Yesterday I had something that almost never happens anymore.
A day to myself. Okay, not the whole day, but half…aaand I’LL TAKE IT.
Dave left for golf. The boys are with their dad. I was standing in my kitchen realizing I had absolutely nothing on the calendar and I genuinely did not know what to do with that information (Summer is soooo busy so this is extra unheard of). I did what any reasonable woman with a rare free Saturday would do.
I drove 30 miles to Trader Joe’s HA.
I know. It’s not that far. But I’m a busy mom running a business and I just haven’t made it over there in a looong time. So yesterday felt like the day.
Want to watch the video where I show each item? Check it out below.
https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/GJm25famHLE?rel=0&autoplay=0&showinfo=0&enablejsapi=0
Here’s the context before I get into what I bought. I am currently in a fat loss phase. Full body rebuild after my hysterectomy in January. I’ve been in a calorie deficit and it’s going really well. Not focused on the scale as much (I just want to tighten up and feel better) but it has moved. Mostly watching my photos and my measurements and things are shifting in the right direction. We love that.
I’m also in the middle of a 30 day dopamine detox. No caffeine. No added sugar. No TV, no music with lyrics, no scrolling, no podcast (I have a highlight about this on Instagram you can check out…I’m not usually one for extremes but my Coach said so…so…we’re doing it). Which means my usual Trader Joe’s tradition of loading up on fun treats was not the move yesterday. I’m almost to the halfway mark on the detox so I grabbed a few things for when it’s done but mostly I was there for real food.
Here’s what actually made it into the cart and why.
The proteins. And there were a lot of them.
I realized when I got home that the majority of what I bought was protein and honestly that’s just how I shop now without even thinking about it. It’s automatic at this point.
The pulled pork and the carnitas. Both super quick to cook and convenient for a week night dinner. Both around 10-11 grams of fat and 20 grams of protein per serving. In summer I am doing a lot of pulled pork sandwiches and pulled pork fries and the carnitas are perfect for our families love of Mexican food (I’m thinking jalapeno and mango tacos). These are the kinds of proteins that make weeknight dinners easy without sacrificing anything (aka satisfaction and flavaaaa).
The grass-fed sirloin roast. 5 grams of fat, 21 grams of protein. Any time I can find a lean beef option I’m grabbing it. Pair this with mashed potatoes and green beans and you’ve got a dinner that feels indulgent and is actually really solid from a fat loss standpoint.
The extra lean ground beef. 96/4. Only four and a half grams of fat, 24 grams of protein. This is a staple I always restock on. Tacos, pasta, burgers, casseroles, anything.
The chicken meatballs. Pineapple teriyaki and regular. These go in the air fryer, they crisp up beautifully, and they make the easiest lunch or weeknight dinner. Microwaved rice, a steamed veggie from the freezer, whatever sauce you feel like, and you’re done in ten minutes. I honestly regret not getting two packs of each.
The roasted turkey breast and the sweet Italian chicken sausages. The turkey goes on my snack plates which I’ve been doing a lot of this summer. Light, easy, keeps lunch simple (my appetite in the summer is so weird…anyone else?). The chicken sausages I grabbed as a potential hot dog swap for grilling. I love a regular hot dog, I’ll be honest. But when I checked the labels on a lot of the chicken sausages they were actually pretty heavy in fat. These ones came in at 6 grams of fat, 12 grams of protein, 110 calories each. Do two and you’re at 24 grams of protein. Worth trying. We will see!
The chicken cilantro wontons. Seven grams of protein per serving. My oldest Tom and I absolutely tear through these. I add them to Asian bowls or just eat them as a snack on their own. A restock every single time.
The dips, spreads, and where women accidentally blow their calories.
Okay. I want to spend some time here because this is genuinely one of the things I see trip women up most when they come into Goal Body thinking they eat healthy but can’t figure out why the scale isn’t moving.
Trader Joe’s is a wonderland of incredible dips and spreads. And they are calorie dense in a way that sneaks up on you fast. Like…SO FAST.
I picked up a lot of them and read every single label. So many were 90 to 100 plus calories for two tablespoons. And two tablespoons is not very much…just saying. Which means you can spend 200 calories on a dip before you’ve even gotten to what you’re dipping into it!!!
Nothing is off limits in the Goal Body Method. You can make anything fit. But in a fat loss phase you have to pick and choose and you have to be aware because the calories add up incredibly fast on things that aren’t filling you up. Then you’re hangry. And you blow your deficit anyway. No good.
So here’s what actually made the cart and why:
The three layer hummus. Traditional, cilantro jalapeño, and spicy. 50 calories for two tablespoons. Half or sometimes a third of what the other hummuses and dips had. That’s the one that made it.
The whipped ricotta spread. 110 calories for a quarter cup but it has 6 grams of protein which I love. A little honey drizzled on top with some pita crackers or the baguette and you feel like you’re eating something really special. Worth the calories because it’s actually satisfying (especially with that protein).
The roasted tomato spread I hadn’t tried before. 45 calories for two tablespoons. A creamy tangy cheese made from strained yogurt. I’m thinking cucumber slices, baby carrots, bell pepper strips with pita chips. A perfect pool snack!
The bruschetta. A staple I always keep in the fridge. So versatile for Italian food nights and little appetizers.
The nuts situation. We need to talk about this.
I grabbed the ranch seasoned cashews because they sounded fun and I’d never tried them. And then I held up the serving size on my vlog for YouTube because I think everyone needs to see this in real life as a reality check lol.
A quarter cup. That’s one serving. 180 calories. 15 grams of fat.
I love nuts. I love healthy fats. This is not a “nuts are bad” conversation. But I cannot tell you how many women come into Goal Body saying they eat healthy and genuinely cannot figure out why they’re not losing weight. And when we dig into it they’re snacking on nuts out of the bag while they cook dinner. Not portioned. Not logged. Just handfuls. Because “it’s healthy so it must be fine.”
It’s not that it’s not fine. It’s that it absolutely counts and it adds up faster than almost anything else.
Portion it. Log it. Then enjoy it.
I also grabbed some dried mango and pistachios. Same principle applies to the dried fruit. More calories than you’d expect because the water is removed and you end up eating more of it. But I love doing a little dried fruit and nut mix in the summer as a snack and when it’s portioned it’s great.
The fun stuff. Because fat loss doesn’t mean boring.
The French baguettes. 110 calories. I post my breakfast plates all the time and people always ask what that little bread situation is. These are it. Pair with eggs, a little goat cheese, some jam and you have a breakfast that feels genuinely bougie for very little calorie spend.
The blueberry scones, mini croissants, and lemon bars from the freezer section. These are for when we have family or friends over. One of the things Trader Joe’s does better than anywhere is freezer to oven entertaining food. Having these on hand means I’m never scrambling when people come over.
The Norwegian potato flatbread. I have absolutely no idea how to pronounce it. L-E-F-S-E.??? Someone please help me. But the texture looked incredible and you can roll it like a tortilla or do what the Norwegians apparently do and put smoked salmon and cheese in it. Or strawberry jam and cream cheese. I had to try it.
The mocktail era is fully in effect.
The alcohol removed wine I mentioned in my previous vacation piece. The Recess unflavored powder with magnesium, adaptogens, and electrolytes that I started adding to everything at the beach. The cold pressed pineapple juice for just a splash in the NA mimosas I’ve been making. The sweetened dried orange slices and baby dried pineapple for adding to sparkling water drinks — shout out to my friend Krystal who told me about this and it’s absolutely genius.
From a fat loss standpoint being thoughtful about what you’re drinking is one of the easiest places to save calories without feeling like you’re missing anything. Especially in summer when there’s always something social happening.
I have all of my fave Amazon mocktail options in my store!
Fat loss doesn’t require a boring cart. It requires an aware one. Knowing your labels. Portioning the things that sneak up on you. Making choices that are worth the calories instead of mindlessly adding things that don’t fill you up or satisfy you.
That changes everything and is a true skill that assists your fat loss AND your maintenance. And once you have it grocery shopping stops feeling like a minefield and starts feeling like something you actually enjoy.
If you want to build that skill inside a community of women doing the exact same thing, Goal Body Coaching is open.
❤️🔥
Xoxo, Hilary
