by | Mar 3, 2020 | 1 comment

You’ve already seen my favorite healthy foods to buy at Trader Joe’s, Kroger, Target, and Thrive Market.  And today, I’ll share one of my favorites … Sprouts!  Sprouts is a bit tricky, because it just seems like everything is a really good deal, but when I check out, I end up spending a bit more than my usual Kroger run!  It’s likely because I buy some “extra” things that Kroger doesn’t have, but if you’re sticking to a strict budget, I recommend sticking to the produce and middle of the store instead of the “extras” in the dry section!  Overall, I always have a great experience at Sprouts and love their cultivated selection of healthy foods. Here are my favorite, healthiest foods to buy at Sprouts!

  1. Organic produce. Sprouts is one of few places that has almost all of my regular staples in organic variety.  I love their organic section, and the prices of the organic produce!  Although these are not organic (I stick to the Dirty Dozen and don’t worry about organic avocados), it’s hard to beat 3 avocados for $1!

  2. “Interesting” produce. Most stores don’t carry daikon radish, rutabaga, Japanese eggplant, horseradish, or turnips.  I love that Sprouts does!  They also have a wide variety of sprouts, which are incredibly nutrient dense and make great salad toppings!

  3. Meat selection. Sprouts has a great selection of frozen meats – here are several varieties of grass-fed ground beef. They also have organic, no-sugar-added chicken sausage that I like for breakfasts, as well as organic chicken breasts and ground turkey.
  4. Frozen veggies. What a great selection of frozen veggies – mostly clean, with the only ingredient being the vegetable.  In particular, Sprouts has more organic frozen veggies than most stores I’ve found.  I love keeping frozen veggies on hand for when I come in from out of town and haven’t gotten to the store yet, or if I run out of my prepped meals and need a quick throw-together option.
  5. Cottage cheese. If you tolerate dairy, high quality cottage cheese is a great high-protein snack.  I like the Good Culture or Nancy’s Organic brands pictured here.
  6. Dairy-free yogurts, milk alternatives, and ice creams. Sprouts has one of the widest selections I’ve seen of dairy-free yogurts – I like the CocoYo for the cleanest ingredients and no sugar (but a very tart taste), the Oatmilk and Lava for those who don’t tolerate nuts, and the Chobani non-dairy for those who are just branching into dairy-free yogurt (there’s a bit of sugar to make it more palatable than some). As for non-dairy milks, they have everything in both refrigerated and shelf-stable forms … coconut, almond, cashew, rice, quinoa, macadamia, flax, pecan, and many more!  Some of my favorite dairy-free ice creams are also pictured – the So Delicious no sugar added and Enlightened dairy-free are both lower calorie and sugar options, and the Modern Pop avocado-based popsicles pack a nice punch of healthy fat.


  7. Healthier cereals. I always get asked about the healthiest cereals, and truth be told, I think cereal is a precarious snack – in general, it spikes our blood sugar pretty high and is low in actual nutrients. But I love cereal, too, and these are some of my most frequently purchased options (along with plain old rice chex, Cheerios, and delicious Magic Spoon cereal, which is only available online).  Power O’s are made from a combination of beans for some extra protein and fiber and have no added sugar, and puffed rice is just what it sounds … only rice in a bag!
  8. Health Warrior Chia bars and other protein bars. I like chia bars for right before a workout – they’re small, portable, and a nice balance of long-lasting energy from chia seeds with a teeny bit (3g) of sugar for an energy boost.  Sprouts is also one of the only places I can find individual bars of some of my favorites (which are still cheaper on Amazon) – No Cow bars, Bhu Fit bars, and ONE Plant bars.  These all have relatively clean ingredients, high protein, and low sugar.

  9. Nut butters. Again, Sprouts wins for selection here – they have several varieties of nuts, most without any added sugar.  I prefer options without palm oil or other oil, and usually just the nut and salt as the only ingredients.  Here are a few of my favorites: Sprouts brand organic tahini and creamy organic peanut butter, Nuttzo, Santa Cruz organic peanut butter, and Sunbutter no sugar added sunflower seed butter.
  10. Spices, coffee spices, and teas. The selection of organic spices here can’t be beat, and I especially love these Simply Organic coffee spices that I add directly to my coffee grounds before brewing for a delicious pumpkin flavor!  I am constantly sipping on tea, and Sprouts has some of my favorites – Organic India Tusli Ashwagandha, Organic Throat Coat, and Yogi Chai Rooibos.


  11. Sprouted 7 grain gluten-free bread and gluten-free tortillas. Another commonly asked question is which gluten-free bread is best.  Stickler Megan says that bread from any  grains (even gluten-free grains) is a blood sugar spike waiting to happen, but if you just want a slice of “regular” bread every once in a while but want to stay gluten free, the ingredients on this Northern Bakehouse Sprouted 7 Grain loaf are among the best I’ve seen.  As for tortillas, there are several grain-free options in the frozen section: I love Siete and Mikey’s, both made from cassava flour, recently enjoyed trying Potapas, made from potatoes, and have yet to try the Caulipower variety made from cauliflower and corn.

  12. Veggie burgers. Honestly, it’s hard to find veggie burgers with enough protein and clean ingredients. But these are among the best: Good Seed is made from hemp seeds (but only has 5g protein), Dr. Praeger’s has generally clean ingredients, and the black bean and quinoa are lower-calorie, lower-protein, while the All American packs a higher protein boost.
  13. Paleo Powder. I just tried this and am sold – what a great way to have flavorful, “crusted” chicken breasts without using regular breadcrumbs!  I got the pecan variety, and the ingredients are pecan meal, flax seed meal, Himalayan pink salt, chili powder, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, white pepper, cumin, and cayenne pepper – great!  I dipped raw chicken breasts in a bit of unsweetened coconut milk and dredged them in a plate of these crumbs, then  baked at 425 for 23 minutes.  They came out great!
  14. Primal Kitchen sauces and dressings. I usually get these from Thrive Market, but it was nice to see them in stores.  I generally trust the ingredients in all Primal Kitchen items, but these are some of the lower sugar, more popular varieties!
  15. Bonafide Provisions Bone Broth. I love making my own bone broth, but when I don’t, this frozen Bonafide variety is nice to keep on hand.
  16. Paleo Bowls frozen dinners. I don’t opt for frozen dinners much (I food prep all of my breakfasts and lunches, and if for whatever reason I am not eating a food prepped dinner, I’d rather toss frozen veggies and a few eggs or a frozen turkey burger in a skillet than heat up a microwave meal). But if I did, I would definitely gravitate towards these CedarLane Paleo Bowls, as they have high protein and healthier ingredients than most.
  17. Imagine brand soups and Maya Kaimal Indian food pouches. I always have an “emergency meal” in my office, and these two options would be nice go-tos. The Imagine brand soups have a variety of veggies (but are still a bit carbohydrate heavy due to the addition of potatoes.  I’m fine with this in a pinch, though!).  I haven’t tried the Maya Kaimal, but the ingredients look great.

  18. Snack options, including Pop Zero, Siete chips, Salmon jerky, Brad’s veggie chips. I adore the Brad’s veggie chips, and they were on major sale here so I stocked up (the ones that look like crackers taste far better, in my opinion, than the ones that look like shriveled curly kale!).  I like that the Pop Zero uses algae oil instead of sunflower, sunflower, or canola, which most healthier popcorns do.  Of course, I’ll always love my Siete chips, and they’re far better tasting than the Sprouts brand option in my opinion.  This salmon jerky was a new-to-me find, and I like the high-quality, wild salmon with few added ingredients (a few grams of sugar, but I chose to purchase anyway).



  19. Bulk seeds and nuts. I love pumpkin seeds for munching in the car (of course, I’m all about skipping mindless eating all together, but if I find myself munching, I’d rather be doing so on pumpkin seeds than candy!).  These have only pumpkin seeds and salt.  I also buy pistachios, which are just pistachios and salt, and hemp seeds and chia seeds.  Their bulk seeds and nuts in general are lower cost than most, but I would personally prefer to avoid oils like canola, so I check the ingredients carefully.

  20. Protein milkshake toppings. You know I have my protein milkshake almost every night (here’s the recipe!).  And here are some of my favorite toppings: unsweetened cacao nibs, unsweetened toasted coconut chips, Lily’s stevia sweetened chocolate chips, and Enjoy Life dairy-free chocolate chips.

Now it’s your turn … What are your favorite healthy foods to buy at Sprouts?  Which of the above are you most excited to try?

1 Comment

  1. Linda

    I’m at Sprouts almost everyday. Love the store, has lots of daily sale items. Just found out Nancy’s probiotic cream cheese, so good! Lots of European cheeses, wish cheaper though. $5 sushi every Wednesday, good deal. Never tried their pizza yet, which I always check, if I can afford the price.

    Reply

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Megan Lyons Headshot

Hi! I'm Megan Lyons,

the voice behind The Lyons’ Share. I love all things health, wellness, and fitness-related, and I hope to share some of my passion with you. Thanks for stopping by!
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