Grocery Shopping on Keto: Trader Joe’s List

While you may well know which types of foods are low carb in a general sense (meats, most vegetables, dairy, etc.), when you walk into a grocery store you’re not just buying whole foods (even at Whole Foods!), you’re buying food products, brands, and pre-made ingredients. Suddenly it’s not so easy to know which is appropriate for a ketogenic diet. That’s why we’ve compiled a quick list of keto Trader Joe’s foods, so that aisle by aisle you know where they keep the good stuff.

Keto Trader Joe’s Foods by Aisle

Here’s a keto shopping list you can take straight to your local Trader Joe’s grocery store and come out with your keto diet still intact. We’ve compiled some of our favorite keto snacks and keto foods so that you can enjoy shopping and eating without getting knocked out of ketosis due to sneaky, unsuspected carbs. We’ve also organized this list of Trader Joe’s products by aisle to help speed up and simplify your shopping experience. 

Fresh Produce Products

Alright, you know to go get your cauliflower and your kale, of course: cauliflower is insanely versatile for replacing carbs like pizza dough, mashed potatoes, and rice, and kale is bursting with vitamins and nutrients. Leafy greens and other vegetables will always be on your list, but what about some tasty high-fat dips for dunking those crisp veggies into? Here are some keto-friendly snack dips you can enjoy worry-free.

• Avocado‘s Number Guacamole to Go: A single-serving guac pack that you can easily include in your lunch for a healthy fats snack.
• Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing and Dip: With only 1 gram of net carbs per serving, this is one of the best keto dips, perfectly suited for flavoring some broccoli florets.
• Smoked Salmon Dip with Capers: This is an excellent way to pair savory fish with your kale chips!

Prepared Salads

Here are some Trader Joe’s pre-made salads you can enjoy on keto, for all the refreshing nutrition of a salad with no need to mix it up yourself. 

• Harvest Salad with Grilled Chicken: Get greens, lean poultry, and some fats with the included salad dressing.
• Egg White Salad with Chives: With only 2 grams of carbs and 7 grams of protein, this creamy mix is perfect to grab and go.
• Cobb Salad with Dressing: A delicious mix with salad dressing included, the Cobb Salad makes an excellent choice for lunch.

Cooked Meat

Get your protein macros in, with flavor and without having to cook cut, prep, and cook it yourself.

• Pesto Genovese Chicken Breast: Lean and delicious, you can gain 25 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat, and a mere 4 grams of net carbs—sounds like dinner’s on Trader Joe tonight, doesn’t it?
• Fully Cooked Uncured Bacon: Salty and savory, so many people have a weakness for bacon, and luckily it’s one of the best things you don’t have to give up on keto.
• Fully Cooked Pork Belly: With zero carb content and 13 grams of protein, this grocery choice will have you feeling full and satisfied.
• Grass-Fed Beef Sirloin Roast: Responsibly sourced and seasoned to perfection for your dinner table.

Dairy Products

For those who eat dairy, these products are tasty, hardy ways to gain healthy fats and protein in one go.

• Bacon Cheddar Cheese: Get some rich cheese with a little bit of delicious protein mixed in.
• Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter: Butter your breakfast, lunch, or dinner with this pure spread.
• Small Curd Cottage Cheese: A wonderfully convenient way to gain fat and protein.
• Fresh Mozzarella Cheese Sticks: Snack on the go with full calcium and no carbs.
• Truffle Mousse Paté: Creamy, spreadable, and made with chicken to add in a little more lean protein.

Pantry Goods

Here are items you can shop for once, and store at home long-term for easy convenience later.

• Organic Virgin Coconut Oil Packets: Coconut oil is a keto go-to source of energy thanks to the MCT (medium-chain triglycerides) in it, so you definitely want to keep it on hand in all forms. 
• Wild Caught Skinless and Boneless Sardines in Olive Oil: Fish in olive oil means you’re doubling down on heathy fats and omega-3 fatty acids.
• Organic Beef Bone Broth: A warm and delicious way to flavor your food and gain electrolytes.
• Creamy Raw Almond Butter: Nut butters like hazelnut, almond, and peanut butter are rich and tasty sources of protein on keto.

Frozen Foods

Another great way to stock up on your grocery run after you’ve chosen your pantry staples is to fill your freezer with delectable frozen foods and meals you can prepare in a pinch. 

• Riced Cauliflower Stir Fry: Spiced and peppered all over with veggies, this dish is ready to go whenever you are hungry.
• Organic Riced Cauliflower: With only 2 net carbs, you can get the texture of rice without breaking the bank on carbohydrates, and you can choose your own flavoring.
• Zucchini Spirals: Zucchini noodles (aka zoodles) are a great way to replace pasta so that it doesn’t have to be missed on a ketogenic diet.
• Mahi Mahi Burgers: Grill up these burgers to enjoy a lean, nutrient-rich cookout on the weekend.
• Chile Lime Chicken Burgers: If you want your burger alternative pre-spiced, check out Trader Joe’s Chile Lime variety of chicken burgers and make the whole family happy.

On-the-Go Snacks

Stock up on these snacks and have them ready to go whenever you need a quick bite to eat. 

• Chomps Grass-Fed Beef Snack Sticks: With 9 grams of protein in just one little snack, this will almost assuredly tide you over between meals.
• Wasabi Roasted Seaweed Snack: Crispy, salty, versatile, and nutritious, seaweed is the sea vegetable of choice.
• Oven-Baked Cheese Bites: Gluten free and easy to enjoy, this product contains literal pieces of real cheese that come in a small pouch, perfectly portioned. 

Seeds and Nuts

Don’t miss this section on your way out the door, because the micronutrients in nuts and seeds are invaluable. Most people in the modern world aren’t getting anywhere near the amount of seeds we should be eating, and the healthy fats in nuts are not only good for keto dieting but also easily portable and filling too. Choose between dry-roasted or raw…

• Almonds: With vitamin E, almonds can help control your blood sugar levels.
• Brazil nuts: Full of protein and monounsaturated fats.
• Cashews: These nuts contribute to heart health and help balance the fatty acid ratios in your body.
• Macadamia nuts: Improve metabolic syndrome and diabetes risk factors with macadamia nuts.
• Pecans: One of the softer nuts, pecans are incredibly easy to snack on.
• Walnuts: Full of antioxidants and good for your gut health.
• Pumpkin seeds: High in fiber and magnesium, two nutrients that benefit your body.
• Chia seeds: These seeds are the key ingredient in the perfect overnight oat bowl or chia seed pudding.
• Flaxseeds: High in omega-3 fatty acids and easily sprinkled into recipes or included in trail mixes.

Shop Away

The ketogenic diet becomes more well-known by the day, and as people become more health-conscious about the food they put into their bodies, more farms, markets, and grocery stores rise to meet that demand. It’s always great when you can find a place that makes the chore of shopping a real pleasure, and so many feel that way about their local Trader Joe’s. Now you’re equipped with a quick list of products that are keto-safe and ready to go for your busy keto life.