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I'm a competitive marathon runner. Here's what I buy at Trader Joe's to fuel myself and my 2 kids.

Megan Harrington   

I'm a competitive marathon runner. Here's what I buy at Trader Joe's to fuel myself and my 2 kids.
As a competitive runner and mom of two, I rely on Trader Joe's products to keep me energized. Megan Harrington
  • I'm a competitive marathon runner and a busy mom of two young children.
  • While training for marathons, I rely on Trader Joe's for meals and snacks that keep me energized.

I'm a competitive runner in my late 30s and recently ran my 12th marathon. I'm not a professional runner by any means, but I enjoy training at a high level.

In addition to being a runner, I'm also a busy mom of two school-aged kids.

While training for my latest race, I relied heavily on Trader Joe's frozen meals and pantry staples to keep me energized.

From packaged grains to nut butters, I would have had a really hard time fueling for training without Trader Joe's convenient and low-cost items.

Here are some of my favorite Trader Joe's items for when I'm training for a marathon.

Trader Joe's 10-minute farro is a great source of fiber, protein, and iron.

Trader Joe
Trader Joe's 10-minute farro is great for quick and healthy lunches.      Megan Harrington

I like Trader Joe's version of farro because it cooks in just 10 minutes.

It's a solid source of fiber, protein, and iron, which I pay attention to during heavy training.

I like to combine the cooked farro with a lemon vinaigrette, chopped walnuts, grated Parmesan, and massaged kale for tasty make-ahead lunches.

Trader Joe's frozen fruit is a must-have for smoothies and parfaits.

Trader Joe
Trader Joe's Very Cherry Berry fruit blend is great for when my favorite berries are out of season.      Megan Harrington

When fresh berries aren't in season, Trader Joe's Very Cherry Berry blend of frozen fruit is a great-tasting and inexpensive alternative.

This blend includes frozen cherries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries.

I like to add frozen berries to smoothies and defrosted berries to yogurt parfaits and oatmeal bowls.

I also love that the frozen fruit contains antioxidants that help combat inflammation.

Trader Joe's frozen brown rice is great as a side dish or a meal.

Trader Joe
Trader Joe's brown rice is ready in just three minutes.      Megan Harrington

When I'm short on time, I pop a bag of Trader Joe's frozen brown rice in the microwave, and it's ready to enjoy within three minutes.

I'll either use it as a side for dinner or add a fried egg to make a quick meal.

Like the farro, Trader Joe's brown rice is packed with carbohydrates, fiber, and protein.

Trader Joe's buttermilk protein-pancake mix is a family favorite.

Trader Joe
Trader Joe's buttermilk protein-pancake mix also makes great waffles.      Megan Harrington

Pancakes and waffles are popular for quick breakfasts and dinners in my house.

I love that Trader Joe's buttermilk protein-pancake mix has 10 grams of protein in each serving, which is helpful during training.

After workouts, I try to get in a good mix of carbs and protein to help kick-start muscle recovery.

I also like that you only need water to make these pancakes.

I love Trader Joe's creamy salted peanut butter.

I love Trader Joe
I typically go through a jar of peanut butter each week.      Megan Harrington

I go through a jar of peanut butter about once a week, and I love that Trader Joe's creamy salted peanut butter only contains two ingredients — peanuts and salt.

Peanut butter is a good source of protein and fat, and I use it to add staying power to my smoothies and toast.

I sometimes use Trader Joe's garlic naan as a base for pizza.

I sometimes use Trader Joe
I love having Trader Joe's garlic naan alongside homemade Indian food.      Megan Harrington

Naan is another one of my favorite carbs. I'll usually have some as a side to homemade Indian food or stews.

Sometimes, I'll even use it as a base to make a pizza.

Trader Joe's plain Greek yogurt is packed with protein.

Trader Joe
I have yogurt almost every morning.      Megan Harrington

Trader Joe's plain Greek yogurt is a real workhorse in my daily diet.

I have yogurt almost every morning, and since I don't eat a ton of meat, I appreciate the 13 grams of protein it has per serving.

I prefer the whole-milk variety because I feel like it helps me stay full longer.

I love having Trader Joe's dark-chocolate peanut-butter cups with my coffee.

I love having Trader Joe
Trader Joe's dark-chocolate peanut-butter cups make a great snack.      Megan Harrington

I love the taste of Trader Joe's dark-chocolate peanut-butter cups.

My calorie needs are pretty high when training, so I regularly have some of these with my afternoon coffee or for dessert.

Trader Joe's Trek Mix is calorie-dense and easy to eat.

Trader Joe
Trader Joe's Trek Mix is the perfect on-the-go snack.      Megan Harrington

When I'm on the go or chauffeuring my kids around, I need something that's calorie-dense and easy to eat.

Trader Joe's Trek Mix tastes great and has a good balance of carbohydrates, protein, and fiber.

I really like that it's made with just three ingredients: almonds, chocolate chunks, and cashews.

Trader Joe's tomato-and-burrata ravioloni is great for a quick meal.

Trader Joe
I like to add spinach to Trader Joe's tomato-and-burrata ravioloni.      Megan Harrington

Trader Joe's tomato-and-burrata ravioloni is the best when it comes to quick lunches and dinners.

Once you boil the water, this refrigerated ravioli can be ready to eat in under five minutes.

I like to mix in some spinach and top with olive oil and grated cheese for a super fast and carb-rich meal.

Trader Joe's fresh-squeezed lemonade helps me to meet my daily carb goal.

Trader Joe
Trader Joe's fresh-squeezed lemonade has 30 grams of carbs per      Megan Harrington

In the days leading up to my races, I aim to take in over 400 grams of carbohydrates per day.

The only way I can reach that goal is by consuming some carbs in liquid form.

Trader Joe's fresh-squeezed lemonade is a tasty way to add 30 grams of carbohydrates to my day.

It's also great mixed into mocktails and cocktails.

I use Synergy raw kombucha as a replacement for an evening glass of wine.

I use Synergy raw kombucha as a replacement for an evening glass of wine.
I find that fermented foods like the Synergy raw kombucha help my digestion.      Megan Harrington

I'm always trying to get more fermented foods like kombucha in my diet since I find they help my digestion.

My local Trader Joe's sells Synergy kombucha for under $4.

I like to use it as a replacement for an evening glass of wine.

Trader Joe's dried-mango slices make a great snack.

Trader Joe
Trader Joe's Just Mango slices are perfect for before a workout.      Megan Harrington

I keep a bag of Trader Joe's Just Mango slices in my car for a quick hit of energy.

They have 28 grams of carbs per serving, so they're great to have right before a run or workout.

They last long, so I'll often stock up on a few bags before a training cycle.

Click to keep reading Trader Joe's diaries like this one.

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