Navigating a low-carb diet can be tricky, but when you're pressed for time in the kitchen, these foods from Trader Joe's can help. Of course, there are lots of reasons to shop for fresh foods and make your meals from scratch — less sodium and fewer additives, for starters — but in the real world, sometimes the only thing keeping you out of the drive-through is a stop in the frozen foods aisle. Fortunately, Trader Joe's has a fairly large selection of low-carb items that make preparing meals at home much simpler. From grab-and-go soups to frozen stir-fry, you'll find something to sustain you on this list.
Prices and products may vary by Trader Joe's location.
— Additional reporting by Haley Lyndes and Lauren Harano
If you haven't tried Trader Joe's Cauliflower Gnocchi, you're in for a treat. The Italian knockoff is such a good replacement for regular gnocchi (which is packed with carbs) and makes a great dinner smothered in a creamy tomato sauce. Per serving, Trader Joe's Cauliflower Gnocchi contains 22 grams of net carbs.
Because one green is not enough, Trader Joe's combines broccoli, peas, green beans, and zucchini for an ultrahealthy medley that only contains three grams of net carbs per serving.
This quick vegan meal contains 14 grams of net carbs per serving, and goes great with cauliflower rice. Just be warned: it really is spicy.
Your mouth will water at the thought of this Trader Joe's Cauliflower Gratin. Complete with a creamy cheese sauce and topped with parmesan and herbed breadcrumbs, you'd think this is super high in carbohydrates, but per serving the cheesy dish only has 10 grams.
Veggie burgers can be hit or miss, both taste-wise and carb-wise, but this Trader Joe's Veggie Burger is a hit. The sweet Thai chili sauce is downright delicious, and per patty, it only contains 17 grams of net carbs.
Ideal for veggie wraps, scrambles, or eaten as is, the Trader Joe's Chile Lime Chicken Burgers are undeniably good — and contain only three grams of net carbs!
Missing carb-heavy mashed potatoes? Try this mashed cauliflower instead from the frozen section. At only seven grams of carbs per serving, it's made with butter, cream, salt, pepper, and garlic and is ready in minutes.
This may just be a bag of plain corn, edamame, and diced red pepper, but it's only 11 grams of net carbs and makes a quick burrito filling! We suggest pairing it with Trader Joe's new Jicama Wraps over a regular wrap to keep it extra low carb.
Chickpeas cooked in a spiced tomato sauce with no preservatives or unnecessary ingredients makes this vegetarian dish reminiscent of restaurant quality — and it only has 19 grams of net carbs.
Between the flavor and the vibrant colors, you'd think you made this stir fry from scratch. Plus, with only seven grams of carbohydrates per serving, you can't beat it.
Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and with only 21 grams of carbohydrates per serving, Trader Joe's Cauliflower Pancakes are a worthy breakfast option.
If you want a light, easy, and flavorful lunch, Trader Joe's Shrimp Seafood Burgers are it, with only one gram of net carbs per serving.
Trader Joe's Shakshuka Starter can be found in the frozen breakfast section, and is a nice low-carb staple (only 11 grams of net carbs!) to have in your freezer.
Place these vegetable patties on top of a salad, in a wrap, or eat them alone for a quick snack! Each patty contains six grams of carbohydrates per serving.
For a ready-made meal (work lunch, perhaps?), drop by the refrigerated section for a cup of this veggie-packed soup. A one-cup serving has just five grams of net carbs.
If you're cutting carbs as a vegetarian or vegan, you'll love these meatless patties — they come in at just two grams of net carbs, with no sugar.
Who said frozen meals have to be boring? This delicious vegan bowl is made with chickpeas, sweet potatoes, tofu, roasted onions, and tahini sauce, and it'll cost you roughly 20 net carbs if you eat the the whole thing.
These frozen veggie burgers are beloved by Trader Joe's regulars — and for good reason. In addition to 26 grams of protein, each patty contains only eight grams of net carbs.
For a quick weeknight meal, toss these fully cooked turkey meatballs into a bowl of whole-grain pasta or zucchini noodles (TJ's has those, too!).
Zucchini noodles are a low-carb staple, but if they sometimes go bad before you can cook them, try buying them frozen.
They're not quite as virtuous as zucchini, but these carrot spirals are still only 6 grams of net carbs per serving, and the perfect substitute for pasta.
It doesn't get much better than these seafood burgers, which contain only one gram of net carbs per patty.
This tasty stew is packed with seafood — mussels, cod, shrimp, scallops — and in spite of the tomato base, a serving contains just 10 grams of net carbs.
For a quick side, try this mix of grilled eggplant, zucchini, and red pepper. A serving — which is about a quarter of the package — is only three grams of net carbs.
Get your whole grains and veggies in one delicious side, with this mix of quinoa, sweet potatoes, kale, and carrots. The starchy veg and grain bring it to 22 net grams of carbs per serving, but that won't matter when you serve it alongside a simple protein.
Whether you serve it on whole-grain bread or a pile of greens, the salmon patty alone will cost you only two grams of net carbs.
As packaged entrees go, this one — made with orzo, spinach, and feta cheese — is pretty tasty. Just make sure you have room in your daily budget, as it contains 25 grams of net carbs.
Like any stir-fry, this one contains some sugars — four grams, to be exact — but it's flavorful and ideal for a busy weeknight.
The cheese adds some saturated fat, but a serving contains only four grams of net carbs (including some sugars), so it's worth adding to your cart when you're craving Indian food.