Keeping your hormones balanced is helpful for PMS or period issues, sure, but hormones run the show for many key aspects of general health. When it comes to eating for balanced hormones, it’s good to make sure your meals check all of the boxes nutritionally, but nobody wants to fall into a rut of eating the same things over and over.
One of the things I love about Trader Joe’s is that there’s always a social-media-famous item that you’re eager to check out. Enter Paige Lindgren, a certified hormone specialist, who is also a big TJ’s fan. She shares her favorite hormone-healthy Trader Joe’s picks in a multi-part video series (so many products to cover, so little time!) on TikTok.
But before you run to Trader Joe’s, first get to know some of the key factors a hormone specialist looks for when browsing for hormone-healthy foods. “I recommend counting colors and nutrients, not calories,” says Lindgren. “Meals and snacks should be blood sugar-balancing. This means having all meals and snacks contain a quality protein, quality fat, and fiber.” These are Lindgren’s key nutrients for a hormone-healthy diet:
- Protein (sliced chicken, turkey, rotisserie chicken, frozen turkey burgers)
- Quality fat (avocado, olive oil)
- Fiber (veggies, berries, seeds)
- Antioxidants and Vitamins (fruits, veggies)
8 hormone-healthy Trader Joe’s finds that a hormone specialist loves
Organic Oven-Roasted Turkey Breast — $6.00
When you don’t have time to cook up some chicken, fish, or even boil an egg, deli meat can come in handy since it requires zero prep-work. But prepared foods don’t always have a good rep in the nutrition world, thanks to tons of additives and questionable ingredients.
This is not the case with this TJ find, says Lindgren. She points out in the TikTok video that this type of deli meat has her “stamp of approval,” since it only contains the ingredients turkey and salt. “Protein is extremely important for good hormone health,” she says. “Protein directly affects the release of leptin and ghrelin, which are the hormones that control appetite and food intake.”
Organic Coconut Smoothie — $3.00
The Trader Joe’s Coconut Smoothie is a creamy blend of coconut and coconut water pureed into a drink similar to alt milks. You can add it to your fruit smoothie, coffee, tea, or drink it as-is if you love coconut.
Lindgren likes the drink because it’s a good source of fat and can naturally sweeten other drinks like matcha or coffee. “Consuming healthy fats at each meal will trigger the release of hormones that help you feel satisfied,” she says. “Healthy fats are needed to assist the body in many important functions, including the brain and nervous system.” Other than coconut, she says her favorite supportive fats are olive oil, avocado oil, avocados, and ghee.
Gluten-Free Norwegian Crispbread — $4.00
These Norwegian crispbreads are a nutrition triple threat since they contain fiber, protein, and are the “perfect vehicle for toppings,” according to Lingdren. Her favorite way to eat the crispbread is topped with hummus, arugula, tomato and some salt and pepper. “This is the perfect snack for hormone balance since there is fiber and protein [from the crispbread], and fat from the hummus,” she says.
Organic Lentil Veggie Soup — $2.00
For a hormone-friendly pantry staple, this lentil-veggie soup comes in handy. It has some protein, contains fiber, and makes an easy dinner or lunch when you’re strapped for time, according to Lindgren.
Lingdren is a fan of blueberries (who isn’t, TBH) since they are a low-glycemic fruit. Low glycemic simply means easier on the blood sugar, which is also a priority when it comes to hormone balance. Lindgren likes to add them to a yogurt bowl for breakfast, but ways to use blueberries are pretty much limitless.
When you grab the same old romaine, kale, or spring mix but are ready to mix up your greens, why not try butter lettuce? It also happens to be Lingdren’s fave greens pick at TJ’s. Although it does not taste like butter (we can dream) it has an almost nutty or creamy flavor that elevates any salad. You can also double it as a wrap and roll it up with some turkey and avocado or cheese.
Packed with healthy fat, protein, and vitamin D, smoked salmon checks plenty of the hormone-healthy nutritional boxes. Plus, it tastes plain amazing. “[Smoked salmon] is great on avocado toast for a balanced snack or for breakfast,” says Lindgren.
Steamed Lentils — $3.00
These steamed lentils from Trader Joes’s save you a cooking step and are surprisingly tasty and versatile. They’re prepared with some seasonings and salt, making them basically ready to eat as is for a side, on a salad, or with bruschetta—which Lindgren says is her go-to way to eat them. She points out that they are an ideal snack (and even make a good dip) since they have both hormone-friendly protein and fiber.
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