A common question in my Facebook group is, “What do you guys buy at Trader Joe’s?”
I thought I’d put together some standard goodies to look for next time you find yourself at the nearest TJ’s. I recognize not all of you have a Trader Joe’s, but you might still find some of these KSD-friendly items at your favorite specialty grocery store.
I don’t personally buy all the products on this list, but they’ve all been listed at one time or another by kidney stone patients just like you. I hope you find it helpful on your next trip to TJ’s.
If you have any favorite items from Trader Joe’s that aren’t here, let me know and I’ll update our list!
Produce:
All produce is good, but spinach and raspberries are pretty well off the table. Look for these fan favorites:
- Zig Zags: This is butternut squash that’s been cut like crinkle fries.
- Cauliflower Rice
- Mirepoix: This is a blend of carrots, onions, and celery used as a base for sauces and dishes. Precut veggies are always helpful in cutting down meal prep time. I use mirepoix for my chicken soup.
- Broccoli Slaw
- Cruciferous Crunch
- And don’t forget the frozen produce section!
Low Sodium Meat and Seafood:
- Just Chicken: Plain, pre-cooked, grilled chicken usually found in the refrigerated produce section with premade sandwiches and salads.
- Grass-Fed Beef Sirloin Roast
- Ground Chicken
- Ground Turkey
- No Salt Canned Tuna
Low Sodium/Low Oxalate Crunchy Snacks:
- Unsalted Tortilla Chips*
- Fire Roasted Salsa
- Barbell Protein Bars (exclude peanut or almond varieties)
- Inner Peas
- Unsalted Pistachios
- Unsalted Sunflower Seeds
- Plaintain Chips*
Dairy and Non-Dairy Calcium Sources:
- Kefir (plain non-fat or low fat)
- Coconut Milk
- Oat Milk
- European Greek Yogurt (plain non-fat)
- Swiss Gruyere Mix Shredded Cheese
- Jarlsberg Lite Cheese
- Swiss Cheese
- Low Fat Mozzarella
- Goat Cheese (higher in sodium, but a nice treat)
- Everything But The Bagel Greek Yogurt Dip
Lower or No Added Sugar Snacks:
- Dehydrated Fruit*
- Dried Fruit*
- Dried Cranberries with no added sugar. These are very high in fiber. I like to use them for my oat muffins and my popular low oxalate granola recipe.
- Dark Chocolate Sunflower Seed Butter Cups. These do have 8 grams of added sugar, but you are allowed 25/38 (women/men) grams of added sugar per day, and you might want to fit these into your budget here and there. Yes, there is some oxalate, but nobody makes a kidney stone by having the occasional treat. Get your calcium each day and you will be fine.
Favorite Sodium Free Seasonings:
- 21 Seasoning Salute
- Ajika Georgian Seasoning Blend
KSD Lower Sugar and Sodium Odds and Ends:
- Barbell Protein Bars (avoid the ones with nuts)
- Flaxseed Meal
- Ezekiel Low Sodium Bread
- Nutritional Yeast (vegans like this for cheese substitute)
- Sunflower Seed Butter
- Coconut Aminos (a lower sodium option for soy sauce)
- Olive Oil Spray
- Avocado Oil Spray
Asterisk Items:
These items need to be eaten within serving size, MOST OF THE TIME. I hear from patients that they tend to overeat KSD-safe snacks and gain weight. Just because these snacks are lower sodium and lower sugar does NOT mean they are low calories. Be careful.
Your friend and advocate,
Jill
Hi Jill!!! It is amazing in 2022 what I can eat than years ago . Portion and a little dark chocolate so easy lol
Thankyou for ALL you do . Was just wondering about Trader Joe’s . Is there fried rice ok??? How are you doing?
Your resources are SO useful
and I’m still knock on wood stone free.
The Harvard Diet, your guidance and taking the course has been life saving . Six stones at once was just not
my best time ha ha . Hope you are better
Hi Jill!!! It is amazing in 2022 what I can eat than years ago . Portion and a little dark chocolate so easy lol
Thankyou for ALL you do . Was just wondering about Trader Joe’s . Is there fried rice ok??? How are you doing?
Your resources are SO useful
and I’m still knock on wood stone free.
The Harvard Diet, your guidance and taking the course has been life saving . Six stones at once was just not
my best time ha ha . Hope you are better
Hi Phyllis,
I would be more concerned with the sodium in that fried rice than anything else. But you know what I say: “portion not perfection.” You can certainly fit it into your diet!
Would you please let me know what the asterisk behind some of the products mean? Thank you for all you do!
Hi Toni,
The article tells you at the bottom they are noted bc I still want you to eat them in normal portion size bc the calories add up.
j
I’m diabetic and have kidney stones. Where can I find a list of low carb and low oxalate foods.?
Thank you.
Hi CJ,
There is no list of low carb and low oxalate. That list would be so long!! Use the Harvard oxalate list on this site to search for the oxalate content of foods you are interested in. The only veggie I ask my patients to take off their plate is spinach. Otherwise, they can all be eaten in moderation. Of course for you, the less starchy ones are best. Here is a video I did on diabetes and kidney stones.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAQ7J7lAf3Q&t=39s
Hi Jill. I am trying to lose weight because I heard from my doctor that if you are overweight you make kidney stones.
Also diabetic.
Hi Marie,
There is a correlation between weight and kidney stones. But I would assume it is bc one is overeating salt and sugar and that might be causing the stone issue. The kidney stone diet is very good for weight loss because it limits daily sugar and salt consumption. Many people take my course to learn how to eat and they lose weight as a result. It is very much on sale right now due to the recession. Lowest it has ever been. Might one to take advantage of it. kidneystonediet.com/course
Hi Jill,
Just to mention I always buy my salmon at Trader Joe’s because it’s farmed in Norway and not China like all the other stores have. Much cleaner and you can even taste the difference.
And I like the sunflower seed butter much more than traditional peanut butter.
Thanks for this great list!
Hi Karen,
Glad it helped!
j
I very much appreciate your articles.
I have kidney failure due to Oxalosis. I only had 2 episodes of kidney stones prior to the kidney failure and only once since. I follow a low oxalate diet so I am very grateful for the list that you provide. I was on dialysis for a little over a year and have not been on dialysis for the past 5 to 6 years. My kidneys still function between 25% and 28%. I have always loved nuts, dark chocolate, etc. but I can now be satisfied with 1 or 2 nuts or just a small bite from a candy bar on occasion. I hope to never have to be on dialysis again!
Hi Sybil,
I hope you stay well. Thanks for writing.
j