Shopping at Trader Joe's

Some favorite TJ Products

I’ve always enjoyed shopping at Trader Joe’s. There are a lot of interesting products, and the prices are reasonable. TJ also has a pretty decent selection of loso offerings. It used to have a Low Sodium Products List available online and at individual stores. But for some unknown reason, TJ the list was removed from both the website and the stores.

Last year, Christy from The Daily Dish posted a copy of the 2013 list. It’s a really helpful resource. The downside is that it’s a few years old now, and the information may no longer be accurate. Some products might not be available, while other products have been introduced.

I’ve shopped at TJ for many years now and have developed my own, very personal, list of products I purchase. There are other low sodium products available, but these are products my husband and I have tried, liked, and I regularly buy. It seems as though every time I shop at TJ, I discover new and useful products. And many are seasonal. Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming up, and with them, a bunch of old favorites and new products. What are your favorites?

Please DON'T Pass the Salt!
Trader Joe's Shopping List
(Printable List)

Dried Fruit: TJ offers a variety of dried fruits. These are what I buy for baking and/or snacking.

Dried Cranberries

Dried Pitted Tart Montmorency Cherries (wonderful in scones or muffins)

Dried White Peaches

California Slab Blenheim Apricots (so much better than dried Turkish apricots)

New Zealand Sweet Apple Rings

Nut Snack Packs: These snack packs are so handy. Good for a afternoon pick-me-up or for visiting grandchildren. I keep them in the freezer.

Happy Trekking Trek Mix: Almonds, Cashews, Pistachios, Cranberries, Cherries, Chocolate - 25 mg/serving

Just a Handful of Dry Roasted, Unsalted Almonds

Simply Almonds, Cashews and Cranberries: 20 mg/serving

Nuts: TJ has a great variety of nuts – raw, roasted, salted, unsalted. And great prices too. I use them in baking, salads, and as a garnish for vegetables. I keep them in the freezer.

Raw Walnut Pieces (for baklava)

Roasted & Unsalted Peanuts

Roasted & Unsalted Whole Cashews

Roasted & Unsalted Sunflower Seeds

Dry Roasted & Unsalted Whole Almonds

Dry Roasted & Unsalted Pistachio Nutmeats Halves and Pieces

Dry Roasted & Unsalted Almonds: Slivered

Dry Roasted & Unsalted Pecan Pieces

Dry Roasted & Unsalted Pignolias/Pine Nuts (my favorite in green salads)

Just Almond Meal

Frozen Veggies: TJ has a good variety of frozen vegetables, but these are the ones I stock up on.

Artichoke Hearts

Dorot Crushed Garlic: 25 mg/cube (so convenient)

Dorot Chopped Basil:15 mg/cube (good in a quick pizza sauce)

Fire Roasted Bell Peppers and Onions: 5 mg/serving

Melange a Trois - 3 Pepper blend: 10 mg/serving (perfect for when just a bit of bell pepper is needed)

Roasted Corn (good addition to Mexican dishes)

Edamame -In Pods (a perfect lunchtime veggie or afternoon snack)

Canned Veggies: I stock up on all these products.

Julienne Sliced Sun Dried Tomatoes: 10 mg/serving (I often use them instead of olives)

Organic Tomatoes Diced No Salt Added

Whole Peeled No Salt Added Crushed Plum Tomatoes with Basil

Whole Peeled No Salt Added Plum Tomatoes

Oils, Vinegars, & Sauces:

Balsamic Glaze: 5 mg/tbsp

Balsamic Vinegar

Chili Pepper Sauce: 0 mg/sodium

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Grapeseed Oil

Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar

Toasted Sesame Oil

Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar

White Balsamic Vinegar

Hot & Sweet Pepper Jelly: 55 mg/tbsp (I add a tablespoon to my favorite homemade vinaigrette)

Trader Giottos Organic Marinara Sauce - No Salt Added: 1/2 cup = 25 mg. sodium

Grains:

Multigrain Slims: Sandwich Thins - 100 mg/roll

Garlic Basil Linguine Pasta: 10 mg/serving

Spinach Chive Linguine Pasta: 30 mg/serving

Lemon Pepper Pappardelle Pasta: 0 mg/serving

More TJ Goodies

Baking & Cooking Supplies:

100% Desert Mesquite Honey

Cinnamon Sticks (I use them in potpourri)

Clarified Butter (Ghee)

Grade A/B Maple Syrup

Lemon Curd

Coconut Cream

Pure Grade A Clover Honey

Pure Vanilla – Alcohol Free

Unbleached White Whole Wheat Flour

Whipping Cream - Shelf Stable (great to have on hand just in case)

Preserves and Nut Butters:

Almond Butter - Unsalted (easy to mix)

Unsalted Peanut Butter - Creamy (a natural P-nut butter that’s tasty and also easy to mix)

Preserves - Cherry, Blueberry, Blackberry

Seville Orange Marmalade

Soups and Other:

Organic Creamy Tomato Soup Low Sodium: 140 mg/cup

Organic Low Sodium Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup: 140 mg/cup

Solid White Albacore Tuna No Salt: 35 mg/2 oz

Solid White Albacore Tuna Half Salt: 90 mg/2 oz
Wild Alaskan Pink Salmon (boneless, skinless, NSA): 60 mg/2 oz serving

Chips & Pretzels:

Organic White Corn Tortilla Chips - Unsalted

Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels No Salt on Top: 80 mg/oz (an every-once-in-a-while treat)

Candies: I love TJ dark chocolate covered dried fruits. They are all low in sodium.

Dark Chocolate Covered Blueberries

Dark Chocolate Covered Cherries

Dark Chocolate Covered Cranberries

Dark Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans

Dark Chocolate Covered Raisins

Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds

Refrigerated:

Unsalted Butter
Comte Cheese: 100mg/oz (similar to gruyere)

Ovoline Fresh Whole Milk Mozzarella: 25 mg/oz

Shredded Swiss & Gruyere Cheese Blend: 55 mg/oz

Fully Cooked Chicken Sausage - Sun-Dried Tomato & Spicy Jalapeno: 400 mg/link (I use 1 link for 2 servings)

Columbus Reduced Sodium Turkey Breast: 240 mg/2 oz

Columbus Low Sodium Dry Salami: 290 mg/5 slices

Persian Cucumbers (similar in taste & texture to English cukes but much smaller)

Cranberry Orange Relish -Seasonal (I buy several tubs at Thanksgiving and freeze them to use throughout the coming year)

AMAZON Wish List - Low/No Sodium Products

I’m always on the lookout for new low/no sodium products, as is anyone trying to follow a low sodium diet. The good news is that the dangers of excess salt in the diet are now well known. So finding products has gotten easier because food manufacturers are creating more low sodium products. As a result, grocery stores are stocking more and more low sodium items. But it’s still a challenge.

This post is about resources for low sodium foods. Whether you’re just beginning your low sodium journey or have been at it for a while, my hope is that you’ll find the information helpful. I’m quite fortunate because my local grocery store chains stock many low/no sodium products. Also, I’m about 30 minutes away from Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, other good sources for low sodium products. Even so, I still regularly order items online. Sometimes directly from the manufacturer, but most often from either Amazon or Healthy Heart Market.

The good thing about Amazon is that if you find a favorite product, you can usually buy several units of the same item. (However, this might not be such a good thing if you don’t use it up quickly enough.) You can also get special breaks on shipping, and their customer service is very good.

Amazon sells quite a few low/no sodium products, more than you might imagine. I’ve created a special Please, DON’T pass the salt! wish list of my favorite products. I’ve included information on the sodium content of most of the items in addition to brief notes about how I use the products. And, yes, these are products I use regularly. There are many more low/no sodium products available from Amazon. However, the ones on the wish list are products I like, I use, and recommend. Take a look to see what’s available. You might consider ordering some from an online source or maybe just looking for them in your local grocery stores.

I’ll be doing something similar with products from Healthy Heart Market, Trader Joe’s, and other good sources for low/no sodium products. Be sure to check back for updates. Also, if you have information about a favorite low/no sodium product, please feel free to share the information.

Click HERE to see the special Please, DON’T pass the salt! Amazon Wish List. The "Low/No Sodium Products" tab at the top of the page will take you to the wish list too.

Two Great Online Resources: Low Sodium Cooking & MegaHeart

Low Sodium Cooking is a wonderful web site with a plethora of useful information. It has lots of recipes, and a list of shopping sources.

Another very good site is MegaHeart. It also has recipes, lots of helpful information, and a newsletter.

Both websites provide  great starting points for someone just beginning a low sodium diet.

Healthy Heart Market -- A Good Low Sodium Resource

I'm fortunate to be living in the greater Sacramento area of California. We've got some wonderful local grocery stores, great farmer's markets, several Trader Joe's & Cost Plus World Markets, Costco & Sam's Club, ethnic grocery stores, Whole Foods, lots of natural foods stores, and a thriving agricultural enclave in the Sierra Foothills near where I live. So I've got lots of places to pick up all kinds of tasty food products. But... finding low sodium products is still a challenge. Sure Trader Joe's has introduced some low sodium/no-salt-added products this year. And Safeway sells low sodium bacon and a sliced Alpine Lace look alike. But beyond the no-salt-added tomato products every grocery store now carries, it's hard finding low sodium prepared foods. And even though your local store may carry certain low sodium products for a while, there's no guarantee that it will continue carrying them.

Deli cases -- Forget about it! Frozen foods -- No way! Canned foods -- Nope!

That's why a resource like Healthy Heart Market is so useful. It's got a great selection of low sodium products that might be difficult to find in local grocery stores. I regularly order China Town soy sauce. It's got the lowest sodium I've found so far. I also order the Hain Featherweight low sodium baking powder. Not to mention their NSA dill and bread & butter pickles. I usually get a couple of jars of mustard too.

One of my Cooking Forum pals told me that she regularly orders the Frog Ranch Medium Salsa, Toasted Onion Dip Mix, Lum Taylor's Barbecue Sauce, Francesco Rinaldi Pasta Sauce, Diana's Black Bean w/ Sweet Corn Salsa, and Farmer Boy Restaurant Greek Dressing from Healthy Heart.

They have a great variety of products to choose from and the customer service is excellent.