Back to Trader Joe's

Today I took my protein-enhanced grocery list to Trader Joe's to see what they carry. The only spirulina I found came in pill form. When I saw that the bottle gives the protein content for a 9-pill serving I said FORGET IT! I'm just not into pills. Vitamins are hard enough for me to remember, and I like vitamins right now! I thought I'd find some other form of spirulina there but I didn't.

I picked up some Greek style yogurt, whey powder, raw almonds, snow peas, berries, several packaged salads (yes, I'm lazy), spinach and mangoes. My processed/non-raw protein sources for the week will be yogurt, Eggbeaters, cottage cheese, tofu, garbanzo beans and whey powder. The rest of the protein will come from hemp, nuts, greens and the protein in the veggies I use in my salads.

Oh-I did decide to try a couple of protein drinks from the refrigerated section. I'll save those for when I find my protein to be lower than I'd like at the end of the day. I considered protein bars but they really are too processed for my taste right now. The other thing about the protein bars is that they look too much like candy, are sweet, and will probably trigger cravings for stuff I want to stay far away from. I don't think it's good for me to keep any on hand. They sure are convenient, though!

When I shop, I look closely at labels to see how much nutritional bang I'm getting for the buck. I don't worry about fat content too much if the fat is not saturated, but if a food is high-calorie, I prefer that it has a good amount of protein rather than a lot of fat. I will tend to avoid foods high in carbs if they aren't also high in fiber (veggies I'll eat regardless, though). I generally choose foods that are lower in sodium and sugar. As far as processed foods, my most basic "rule" is that the closer the food looks to its natural state, the more likely it is to make it into my diet. Again, exceptions are those foods that give me the boost of protein I'm looking for.