The best high protein, low calorie buys at Trader Joe’s are the simple ones: Grilled Chicken Strips (110 Calories, 20 g protein per 3 oz), Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt (90 Calories, 15 g protein per container) and High Protein Organic Tofu (130 Calories, 14 g protein per 3 oz). For a ready meal, the Chicken Burrito Bowl gives 22 g protein for 370 Calories.
All figures below are from Trader Joe’s own product pages. Here is how they compare, and how to build meals from them.
Where do these Trader Joe’s numbers come from?
Each figure is from the Nutrition Facts panel on that product’s page at traderjoes.com, checked on 1 October 2026. The serving size is the one printed on the label. Trader Joe’s itself notes that details can change, and products come and go, so check the package in your store.
Prices and availability vary by store, so we have not listed prices.
Which Trader Joe’s foods have the most protein per Calorie?
Sorted by protein per 100 Calories (our calculation from the label figures). Trader Joe’s product pages, checked 1 October 2026.
| Product | Label serving | Calories | Protein (g) | Protein per 100 Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grilled Chicken Strips | 3 oz (84 g) | 110 | 20 | 18.2 |
| Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt | 1 container (150 g) | 90 | 15 | 16.7 |
| Chicken Breast Bites | 1 package (113 g) | 190 | 22 | 11.6 |
| High Protein Organic Tofu | 3 oz (84 g) | 130 | 14 | 10.8 |
| Chicken Meatballs | 4 meatballs (85 g) | 150 | 16 | 10.7 |
| Protein Pancakes | 1 package (139 g) | 220 | 20 | 9.1 |
| Chicken Burrito Bowl | 1 bowl (330 g) | 370 | 22 | 5.9 |
| Chewy Chocolate & Peanut Butter Protein Bar | 1 bar (40 g) | 190 | 10 | 5.3 |
| Chicken Shawarma Bowl | 1 bowl (320 g) | 400 | 20 | 5.0 |
| Peanut Butter Protein Granola | 2/3 cup (60 g) | 260 | 11 | 4.2 |
Plain proteins (chicken, yogurt, tofu) win clearly. Products with “protein” on the front, such as the bar and granola, give far less protein for their Calories. They are fine foods, but not the most efficient way to hit a protein goal.
What are good Trader Joe’s high protein low calorie meals?
Here are simple combinations, added up from the label figures above. Add vegetables freely; they add few Calories but are not counted here.
| Meal | What’s in it | Calories | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greek yogurt breakfast | 1 container Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt | 90 | 15 |
| Pancake breakfast | 1 package Protein Pancakes + 1 container Greek yogurt | 310 | 35 |
| Burrito bowl, boosted | 1 Chicken Burrito Bowl + 3 oz Grilled Chicken Strips | 480 | 42 |
| Shawarma bowl, boosted | 1 Chicken Shawarma Bowl + 3 oz Grilled Chicken Strips | 510 | 40 |
| Tofu stir fry base | 6 oz High Protein Organic Tofu (2 servings) | 260 | 28 |
| Meatball plate | 4 Chicken Meatballs + 3 oz Grilled Chicken Strips | 260 | 36 |
Any oil, sauce or rice you add on top will raise the total, so count it separately.
Topping a frozen bowl with extra chicken is the easiest trick here. It turns a 20 g protein meal into a 40 g one for an extra 110 Calories.
Are Trader Joe’s frozen bowls good for weight loss?
They can be. At 370 to 400 Calories, the two chicken bowls we checked are a sensible size for lunch on most calorie targets, and they come with a printed label, which makes logging easy.
Their weakness is protein per Calorie: about 20 g in 400 Calories, mostly because of the rice. If you are aiming high on protein, add a lean protein (chicken strips, yogurt on the side) rather than eating two bowls.
To find your own targets, use the calorie deficit calculator and the protein calculator.
How much protein should one meal have?
There is no single right number. Your daily target depends on your weight and goal, and our guide on how much protein per day walks through the research. Splitting your daily total across three or four meals is a practical way to reach it.
If your target is, say, 120 g a day, the boosted burrito bowl (42 g) plus the pancake breakfast (35 g) already covers 77 g.
How do I log Trader Joe’s meals quickly?
Packaged food is the easiest kind to log, because the label does the work. For mixed plates, snap it with the photo calorie calculator and add the product names to sharpen the estimate. Calo AI accepts a quick voice or text correction if a portion looks off.
For more on hitting a deficit without feeling hungry, read calorie deficit explained.
How do I spot a good high protein product at Trader Joe’s?
Turn the package over and compare two numbers on the Nutrition Facts panel: protein in grams and Calories. If the protein is at least a tenth of the Calories, it is a strong protein source. The Grilled Chicken Strips and Greek yogurt pass that test easily, while the protein bar and granola do not.
Then check the serving size. Trader Joe’s labels often list a serving that is smaller than the whole package (the tofu, for example, is about five servings). If you eat the whole thing, multiply. Finally, glance at added sugars, which explain much of the gap between a plain product and a flavoured one with “protein” on the label.
Safety note: if you have kidney disease, are pregnant, or are under 18, speak to a doctor or registered dietitian before raising your protein intake. Do not go below 1,200 Calories a day without medical supervision.