I write the following at the risk of annoying my UT and East Coast readers who do not have Trader Joe’s (sorry!)…But I recently spotted two new items on the shelves at Trader Joe’s:

Item 1: Applesauce and Carrot Applesauce Crushers

These are portable little squirt purses of apple-sauce (or carrot apple sauce) that are 50 calories each. While the packaging is adorable, I’m not sure it makes much sense to buy these. They offer the amount of satisfaction as a piece of gum. If you’re still curious, you’ll find them in the aisle with the peanut butter.

Verdict: Save your dime and eat a raw apple instead! For 30 more cals you’ll be more satisfied and get 4 g of fiber.

Item 2: Little packs of fresh, pre-cut and washed, raw vegetables (picture unavailable)

They are adorable and ready to cook right away!  They are offered in brussel sprouts, zucchini, squash, sweet potato and more.  You’ll find them in the refrigerated section above the salads.  I bought the speared sweet potatoes, put them on a lined cookie sheet sprayed with Pam, put them in the oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees and voila!  Sweet potato fries with NO FAT!

Verdict – May cost more than buying the veggies and preparing them yourself, but in terms of convenience and fulfilling the end goal of getting you to eat veggies – TRY!

Tags: apple, apple sauce, trader joes, vegetables