We’ve all been there. The week leading up to Pay Day when the bank account is a little low and so is your fridge. But your college-self pinky promised semi-grown- up-you wouldn’t live on cereal and Ramen. Not there’s anything wrong with that. When I know I need to grocery shop for longevity, I have several versatile items I keep in my arsenal. These picks bring real bang for your buck. 
Asian Stir Fry is a favorite of mine, I saute the vegetables in a skillet and once the vegetables are close to soft, I toss in Trader Joe’s frozen brown rice and a couple dashes of Trader Joe’s Soyaki sauce and let simmer. The rice is pre-cooked and thaws in the skillet. It’s a one-pot dish that takes less than 10 minutes and yields about 2 meals.
One brave day I sampled the Vegetable Masala burger and have not looked back since. A favorite frequent brown bag lunch of mine is quinoa + steamed vegetables (usually broccoli, cauliflower) with the burger for a pop of protein. Trust me, this burger is a life saver. It is pre-cooked and heats up in minutes, a wonderful snack filled with protein and low on calories.
Baked falafel can wear many hats in my dishes: throw it into a pita with a dollop of tzatiki sauce or halve them and toss into a salad. Add them to quinoa with slices of tomato, cucumber and a drizzle of balsamic. Like the veggie burger, the sky’s the limit.
Sriracha sauce is a go-to condiment because simply put, I adore spicy meals. I’ve been known to get a little exuberant with the red pepper flakes and hot sauces. Have a ton of frozen veggies in your freezer? Put the veggies (I’m pro-broccoli) in a skillet and once thawed, add sriracha and give it a toss to evenly coat. Consider boring vegetables banished!
Trader Joe’s minestrone soup may be one of my favorite soups EVER. Like ever ever. It’s the real deal. The best part? It’s $3 and I get about 4 meals out of it. 2 meals if I’m really hungry. It fills me up without weighing me down, which is ideal with swimsuit season right around the corner…
These are just a handful of my favorite Trader Joe’s pantry must haves so please comment below and let me know if you’d like to see more Trader Joe’s hacks!
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