Chicken red medallions with coconut curry sauce

What to get: a box of Chicken red medallions with coconut curry sauce

Where to get it: cooler section at Trader Joe's

Why we approve: this dish is simple yet full of flavor. 22 grams of protein per serving, not too bad on the carbs (18 grams total). By the way package suggests 4 servings and that's wishful thinking as it's exactly two (unless you are a very tiny human, which we are not). The chicken is very well cooked and the sauce is excellent.


                                              

Preparation: The package suggests you microwave of warm up in hot water. We did the latter. Once the pouch is out it's really easy to heat it up. Just place in boiling water for a few minutes.

                                                  

Variations: You could potentially eat this cold if you were in a hurry. The next time we buy this item we will probably add extra chicken strips to it. You can also serve over rice noodles or rice if your diet permits. We enjoyed this with a giant green salad and steamed baby green peas.

                                                

Pros: no cooking, good amount of protein, no nasty ingredients.

Cons: not enough chicken in our opinion, and maybe a bit high on sugar for a main dish

Rosemary ham

What to get: Trader Joe's Rosemary Ham
Where to get it: Trader Joes cold section

Most supermarkets have a deli section, where you can grab some cold cuts if on the go.It's fast, delicious and convenient and as close to packing some meat from home as it gets.

Why we approve: it's convenient, ready to eat and high in protein. Other than ''natural flavor'', which we will never be able to determine the nature of, it is pretty clean of bad guys and it's an acceptable snack. The rosemary really gives it a nice touch!

Preparation: just open the packet and enjoy

Variations: If you are low carbing, serve it with some avocado and nuts of cheese for extra calories, and maybe some veggies on the side. Otherwise, you can roll it up in a tortilla wrap or use it in a sandwich. I have shown my low carb version above. That ham would be pretty good in an omelet, too!

Pros: easy to grab and eat right out of the bag when in a hurry

Cons: as usual, there is natural flavor in it (^&^%%#!!)

 

Trader Joe's Mahi Mahi Burgers

What to get:
Trader Joe's Mahi Mahi Burgers

Where to get it:
Trader Joe's

Why we approve: Fish is good for you.  It has no nasty ingredients and lots of good-quality protein. Has the coveted Omega 3's we all need, albeit a pretty small quantity as this is a fairly low-fat fish.


Preparation:
Heat oil of your choice in pan. I used coconut oil, but olive oil would be fine. Pan fry until lightly browned on each side--be careful not to overcook.  Easy! Add any vegetable of your choice and you have a great lunch or dinner.  I had two for dinner and was very happy; the picture shows the burger atop a pile of sauteed "broccoslaw". 

Variations: Try with broccoslaw: saute broccoslaw in some coconut oil, add salt and pepper.  Dill seeds or other spices would be nice.
On that note, adding a touch of fish seasoning such as Old Bay seasoning is very tasty. 
If you're a guy, on maintenance, or if this is a post-workout meal, try adding a potato or rice.  Putting the patty on top of Ezekiel Bread, adding tomato and lettuce, is a great meal as well.
One time, I added Trader Joe's frozen Kale along with some other leftover veggies I had in the fridge and ended up chopping up the fish with my spatula since I was kind of in a hurry. Add some soy sauce and you have instant stir fry!

Pros: Nice slug of protein (15 grams per patty), easy to prepare, tasty, gets your servings of fish in.  The Mahi  Mahi is mild and has a good texture, even my fish-hating teenage boy liked this one.

Cons: None really.  Not great for lunch unless you like cold fish or a microwave.

Cashew Kale Chips - a new snack from Trader Joes

What to get: A bag of Kale chips from the packaged snack isle, close to the toasted seaweed
Where to get it: Trader Joe's

Why we approve: we must admit veggie chips are a disappointment 99% of the time, but not this time. The recipe kicks ^$$!. This bag gives you two servings of delicious kale and dried veggies, some cashews and no nasty ingredients. There are not too many calories (150) and plenty of satiating fiber.

Preparation: Open the bag and try not to eat the whole thing. Someone with a sense of humor put a zipper on top to keep it fresh assuming the one who tries this stuff actually has self control. It's crunchy, it's delicious and you won't be sealing the bag so find someone to share it with.

Variations: You can eat this as a snack alongside some blander foods like string cheese or some Greek yogurt, or tuna for that matter. Other than eating it straight from the bag, you can use the chips to top some green salad or as a way to top an appetizer, such as goat cheese bites or roasted stuffed mushrooms. As a meal survivor item, I would pair this with a convenient source of protein: cottage cheese, hard boiled egg, fish...


Pros: This snack saves you a lot of time - just imagine cleaning, drying, and roasting the kale chips, let alone coating them in delicious salty-sour nutty mixture like TJ's have done! No way! This is a great way to get dried veggies in and add crunch to your lunch, snack or salad.

Cons: Most people would frown at the price of 3 + dollars since this bag only has 2 servings. May I kindly remind them that buying kale and adding the other ingredients + time would definitely come up to more than 3 dollars. Yet price is a limiting factor when it's only 2 oz of food. Another negative is that it's hard to stop at just one serving ;) No cons indeed.

Let us know what you think and enjoy!

Do Not Eat!

Most of us have good, solid mental lists of foods that are good for us, but the "bad foods" escape us.

Are there truly bad foods? Sure, foods like transfats (most shortening and many margarines) have no place in our diets AT ALL.

Here's a reminder of our MealSurvivor "Bad Guy" foods. Put it memory or print it off and take it with you when you shop. Either way, avoid or minimize these "bad guys!"

Bad Guys

There are ingredients in our foods that prevent us from being at our optimal health, weight or performance levels. You may see these as ingredients on boxes and labels, items on restaurant menus, or you may encounter them as single items at the grocery store, either way, stay away.

YOU WANT TO COMPLETELY AVOID:

CORN OIL

SOYBEAN OIL

VEGETABLE OIL
SEED OILS (SUNFLOWER, SAFFLOWER, ETC.)
MARGARINE

SHORTENING

HYDROGENATED FATS

TRANS FATS

NON DAIRY CREAMER

HIGH SODIUM FOODS

YOU WANT TO MINIMIZE:

SUGAR AND SWEETS

HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP

ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS

SODA AND JUICE

FANCY COFFEE DRINKS

ALCOHOL

HEAVILY PROCESSED PACKAGED FOODS

DEEP FRIED/BREADED FOODS

SALAD DRESSING

SOY PRODUCTS
SESAME SEED OIL (when sprinkled as a seasoning, it's ok)

PROCESSED GRAINS

We did try to keep the list short and easily remembered, but if you see one we left off, let us know in the comments or drop us a line here.

Trader Joe's Marinated Chipotle Chicken Skewers

A brief note on the label of "paleo" that I added to this one. Yes, it contains canola oil, which isn't "approved" for paleos, but there's only 1g of total fat per skewer, so how much could there really be? The sugar in your paleo-approved dark chocolate or the omega-6s in your almond meal is a bigger health concern than this tiny drip of canola oil... think about that, before you quibble.

Trader Joe's Marinated Chipotle Chicken Skewers

What to get: Trader Joe's Marinated Chipotle Chicken Skewers

Where to get it: Trader Joe's

Why we approve: Easy to cook, versatile, and high in protein. Very few bad guys, and what little there is (canola oil) is very little (only 1g of fat per skewer, which means hardly any oil at all). It doesn't really taste a lot like chipotle, so you can eat it with almost any style of cuisine.

Preparation: It's right on the box; roast them for under 20 minutes at 400 degrees. I also pan fried them in a non-stick skillet (after thawing) and they came out pretty good!

Variations: I ate it with a simple chopped salad and a packet of Wholly Guacamole, from Target.

          Simple Chopped Salad Recipe

          4 small, ripe tomatoes (TJ's Kumatos pictured), chopped

          4 Persian cucumbers, chopped

          1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

          salt to taste 

          Stir all ingredients together before eating.



Cons: A little salty.The picture gives you the idea that you'll get some sort of sauce, but there's no sauce (just chicken skewers).

Pros: Tender and juicy chicken. Fast and easy to cook. Goes well with almost any veggies and starches. Doesn't come with any horrible, bad-guy laden sauce.

Enjoy!

Spinach, poached egg and cheese - 5 minutes to your plate

What to get: a bag of organic spinach, eggs, butter, cheddar cheese
Where to get it: your local supermarket or Trader Joes

5 minutes to a yummy dinner

I love tossing a few fresh ingredients in a pan and getting a delicious dinner in a matter of minutes. Sometimes Roland feels like having some meat, and I prefer to eat a lighter dinner, and last night was one of those nights. This meal also makes great breakfast, or a delicious stuffing for a lunch wrap or breakfast burrito. 

This is a super simple recipe for 1  :) To feed more, simply double, triple, etc, the suggested amounts:

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh spinach
1 tbsp butter
1 egg
1 oz cheddar cheese
pepper to taste

To make, place the leaves with a few tbsp of water in a pan, and let them cook until the leaves have wilted. Add the butter, season with the pepper and stir. Add the cheddar cheese in small pieces, crack the egg on top and cover with a lid. Let it cook until the white has hardened completely.

Move to a plate, let it cool off and enjoy!

Kefir on the go

What to get: a bottle of plain Kefir
Where to get it: your local supermarket or Trader Joe's

This is the Lifeway brand, which has a nice zing to it!

What is it? a yogurt-type drink, result of natural fermentation


Why we approve: Kefir is an ancient fermented drink that provides protein, fats, carbohydrate and a modest amount of calories. One cup has 10-14 grams of protein depending on the brand and the thickness. Another really really cool thing is that due to the activity of the bacteria that turn milk into kefir, most lactose is almost entirely eliminated and it can be consumed even if you don't tolerate dairy very well.

Preparation: this is the ultimate on the go dairy product. Just open the cap, pour in a glass or enjoy directly from the bottle. Why share?

TIP: always buy full fat or reduced fat versions, stay away from non fat / zero fat.

make your own flavors with real ingredients at home, do not fall for the gazillion flavors at the store. get plain and upgrade it yourself.

 Variations:  I like Kefir on its own, but you can enhance the flavor by mixing it with fruit. Blend it with strawberries, blueberries or pomegranate. Yes, you can buy it flavored at the store, BUT that comes at the price of sweeteners and additives. No thank you! For a complete meal on the go you can pair some kefir with a fruit and nut bar, or a handful of nuts.

Trader Joes Kefir is very smooth and good for beginners. It's not too sour

Pros: tastes good, great source of protein, healthy for your digestive and immune system

Cons: can be a bit expensive, and some varieties may be way too sour; for some people just Kefir may not be enough of a meal, unless they combine it with other foods

Enjoy and be healthy!

Steamed lentils from Trader Joe's

What to get: Trader Joe's steamed lentils (salad section)
Where to get it: Trader Joe's

Why we approve: lentils are filling, low in calories, high in protein and fiber and provide a cool plant source of iron. These are very easy to use, because they have already been steamed - that frees you from soaking, boiling, draining, etc. By all means feel free to do that when you are not in meal survivor mode, but when in a hurry these are a life savior.

Preparation: You can put these in a salad, in a dip, a soup, a stew, or make lentil burgers. Open the packet, stir and use as you like. I prepared two salads in a pinch. It's good to combine lentils with tomato or lemon juice, as that helps absorb the iron, so a meal with tomatoes is always great.

Tomato and feta cheese salad: mix lentils with crumbled feta, a chopped tomato, some fresh mint, a dash of ground cumin and olive oil. Stir well and enjoy cold. 

Sweet corn and tomato salad: mix lentils, cooked corn, chopped tomato, season with sea salt and black pepper, drizzle olive oil and enjoy!

Variations:You can use lentils in hummus instead of chickpeas or serve them alongside lamb, instead of beans in a burrito or in a soup. For the purpose of fat loss and maintenance, toss them in salads or eat when in a rush. Our friends Jo and Ashley make a really cool dip mixing the lentils, a container of fresh salsa and some feta cheese - you can get it all at Trader Joes and it makes a great dip for a party!

Pros: We love the taste and texture and they are very very convenient. Good source of protein and fiber! Great satiety!

Cons: It is still a mystery what natural flavor means. We will never find out. As with all prepackaged foods, stick to the best you can find and always make an effort to eat home meals cooked from scratch to compensate for those times when you have to be a meal survivor! 

Enjoy these! They rock!

Trader Joe's Spinach Mushroom & Cheese QUICHE

What to get:Spinach Mushroom & Cheese QUICHE
Where to get it: Trader Joe's frozen food section

 

Why we approve: A serving provides 20 grams of protein and 480 calories - this is a very OK meal if you are craving quiche. The portion is self limiting. That means no going back to the pan to get second helpings and sabotage yourself. The ingredients are ok and any suspicious items like white flour (we usually frown upon it and sunflower oil (also frowned upon) are in small amounts. If you eat this once a week you are more than fine.

Preparation: Open the package. Keep the quiche in the paper tray. Preheat the oven to 400F and cook for 20 minutes. Read package for microwave instructions. 

Variations: I enjoyed this with an arugula salad. If you need more protein, feel free to melt a bit more cheese on top or to even crack an egg and bake it on top. Serve alongside a salad or a cup of vegetable soup for a complete meal.

Pros: It's self limiting in serving size, it's also crazy delicious.

 

Cons: It does have 38 grams of carbs which makes it ok for an active day, but bad if you are too sedentary. Also, it's not big at all - we have pictured it next to a kindle to kind of give you an idea.

Enjoy! 

Trader Joe's Salmon Burgers

What to get: A box of Trader Joe's Frozen Salmon Burgers (box of 4)
Where to get it: Trader Joe's

 

Why we approve: The salmon burgers have a modest amount of ingredients and they provide a very good amount of protein and calories: two patties will give you 220 calories and 30 grams of protein. Two of these patties with a small side salad are surprisingly satisfying.

 

Preparation: Cook the patties from frozen. Heat the pan and gently coat it with either light olive oil or expeller pressed coconut oil (tasteless). Let them cook for 7-8 minutes per side.

Variations: You can serve these with a side salad, with steamed vegetables or with a dash of Parmesan cheese. Feel free to add extra lemon pepper as these are just fish, not seasoned with anything.

Pros: These are low calorie, high protein and taste good. These are great if you are the only fish eater when everyone else is eating burgers and you don't feel like beef.

Cons: I can't see how these are better in any way than just having fish. We really don't know what natural flavor is, so while these are very easy, maybe you can opt for fish instead. 

Trader Joe's Frozen Turkey Burgers (and green beans)

What to get: A box of Trader Joe's Frozen Turkey Patties (box of 4), a bag of Trader Joe's frozen green beans

Where to get it: Trader Joe's

Why we approve: The turkey burgers have few ingredients; just turkey and spices. The green beans are just green beans, already cut to a nice length, and cook up nice and crisp.

Green beans are green beans

Turkey burger ingredients

Turkey burger nutrition

Preparation: Both can be cooked from frozen. The turkey patties were cooked on a hot skillet and were still pretty juicy after cooking. The green beans were steamed, then tossed with Himalayan salt and lemon zest (dried lemon peel from Penzley's, in this case).

Variations: You can eat it just like a burger. I had two for dinner with some TJ's pesto, a salad, and steamed veggies. Awesome.

Pros: The turkey has lots of protein, low calorie, no bad guys, tastes good to me (Roland). The green beans are as good as fresh and better than canned. I will buy these again! Both are extremely cost effective. Quite a deal!

Cons: Galya didn't really like the turkey, but love the green beans. She claimed they had a weird aftertaste, but I just think they taste like turkey burgers. I will buy them again. Cons of the beans? None.

Note: I marked this as both paleo and vegetarian, but you'll have to think; the turkey is paleo and the green beans are vegetarian and paleo enough for me (green beans are mostly pod and hardly any bean).

Beef chili from Trader Joe's

What to get: a can of Beef Chili
Where to get it: Trader Joe's

Why we approve: This canned meal is very delicious and provides convenience when you are really in a rush. In my perfect world once a month you make a huge pot of chili and freeze batches of it so that when in a hurry, you can use your own chili and know exactly what went in your recipe. This can is the next best thing. It's very thick and meaty, has visible beans that have a nice texture. They are not cooked beyond recognition and they are very tasty.  From a weight loss or maintenance perspective this is a great central dish to your meal: it only has 240 calories per cup, and 18 grams of protein.  Since it has a whooping 6 grams of fiber it will satisfy you for a long time.  At 27 net grams of carbs and 7 grams sugar it may be better to have this in the middle of the day or on a workout day. Serve it alongside vegetables, not starches.

 

Preparation: open the can, measure out half for one serving and place it in a pot. Heat and pour in a bowl.

Unless you are heating everything, you will have leftovers in the can. Remove them from the container and move to a glass or tupperware one to keep in the fridge.

Variations: You can serve this many ways: you can add some grated cheese, or accompany it with a large green salad. You could also prepare some sauteed vegetables, or just have raw cut up peppers and baby carrots to add some color and crunchiness. You could serve it as a sauce for spaghetti squash or thin it out and enjoy as a soup.

Pros: High in fiber, good amount of protein, pretty satisfying and great flavor, no trace of metal taste. You can eat it cold.

Cons: There are a number of ingredients, such as natural flavor, that I am not very comfortable with, so I would not make a staple food.

Roasted Rosemary Chicken Breast with Wild Rice Pilaf

Here's another winner from Trader Joe's prepared fresh food section.

WHAT TO GET: Roasted Rosemary Chicken Breast with Wild Rice Pilaf
WHERE TO GET IT: Trader Joe's

WHY WE APPROVE: Very tasty, excellent nutritional stats, easy to dress up and make a full meal, low (310) calories, great for a lunch or dinner, very little bad stuff in it

PREPARATION: Puncture film with fork and microwave on medium for 5-7 minutes OR pierce film and bake in a 350 oven for 20-30 minutes. (why you puncture for microwave but pierce for oven, I do not know.  These are the TJ's instructions.)  This item serves two.

VARIATIONS: I took out one chicken breast and half of the rice, since I was eating alone, and microwaved for 4 minutes on medium.
You should add veggies on the side, I took some fresh spinach and put it over the top the last minute and it was great.  Any sort of salad or veg rounds this out perfectly.  Since the chicken skin is included on the breast, I peeled it off--not because I dislike chicken skin, per se, only flabby chicken skin.  Perhaps if I had baked it it would have gotten nice and crispy.

PROS: Very nice nutritional stats--26 grams of protein and 15 grams of fat to keep you full (removing the skin will subtract between 7-14 grams of fat), it tastes good so you don't feel deprived; rice fans will be happy with the pilaf and it isn't so much that it will blow your diet; easy to prepare

CONS: Not much in the way of veggies--the label states that there are onions, carrots, mushrooms, spinach, and red bell pepper, but they are miniscule amounts. Contains nutrient deficient white rice, but in the context of an overall healthy diet it's not a big deal.  Not much nasty stuff in it except a small amount of canola oil and sugar.  I'm very sugar sensitive and it didn't bother me, so it couldn't be much.

Lite Kettle Corn snack bags

What to get: Kettle Corn (one bag of six bags)

Where to get it: Trader Joe's

Why we approve: low calorie, satisfying snack, self contained calories, my kids like it, a little sweet, a little salty, but not too much of either.

Preparation: Open the bag

Pros: Tasty and low in calories. Not too sweet and not too salty. Individual bags help limit scarfing. $1.99 for six bags. Low in sodium at 120mg. No gluten.

Cons: Sunflower oil is high in omega-6s, but if you keep them to a minimum in the rest of your life, a little shouldn't be too bad. Some people don't find it sweet or salty enough. There's still five more bags to scarf if you have no willpower.

I like this stuff. It takes longer to eat than a similar size bag of chips and is far more satisfying. I try to keep a six pack of these in the car because it tides the kids over until dinner on a long drive.