They were horrible.
AND when I ran the ingredient list through MFP, it told me that the bars were closer to 150 than the 66 listed in the recipe. So, no. I could just have a small, regular lemon bar for 150 calories.
But then.
Oh, then.
Then I went to Trader Joe's. And I found these:
Cue choirs of angels. Want the nutrition stats on these little (and I do mean little, as they are about 1" square) pieces of heaven?
Omnomnom.
Other things I love at Trader Joe's (harkening back to Lap Band Gal's post last month):
- Cookie Butter: I have to measure out one serving of this and then put the jar away. Otherwise, this stuff is *dangerous*.
- Spinach & Kale dip: I did say that I can't do dips, because they're a trigger food for me. That said, this dip is fantastic without being a trigger. And it's so low-calorie that I can have a 1/4 cup serving for 60 calories. I often use this dip as a topping for my everything bagel thin. Holy moly, tasty tasty.
- Meyer Lemon cookie thins: These are 9 cookies for 130 calories. I occasionally eat these with a serving of cookie butter for a 220 calorie sweet treat.
- Egg white salad: 100 calories, 14 grams of protein. Sometimes I eat it with...
- Reduced Guilt Pita Chips: These add the perfect crunch to the egg white salad. 100 calories of these plus 100 calories of the egg salad makes a 200 calorie, 17g of protein meal.
The only thing I have ever found that I don't like at Trader Joe's is their Roasted Garlic Salsa. I am just not a fan of that stuff - it tastes more like a marinara than a salsa to me, and while that has its place, it's not on my omelet in the morning. Yuck.
Tell me, what are your favorite groceries (whether or not you shop at TJ's)?
I have never been to Trader Joe's...we don;t have one here and I don't know what cookie butter is, but just judging by the name I think I would love it.
ReplyDeleteI feel like I buy the same things over and over. I buy a lot of chicken. I like those precooked strips of chicken breast...I usually buy the Tyson brand, but sometimes buy other brands too. It is so easy to heat them up and throw them in a salad or just eat them alone.
Cookie butter is like... you know those Biscoff cookies that you get when you fly Delta? Cookie butter is those, in paste form. In other words - cookie butter is creamy crack.
DeleteI buy a lot of Tyson products, too, though I've recently found that the Market Pantry brand (Target private label) frozen chicken tastes just as good and is often $1 or more less per bag.
I love it when I find 'naughty' foods that really aren't that bad. Sainsburys make a chocolate sponge pudding with sauce for 199 calories. So worth it on a cold day to satisfy the cravings.
ReplyDeleteMe too! It's really nice to be able to "indulge" without guilt!
DeleteI love TJ's Spinach & Kale dip too! They have a frozen dinner of Wild Salmon with orzo, spinach and zucchini that I have a couple of times a week - delish. 30g protein, 350 calories, and low sodium unlike most frozen foods - something true of most TJ vs most other frozen food meals. I sqeeze lime on it instead of salting it. (I avoid salt to watch my blood pressure).
ReplyDeleteThe Spinach & Kale dip is excellent, right? Yummm.
DeleteI don't really like fish (other than shellfish), but your description sounds mighty tasty! And I love lime on things - sometimes a little pop of citrus is just what a dish needs.
We don't have anything like a Trader's Joe in the Dakota Territory. The Spinach and Kale dip sounds divine. I love all things dip, just like you. But I rarely buy dips anymore or make them. We have a teeny tiny "health food" section at HyVee, 30 miles away and Wally World doesn't have a section at all. :( However, I could always see if Trader Joe's would ship me some of their goods!!!
ReplyDeleteI moved to Texas from the east coast last summer, and when I moved, they didn't have a TJ's here, either. It was so sad! But they finally opened the first one in Texas two months ago and it's just a few miles from my house, YAY!
DeleteThey're opening another one in North Texas soon (in Plano), so I can enjoy me some TJ's, too! :D
DeleteI didn't know you were all the way up in Plano! For some reason I thought you were in Fort Worth.
DeleteI love tj's and have the cookie butter right now. I go there atleast once a month...
ReplyDeleteNever thought about the egg white salad but I guess that wouldbe a low calorie option, I'm going to check it out.
I highly recommend it. I've used it as a quick meal on more than one occasion.
DeleteI finally made my maiden voyage to TJ's up in The Woodlands last weekend. I cannot wait for the 2 in Houston to open. I have heard about TJs and had stuff other people have brought back, but I hadn't been myself. Two words: Life. Changing.
ReplyDeleteI want to slather myself in Cookie Butter. I have to have my one T and put it away.
I got the chicken-less mandarin chicken nuggets. They are good. I had to fight my kids off. I also love their olive tepanade and marinara sauce. Oh and the green salsa.
I am looking forward to busting out some Two Buck Chuck when my husband comes home tomorrow.
I will totally have to try the tepanade (lot of Ts in that sentence...).
Delete