For better and for worse—though mostly for better—Trader Joe's has been a consistent figure in my weekly routine for nearly five years. I've completely memorized the layout of each NYC location, and know how to get in and out relatively unscathed in 30 minutes flat. While that may sound like magic, it really comes down to planning. Like registered dietitians suggest, each week I create a menu filled with ingredients that are easy to mix and match, then I use that shopping list to power through my grocery trip. The best part? My ingredients never cost me more than $40.
Walking out with a receipt as long as my arm with a tiny number like that at the end of it is why I'm a TJ's devotee through and through. To tell you the truth, I have a complicated relationship with Trader Joe's. Some days, it's everything I want in this world—low prices, cute branding, tasty snacks. Other days, it's total chaos, complete with painfully long lines and hundreds of angry, disheveled customers (the common scene at the four locations in New York City). But no matter how many trains, planes, and automobiles I need to take to get there, the one-of-a-kind products and tip-top customer service will always keep me coming back for more.
When I go grocery shopping, however, it takes more than unwavering love to find the right healthy ingredients and stay under budget. Thankfully, most ingredients—pasta, canned foods, and seasonal fruits and veggies, to name a few—are reliably affordable at TJ's, so even if you go in with a blind eye, you'll never end up spending TOO much. But you can't randomly toss sale items in your cart and expect to come out with a selection of foods that can actually be put together into a healthy, tasty bunch of meals. That's why I always have a plan.
I decided to document all the food I bought at Trader Joe's for just $40, and all the meals I made with it over the course of the week. (Not shown here: anything I snacked on between meals.) I selectively chose ingredients that can be mixed and matched in different ways into breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes that are tasty and varied enough to keep me from getting bored. (In order to keep lunch and dinner as exciting as possible, this plan only includes two rotating breakfast options.) I didn't get into the nitty gritty details of nutrition content, so I can't tell you how many calories or grams of protein are in each meal. What I can tell you is that I was able to make a week's worth of cheap, healthy meals for one after a single $40 Trader Joe's shopping trip—and I wasn't even sick of the leftovers. Here's what I did and how I did it.
Related: 7 Snacks That Everyone Is Buying From Trader Joe's Right Now
- 16-oz. bag small whole green lentils ($1.69)
- 32-oz. bag brown basmati rice ($3.29)
- 2 large zucchini ($2.99)
- 3-oz. can of albacore tuna ($1.69)
- 1 lb. cherry tomatoes ($2.49)
- 1 lb. chicken tenders ($5.49)
- 2 lemons ($0.98)
- 16-oz. container cottage cheese ($1.99)
- 1 Bosc pear ($0.69)
- 6-oz. Sorrento arugula-blend ($1.99)
- 16.5-oz bag whole-grain flour tortillas ($2.29)
- 15.5-oz can Cuban-style black beans ($1.19)
- 1 fresh corn cob, husk on ($0.50)
- 1 green bell pepper ($0.79)
- 15-oz. can cannellini beans ($0.89)
- 16-oz. bag whole-grain spaghetti ($1.39)
- 1 large head cauliflower ($2.49)
- 12-oz. bag sugar snap peas ($2.99)
- 1 bag sesame seed bagels ($2.29)
- 18-oz. container organic multigrain hot cereal ($2.49)
Total: $40.70
Pro tip for anyone trying to bag my haul for themselves: Depending on the time or day you decide to go shopping, some of these items may not be available. If your location gets a lot of foot traffic, certain products are likely to sell out. Be strategic about when you shop: You might have better luck Thursday or Friday morning, as opposed to Sunday or Monday night. And if you want to get super technical about it, find out what day your store restocks products. And even if you are super strategic, but something you want or need is still sold out, be adventurous and swap in similarly-priced products, or items that are more suited to your tastes.
In order to make all my recipes, I relied on some pantry staples I already had. If you want to make any of the recipes below, you'll need them, too. You may already have most of these products. If you need to buy every item, it may cost you about $20. That may seem like a bit of a splurge, but it's a one-time outlay for ingredients that will help improve your meals for weeks (or months) to come.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Flaky sea salt
- Black pepper
- Honey
- Brown Sugar
- Eggs
- Soy sauce
- Cayenne pepper
Here's what I did:
- Cooked 2 cups of brown rice according to package instructions. Stored for use throughout the week.
- Cooked 1 cup of lentils according to package instructions. Stored for Friday night dinner.
- Roasted 1/4 head of cauliflower for Wednesday dinner.
- Hard boiled several eggs for Tuesday lunch and high-protein snacks.
Related: 7 High-Protein Foods You Should Always Keep In Your Pantry
Breakfast: Honey-Cottage Cheese With Chopped Pear
Ingredients
- 1/4 Bosc pear, diced
- 1/4 cup cottage cheese
- 1 tbsp. honey
Mix honey and cottage cheese together until well combined. Top with pear.
Lunch: Tuna-Tomato Zucchini Noodle Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 large zucchini, sliced into thin strips or spiralized
- 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 3-oz. can Albacore tuna
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- Flaky sea salt
- Black pepper
Combine zucchini, cherry tomatoes, tuna, and olive oil. Serve with salt and pepper.
Dinner: Lemon-Grilled Chicken And Roasted Zucchini
Ingredients
- 1 lb. chicken breast*
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- Flaky sea salt
- Black pepper
- 1 zucchini, diced and roasted
- 1/2 cup brown rice, cooked
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine 1/2 lb. chicken, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper in a plastic bag and let marinate for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, on a baking pan, toss zucchini with remaining olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes. When chicken is done marinating, sauté with marinade over medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Serve over brown rice with roasted zucchini. Save extras for Tuesday lunch leftovers.
*Grill remaining chicken without marinade over high heat until brown and crispy on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Reserve for Friday lunch.
Breakfast: Oatmeal With Cottage Cheese And Pear
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup oatmeal, cooked according to package instructions
- 2 tbsp. cottage cheese
- 1/4 Bosc pear, diced
- 1 tsp. brown sugar
Top cooked oatmeal with cottage cheese, pear, and brown sugar. Enjoy!
Lunch: Leftovers from Monday night dinner!
Dinner: Spicy Corn & Bell Pepper Burritos
Ingredients
- 1 corn cob, cleaned, kernels removed
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced
- 1/4 cup Cuban-style black beans*
- Olive oil
- Cayenne pepper
- Flaky sea salt
- 2 whole-grain tortillas
- 1/2 cup brown rice, cooked and divided
On a large baking sheet, toss corn, bell pepper, and black beans with olive oil, cayenne pepper, and salt. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes, until tender and fragrant. Heat each tortilla in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until toasted. Top each tortilla with 1/4 cup rice, and half of bell pepper-corn mixture. Roll up into a burrito and serve with a dipping sauce of your choosing.
*Reserve remaining beans in plastic food storage for Thursday lunch.
Breakfast: Honey-Cottage Cheese With Chopped Pear
Recipe is the same as Monday breakfast.
Lunch: Roasted Cauliflower-Rice Bowl
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup brown rice
- 1/4 head cauliflower, chopped and roasted
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- Flaky sea salt
- Black pepper
- 1 cup Sorrento arugula mix
- 1 egg, hard boiled
In bowl, top rice with roasted cauliflower. Then, make vinaigrette: Combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper, and let sit for 5 minutes. Toss arugula mix with vinaigrette. Top rice and cauliflower with dressed arugula. Serve with egg and additional salt and pepper.
Dinner: White Bean-Pasta With Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- Flaky sea salt
- Black pepper
- 1/4 cup canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed*
- 1/4 cup reserved pasta water
- 1/4 lb. whole-grain pasta, cooked according to package instructions
In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add cherry tomatoes and cook until tender, 2-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add cannellini beans and continue to cook for 10 minutes until flavors have melded. Add pasta and pasta water to create a sauce. Mix ingredients together and let simmer for 3 minutes. Serve with salt and pepper.
*Reserve remaining beans in plastic food storage for Thursday lunch.
Breakfast: Oatmeal With Cottage Cheese And Pear
Recipe is the same as Tuesday breakfast.
Lunch: Tomato & White Bean Grain Bowl
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup brown rice
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- Flaky sea salt
- Black pepper
- 1 cup Sorrento arugula mix
Layer cannellini beans, tomatoes, and brown rice in a bowl. Make the vinaigrette: Combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and black pepper and let sit for 5 minutes. Toss arugula mix with the vinaigrette. Top grain bowl with dressed arugula. Serve with salt and pepper.
Dinner: Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/4 cup sugar snap peas, cleaned and trimmed
- 3/4 head cauliflower, blended or grated into rice-like form
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 2 tbsp. soy sauce
In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add sugar snap peas and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add cauliflower rice and cook until moisture evaporates, about 2 minutes. Make a circle in the center of the pan in the middle of cauliflower rice; add eggs to the circle and let cook until firm, then scramble. Mix eggs into rice and add soy sauce. Let cook until flavors meld, about 2 minutes. Serve with additional soy sauce.
Related: 8 Ways To Use Cauliflower To Cut Carbs
Breakfast: Monday or Tuesday recipe.
Lunch: Burrito Bowl
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup reserved black beans
- 1/4 cup brown rice
- 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 lb. leftover chicken
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- Flaky sea salt
- Black pepper
Layer black beans, brown rice, cherry tomatoes, and chicken in a bowl. Dress with olive oil and top with salt and pepper.
Dinner: Lentil Burgers On Sesame Bagel Buns
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 cup small green lentils, cooked
- 1 egg
- Flaky sea salt
- Black pepper
- 1 sesame seed bagel, cut in half
- 1/4 cup Sorrento arugula mix, divided
- 1/8 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
On a grill pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. In a medium bowl, mix lentils and egg until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Form lentils into 2-4 patties. Place lentil patties on grill pan and cook until firm and toasted on each side, 5 minutes per side. Top each half of sesame bagel with arugula mix. Remove patties from grill pan and place on bagel buns. Top with cherry tomatoes.
Since I went into this week planning to make 12 different recipes (five lunches, five dinners, and two breakfast), I wasn't expecting much in the flavor department. But I was pleasantly surprised! It's amazing what some fresh produce, well-cooked proteins, and a little salt, pepper, and olive oil can do to a meal.
Plus, these recipes are real deal healthy and super easy to make. By Friday I was feeling well-fed, satisfied, and rather accomplished.
Related: 10 Breakfast Habits That Are Causing You To Gain Weight
Find out how to make cauliflower rice here:
