The 9 Best Healthy Lunch Items You Can Buy at Trader Joe's, According to Employees

Happy August! A new month brings with it—hopefully—some slightly cooler temps after those nationwide heat waves, several state fairs across the country and something we *always* look forward to at the flip of the calendar, a new Trader Joe's Fearless Flyer announcing their staff-favorites for the month. (It's too close to call whether we follow more closely, Ina Garten's Instagram account or Trader Joe's new releases!)

This month, inspired by back-to-school season just around the corner, many of the Trader Joe's crew member selections are ideal for tucking inside your brown bag lunches. (Full disclosure: In addition to the Fearless Flyer picks, we selected a few other items from the products page to round out your midday meal menu.) Whether you're packing family lunches or just for yourself, it's a good time to refresh your routine with these items—all of which you should be able to snag on your next Trader Joe's run.

As with all Trader Joe's launches, regional availability, timing of product drops and selection varies. If you have your eyes on an item or two in particular, try calling ahead to your local Trader Joe's to ask a crew member about what's in stock before making a special trip.

Related: ​​20 Trader Joe's Products under $10 You'll Want to Buy Forever

9 of the Best Healthy Lunch Items You Can Buy at Trader Joe's

Spicy Porkless Plant-Based Snack Rinds

We know, "healthy" pork rinds, EatingWell?! But stick with us here. These paprika, cayenne and habanero pepper seasoned snacks are just as "crispy, crunchy, salty and satisfying as the real deal" even though they're made with rice meal, pea protein and pea flour instead of pig skin. Spicy Porkless Plant-Based Snack Rinds are vegan and gluten-free. "Plus, they're baked—not fried—and packed with 7 grams of protein per one-ounce serving," employees say. ($2.99 per 3.5-ounce bag)

Uncured Black Forest Ham and Organic Oven-Roasted Turkey Breast

These timeless deli section classics aren't new, but they are a consummate favorite of staffers for being "deliciously lean, packed with protein and notably free of added nitrates and nitrites." Both the Uncured Black Forest Ham and the Organic Oven Roasted Turkey Breast are ideal for slicing and serving over salads or tucking inside a couple slices of our next pick alongside mustard, lettuce, tomato and onion. (Uncured Black Forest Ham: $3.69 for 8 ounces, Organic Oven Roasted Turkey Breast: $4.99 for 6 ounces)

Sprouted Wheat Sourdough Bread

Selected as the #1 bread pick of one of our on-staff dietitians, sprouted grain breads are rich in fiber and protein while being low in added sugar and salt. Trader Joe's Sprouted Wheat Sourdough Bread features organic sprouted wheat berries and a sourdough starter from California, plus wheat and rye flours, to give it flavor that "is more robust, more complex than an ordinary sourdough. We think this makes it even more delicious, whether used for toast at breakfast time (a slather of good butter never hurt) or sandwiches at lunch or dinner (we suggest a grilled cheese here)," crew members say. ($3.99 per 24-ounce loaf)

Fig Cookies

Savor a taste of nostalgia with these Newton-inspired noshes. Similar to the original recipe but with slightly fewer ingredients and a lower price, "What's not to love about extra-soft whole wheat dough surrounding chewy, figgy centers?" the crew members ask. ($1.99 per 10-ounce package)

Plumcots

If real fruit is what you're craving, now is the time to stock up on these plum-apricot hybrids that are available for a limited time only due to their short harvest season. Employees say, "It's challenging to predict exactly which varieties we'll have on a given day—you might find red-skinned, red-fleshed Plumcots, green-skinned, yellow-fleshed Plumcots, or you might find others with purple or speckled skin. They're all bursting with vibrant flavors." Any or all of the above will bright up your brown bag lunch while covering about 10 percent of your daily value of vitamin C. ($3.49 per pound)

Amped-Up Almonds

True, these look like doppelgängers of the popular Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds TJ's has stocked for years. But this lunch dessert item has a strong little secret: "The addition of pea protein! Adding plant-based protein to the chocolatey coating imparts 16 grams of protein per 2.5-ounce bag, compared to 8 grams of protein in our 2.5-ounce bag of Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds. And if that weren't enough, we've also reduced the total sugars from 23 grams in our regular Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds to 14 grams per bag," the crew members say. ($1.29 per 2.5-ounce bag)

Related: The Best Healthy Snacks to Buy at Trader Joe's, According to a Dietitian

Mexican-Style Corn and Quinoa Salad

Late summer tastes like sweet corn, if you ask us. And this flavorful, four-serving salad puts that vegetable to great use alongside whole grain quinoa and brown rice, crunchy cabbage and kale, crumbled cotija cheese, sweet-tart grape tomatoes, a wedge of lime and a roasted poblano-cilantro dressing. Employees say this is a "pre-constructed side dish that's zesty, refreshing, and texturally complex." Pair half of the tub with leftover protein from last night's dinner or shredded rotisserie chicken and you have a speedy and scrumptious meal—plus another half to enjoy tomorrow! ($4.99 per 14-ounce container)

Mini Sweet Peppers

Instead of being burn-your-face-off hot, a la that cringe-worthy game show Hot Ones, these crunchy pint-sized peppers are mildly sweet. Each pound-size bag contains about 12 mini red, orange and yellow peppers that are "perfectly snackable, especially when accompanied by a smooth, savory dip—something like our Spicy Cashew Dressing would work especially well," crew members say. ($2.99 to $3.49 per pound)

Related: The 5 Best Dairy-Free Dips at Trader Joe's, According to Employees

Avocado Tzatziki Dip

Like a mashup of their beloved Greek yogurt-based creamy garlic-cucumber-mint tzatziki and guacamole, one brilliant Trader Joe's buyer "tinkered with the recipe for months-settling on a 30% freshly diced avocado base and ultimately adding some diced jalapeños," the employees explain. The result is a 25-calorie-per-serving dip that is "tangy, creamy and totally addictive fruit of her labor." We've snacked on this and can confirm it would be ideal scooped up with some of those peppers, slathered on sandwiches or paired with a side of tortilla chips. ($3.99 per 12-ounce container)