Healthy Food Guide by KarbCoach
Trader Joe's Chicken Meatballs: Longevity analysis
Quick answer
Frequent Choice
Trader Joe's chicken meatballs received a Longevity Score of 88 out of 100 (frequent choice). Simple whole-food chicken base with herbs and few additives; moderate sodium and some fat are the main considerations. Strengths include primary ingredient is chicken, a whole-food protein, about 16g protein per serving, and short ingredient list with herbs and spices, while main considerations include sodium around 300mg per serving from added salt, modest saturated fat content, and minimal fiber, so pair with vegetables.
Longevity Score 88/100
What helped the score?
- Primary ingredient is chicken, a whole-food protein
- About 16g protein per serving
- Short ingredient list with herbs and spices
What held the score back?
- Sodium around 300mg per serving from added salt
- Modest saturated fat content
- Minimal fiber, so pair with vegetables
You are viewing the nutrition and longevity perspective. Switch to Food Integrity for ingredients and processing.
Source data, GTIN, and Healthy Food Guide analysis details
Product facts
- Product
- Trader Joe's Chicken Meatballs
- Brand
- Trader Joe's
- Category
- Meat & Poultry (source: Meats And Their Products)
- GTIN / UPC
00000000745789- Serving size
- 85 g (4 meatballs)
- Source data — ingredients
- Ingredient list from product label data (see Sources)
- Healthy Food Guide analysis
- Independent Longevity and Food Integrity scorecards. See methodology under Sources.
- Data last verified
Trader Joe's
Chicken Meatballs
KarbCoach Recommendation
Frequent Choice
Simple whole-food chicken base with herbs and few additives; moderate sodium and some fat are the main considerations.
What Stands Out
High Protein
16g protein
32% DVLow Fiber
0g fiber
0% DVReal Chicken
Primary protein source
Whole Foods
chicken, oregano
DV = Percent of Daily Value based on a 2,000 calorie diet
Key Positives
- Primary ingredient is chicken, a whole-food protein
- About 16g protein per serving
- Short ingredient list with herbs and spices
- No added sugar or artificial colors detected
Key Concerns
- Sodium around 300mg per serving from added salt
- Modest saturated fat content
- Minimal fiber, so pair with vegetables
Ingredient Signals
Primary protein
Whole-food ingredients
Processing signals
Additives
Ingredients
Ingredient list
CHICKEN, SEA SALT, OREGANO, BASIL, VINEGAR POWDER, GRANULATED GARLIC, GRANULATED ONION, ROSEMARY EXTRACT, BLACK PEPPER, PARSLEY FLAKES
Formulations can vary — check the package label for the final word.
Macronutrients
Calories
150
8% DVTotal Carbs
2g
1% DVProtein
16g
32% DVSaturated Fat
2g
10% DVFiber
0g
0% DVNet Carbs
2g
1% DVSugar
0g
Added Sugar
0g
0% DVTotal Fat
9g
12% DVSodium
300mg
13% DVUnsaturated Fat
7g
DV = Percent of Daily Value based on a 2,000 calorie diet
Nutrition at a Glance
| Nutrient | Amount | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 150 | 8% DV |
| Total Carbs | 2g | 1% DV |
| Protein | 16g | 32% DV |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% DV |
| Fiber | 0g | 0% DV |
| Net Carbs | 2g | 1% DV |
| Sugar | 0g | — |
| Added Sugar | 0g | 0% DV |
| Total Fat | 9g | 12% DV |
| Sodium | 300mg | 13% DV |
| Unsaturated Fat | 7g | — |
DV = Percent of Daily Value based on a 2,000 calorie diet
Amounts are per labeled serving from source data. Check the package for the final values.
Longevity scores estimate how this product’s nutrition and ingredient profile fit longer-term eating patterns. Formulations can vary — check the package label. Not medical advice. Some nutrient values may be estimated when the label is incomplete.
How this product may fit different goals
The same food can look different depending on what matters most to you. Here is a general preview of how this product may align with several common goals.
Low-Spike Stability
SupportiveMetabolic Health
For someone prioritizing Low-Spike Stability, the available data suggest this product may align in helpful ways.
A supportive signal: Lower net carbs (2g)
This product has 1 additional signal for this goal.
Heart-Healthy Eating
Watch-outsMetabolic Health
For someone prioritizing Heart-Healthy Eating, the analysis identifies considerations that may matter more than the general product score alone.
A consideration: Added-sodium ingredients (Mentions "salt", "sea salt". See ingredients for details.)
GLP-1 Eating Support
SupportiveMetabolic Health
For someone prioritizing GLP-1 Eating Support, the available data suggest this product may align in helpful ways.
A supportive signal: Higher protein (16g)
This product has 1 additional signal for this goal.
Low Sugar Lifestyle
SupportiveMetabolic Health
For someone prioritizing Low Sugar Lifestyle, the available data suggest this product may align in helpful ways.
A supportive signal: Low sugar (0g)
Appetite & Portion Awareness
SupportiveMetabolic Health
For someone prioritizing Appetite & Portion Awareness, the available data suggest this product may align in helpful ways.
A supportive signal: Modest calories per serving (150 kcal)
This product has 1 additional signal for this goal.
Athletic Fueling
Watch-outsAthletic Performance
For someone prioritizing Athletic Fueling, the analysis identifies considerations that may matter more than the general product score alone.
A consideration: Lower carbs for fueling (2g)
Workout Recovery
SupportiveAthletic Performance
For someone prioritizing Workout Recovery, the available data suggest this product may align in helpful ways.
A supportive signal: Recovery protein (16g)
Strength & Protein Focus
SupportiveAthletic Performance
For someone prioritizing Strength & Protein Focus, the available data suggest this product may align in helpful ways.
A supportive signal: High protein (16g)
Vegetarian
Watch-outsDietary Patterns
For someone prioritizing Vegetarian, the analysis identifies considerations that may matter more than the general product score alone.
A consideration: Meat/seafood ingredients (Mentions "chicken". See ingredients for details.)
Vegan
Watch-outsDietary Patterns
For someone prioritizing Vegan, the analysis identifies considerations that may matter more than the general product score alone.
A consideration: Animal-derived ingredients (Mentions "chicken". See ingredients for details.)
Plant-Based
Watch-outsDietary Patterns
For someone prioritizing Plant-Based, the analysis identifies considerations that may matter more than the general product score alone.
A consideration: Animal-derived ingredients (Mentions "chicken". See ingredients for details.)
Pescatarian
Watch-outsDietary Patterns
For someone prioritizing Pescatarian, the analysis identifies considerations that may matter more than the general product score alone.
A consideration: Land-meat ingredients (Mentions "chicken". See ingredients for details.)
Low-Carb Lifestyle
SupportiveDietary Patterns
For someone prioritizing Low-Carb Lifestyle, the available data suggest this product may align in helpful ways.
A supportive signal: Lower net carbs (2g)
This product has 1 additional signal for this goal.
Keto-Style Eating
SupportiveDietary Patterns
For someone prioritizing Keto-Style Eating, the available data suggest this product may align in helpful ways.
A supportive signal: Very low net carbs (2g)
This product has 1 additional signal for this goal.
Minimally Processed Eating
SupportiveDietary Patterns
For someone prioritizing Minimally Processed Eating, the available data suggest this product may align in helpful ways.
A supportive signal: Whole-food signals (chicken, oregano)
Whole-Food Focused Eating
SupportiveDietary Patterns
For someone prioritizing Whole-Food Focused Eating, the available data suggest this product may align in helpful ways.
A supportive signal: Whole-food signals (chicken, oregano)
Reduce Ultra-Processed Foods
SupportiveDietary Patterns
For someone prioritizing Reduce Ultra-Processed Foods, the available data suggest this product may align in helpful ways.
A supportive signal: Whole-food signals (chicken, oregano)
Paleo-Style Eating
SupportiveDietary Patterns
For someone prioritizing Paleo-Style Eating, the available data suggest this product may align in helpful ways.
A supportive signal: Protein ingredients (Mentions "chicken". See ingredients for details.)
Healthy Fat Focus
SupportiveDietary Patterns
For someone prioritizing Healthy Fat Focus, the available data suggest this product may align in helpful ways.
A supportive signal: Higher unsaturated fat (7g)
This product has 1 additional signal for this goal.
Low Gluten Eating
NeutralDietary Patterns
For someone prioritizing Low Gluten Eating, the Longevity data do not show a strong matching signal for this product.
Mediterranean-Style Eating
NeutralDietary Patterns
For someone prioritizing Mediterranean-Style Eating, the Longevity data do not show a strong matching signal for this product.
See how this product fits your goals
Choose what matters most to you and explore a more detailed interpretation of this product's nutrition, ingredients, and tradeoffs.
Understanding the Longevity analysis
What the Longevity analysis evaluates
The Longevity analysis looks at how a food fits broader dietary patterns over time. It combines nutritional composition with processing and ingredient-quality considerations, including ideas that originated in Meal Power Points and Food Integrity. The Longevity Score summarizes that wider picture on a 0–100 scale. It is educational context for packaged foods, not medical advice and not a guarantee of health outcomes.
Nutrients, balance, processing, and ingredients
Nutritional composition matters: protein, fiber, carbohydrates, glucose-related characteristics, fats, sodium, and micronutrients all influence how a food may support or challenge different dietary goals. Processing level and ingredient quality still count, because formulation can change the practical meaning of an otherwise tidy nutrient panel. Longevity treats those dimensions together rather than as a single nutrient number.
Who may prioritize Longevity
People following low-carbohydrate, keto-style, high-protein, glucose-conscious, or longevity-focused eating patterns often start with the Longevity analysis. It is also useful when you want one place that connects macros and micros with how processed the food is and how the ingredient list reads. The Longevity Score is designed for that broader comparison across products.
How Longevity differs from Food Integrity
Food Integrity is the focused analysis of processing, ingredients, additives, purity, and transparency. Longevity is the broader analysis of nutritional composition, metabolic and dietary characteristics, processing, and ingredient quality. A strong nutritional profile may still deserve closer Food Integrity review when additives, oils, sweeteners, or processing level raise questions the nutrient panel does not answer on its own.
Why the analyses overlap—and why to review both
The overlap is intentional. Food Integrity–related characteristics contribute to Longevity, while Food Integrity remains separately useful for deeper formulation detail. The two views are meant to complement each other, not cancel each other out. Some people reasonably prioritize one analysis based on their goals; reviewing both can reveal tradeoffs that one score alone may not show.
Common questions about this product
Is Trader Joe's Chicken Meatballs highly processed?
Food Integrity lists processing level as Minimal processing. That reflects formulation and processing signals from the ingredient analysis — not a medical or regulatory classification.
Why are the Longevity and Food Integrity scores different?
Longevity emphasizes nutrition per serving and longer-term dietary alignment. Food Integrity emphasizes ingredients, additives, processing, and label transparency. The same product can score differently on those lenses.
How much fiber is in one serving?
Trader Joe's Chicken Meatballs shows about 0g of fiber per labeled serving in the Longevity nutrition facts.
Does it contain added sugar?
Trader Joe's Chicken Meatballs: 0g added sugar per serving. Confirm the current package Nutrition Facts and ingredient list.
What helped the Longevity Score?
Key positives called out in the analysis include: Primary ingredient is chicken, a whole-food protein; About 16g protein per serving; Short ingredient list with herbs and spices.
What prevented a perfect Longevity Score?
Key concerns noted include: Sodium around 300mg per serving from added salt; Modest saturated fat content; Minimal fiber, so pair with vegetables.
Who might evaluate this product differently?
People prioritizing different goals (for example lower carbs, higher protein, or minimally processed eating) may weigh the same meat & poultry differently. Use the goal preview on this page, then personalize in KarbCoach for your priorities.
Source data and Healthy Food Guide analysis
- Public label databases (including USDA FoodData Central and Open Food Facts) — Possible sources for package ingredients and nutrition.
- Healthy Food Guide analysis (Longevity and Food Integrity) — Independent Longevity and Food Integrity scorecards.
- How the Longevity Score is calculated
- How the Food Integrity Score is calculated
- Scoring models: KarbCoach Longevity and Food Integrity.
- Independent analysis. No manufacturer affiliation.
- Formulations can vary by region, size, and packaging. Check the package label for ingredients, allergens, and nutrition. Not medical advice — do not use this site or the KarbCoach mobile app for allergy or health decisions. Full sources and safety details.
Label accuracy and safety information
Formulations can vary by region, size, and packaging. Check the package label for ingredients, allergens, and nutrition. Not medical advice — do not use this site or the KarbCoach mobile app for allergy or health decisions.
See how this item lines up with your goals
Healthy Food Guide covers this product in detail. In KarbCoach, your goals shape what matters most for your meals.
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