The 8 Best Deals to Buy at BJ's Right Now, According to a Food Writer

School is back in session! That means it’s time for quick, easy and nutritious snack and meal ideas to help take some of the burden off of busy schedules, so we’ve picked out some of our favorites from this month’s BJ’s digital coupons. Whether you want to provide your kids with brain food for the school day or need snacks for after school to replenish energy stores for your sports kids, we include a few options in this list. We’ve also got some simple dinner ideas for those evenings when you’re tempted to toss a box of cereal on the table (although, now and then, that’s OK, too!). Here are our September BJ’s top picks. The coupons for these items expire on September 22, so rack your savings up now!

Crunchmaster Multi-Grain Cracker

$2 off a 21-oz. bag

These Crunchmaster Multi-Grain Crackers live up to their name. Crisp, crunchy and brown rice-based, these crackers are studded with a variety of seeds—sesame, quinoa, flax and amaranth. In 14 crackers, you’ll get about 2 grams of gut-friendly fiber and 3 grams of plant protein. Did I mention that they’re also gluten-free? Crackers made with rice flour have a different texture from wheat-based crackers. They’re crunchier—hence, the name—and have a bit of a sheen to them. These crackers go great with nut butter, hummus or cheese—including the next item on our list. 

Galbani Whole Milk String Cheese

$2 off a 30-count bag

If you’ve never had string cheese made with whole milk, you’re in for a treat—and you’ll never go back to part-skim again. Galbani Whole Milk String Cheese is rich, creamy and satisfying and makes a great snack. In just one stick, you get 7 grams of filling protein. Pair string cheese with crackers and fruit for a well-rounded snack—or show off string cheese’s fancy side and use it as part of a charcuterie board. 

Angie's Boom Chicka Pop Sweet and Salty Kettle Corn

$1 off a 25-oz. bag

What’s better than popcorn? Slightly sweet and salty popcorn! Angie’s Boom Chicka Pop Sweet and Salty Kettle Corn has got you covered with its perfect balance of sweet and salty. And while there is some sugar and salt added to this whole-grain snack, it easily fits a healthy eating pattern. In a 2-cup serving, you get 2 grams of fiber, 8 grams of added sugar (16% of the recommended daily limit) and 110 milligrams of sodium (5% of the recommended daily limit). Pair this with some fruit and our next item—nuts—for a satisfying snack. If you can’t get to BJ’s quick enough, you could try making our Cinnamon-Sugar Microwave Popcorn to tide you over.

Wellsley Farms Salted or Unsalted Fancy Mixed Nuts 

$1 off a 40-oz. container 

As long as you’re not allergic, you can’t beat nuts as a snack. Full of inflammation-calming antioxidants, healthy fats, energizing complex carbs, plant protein and filling fiber, nuts are a complete nutritional package. And if you hate buying mixed nuts only to find most of them are peanuts, you’re in luck. These mixed nut canisters are loaded with cashews, almonds, hazelnuts and pecans—and no peanuts. Both the unsalted and salted are roasted, so you get nothing but toasty nuttiness.      

Chobani Non-Fat Greek Yogurt Variety Pack

$2.75 off a 16-count package

Can’t decide which flavor of yogurt to purchase? You don’t have to with this Chobani Non-Fat Greek Yogurt Variety Pack. In it, you get strawberry, blueberry, peach and cherry flavors. The real (sweetened) fruit is at the bottom of each cup so you can stir it into the creamy Greek yogurt. Or you could skip some of the added sugar and not stir the fruity bottom into the rest of the cup and still get a hint of the fruity flavor. Greek yogurt is protein-rich, and each of these cups provides 11 to 12 grams of the muscle-building nutrient. This yogurt also contains six live and active cultures. Those cultures are probiotics, which will land in your gut and help populate it with beneficial gut bacteria to help your microbiome flourish. So not only will this yogurt quiet your hunger, it will also boost your gut health.

Goya Red Kidney Beans, Black Beans, Chickpeas or Pink Beans

$2 off an 8-pack of 15.5-oz. cans

For quick, simple suppers, beans—aka legumes—are a dinner winner. Pop open a can of them and add to pasta or rice and serve with a green salad for a vegetarian meal. Or add ground beef or turkey into the mix. Beans are loaded with complex carbohydrates, antioxidants, fiber, plant protein, vitamins and minerals. And because legumes are low-glycemic, they won’t spike your blood sugar. Nothing but steady energy from these tiny packages. So whether you choose the Goya red kidney beans, black beans, chickpeas or pink beans, you’ll have a nutritious meal on the table in a snap. You could also pair these beans with the next item on our list: rice.

Ben's Original Ready Rice or Enriched Long Grain White Parboiled Rice

$2 off a 6-pack or 12-pound bag

Rice packets are one of my favorite things that I keep in my pantry. The rice is pre-cooked, so all you do is rip the package open about an inch (so it doesn’t blow up while heating) and stick it in the microwave for 90 seconds. Boom! One dinner item done. Or if you have more time, Ben’s Enriched Long Grain White Rice is parboiled, so it’s ready in about 20 minutes. The Ben’s Original Ready Rice comes in 6-packs so you don’t have to worry about running out. According to the coupon, it includes Ben’s jasmine (love!) and roasted chicken varieties for the Ready Rice. While white rice isn’t as hearty as whole-grain brown rice, it does still have fiber and plant protein, just in smaller amounts compared to brown rice. So if you prefer white rice, go for it! If you want to like brown rice, start by mixing brown with white to acclimate your palate to brown rice’s chewier texture and heartier flavor. Combine rice with beans for a dinner that will fill you up and keep things moving through your GI tract. 

Del Monte Canned Vegetables

$2.50 off an 8-pack or 12-pack

While canned veggies get a bad rap, they’re not bad for you. For starters, they last a lot longer than fresh vegetables. And, for some veggies, like corn and tomatoes, the canning process actually makes their nutrients easier for your body to absorb. They also make for a quick and easy dinner side or nutritious addition to soup, pasta or rice. There are a couple of things to look for in canned vegetables. First, the only ingredients they should have are the vegetables, water and maybe a little salt. If possible, choose a reduced-sodium variety and, either way, rinse the veggies before you heat them up. This will remove some of the sodium. These Del Monte 8- and 12-packs are a good way to stock up on canned vegetables so they’re always at the ready when you need to call them up for dinner duty.