorbic acid added
• Peach Halves in White Grape Juice
• 100% Sparkling Apple Cider
• Legal Larabars
• Canned or frozen Artichoke hearts
• Frozen vegetables like peas and kale, and frozen fruit
• Meat with no broth or illegals added, like their chicken or ground turkey (which contains natural rosemary flavoring but we've confirmed with them it's just straight rosemary).
• Vegetables on occasion, which are pretty well-priced. My regulars, whether from TJ's or Sprout's, are broccoli, green onions, baby carrots, regular carrots, pre-washed and cut kale to make kale chips, sometimes artichokes which I boil and dip in butter (mmmm!), and a head of cauliflower to make into cauliflower rice as a side dish. 

I'm sure I must be missing something! But this gives you some ideas! 

If you don't have a Trader Joe's near you, we do have some Trader Joe's items on our Corner Grocery page which will link you to Amazon.

Your SCD Guinea Pig, 

~ Erin ;-)

Note: (I hesitate to recommend prepared foods to you, as each person has to decide what they are willing to try and should be careful to make sure they are legal and are tolerated well. But I really want to share what works for me, so you might be able to add something that would make the diet easier for you. I have to be honest - I don't always write or contact manufacturers to verify legality. But with stores like Trader Joe's, who have already stated to me in writing that their products only contain ingredients listed on the label, and with so much awareness of special diets these days, I personally feel comfortable trying items that look legal. I'm very sensitive to illegals, and have been on the diet so long I can tell what is bothering me, and it doesn't cause any big problems for me...so if I notice any symptoms I just don't eat that item again. If you ever what to write to a company and verify something is legal, use this letter we've put together for you.)

P.S. I'll be adding a category to my posts "SCD Guinea Pig" with new products I've tried...