I'm a dietitian who used to work at Trader Joe's. Here are 10 easy meal ideas using products from the chain. (2024)

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This sweet-potato gnocchi with spinach and sausage is both sweet and savory.

This meal takes 10 minutes to come together and it's truly satisfying.

To make, just follow the instructions on the back of the gnocchi bag, then add in some precooked cut-up chicken sausage and a handful of spinach. Let the spinach wilt and top with grated Parmesan for some added fat and flavor.

I love how the sweetness from the sweet-potato gnocchi contrasts with the savory garlic chicken sausage.

I view meals from a gentle-nutrition standpoint, which is about choosing foods that satisfy your cravings while still honoring your health.

From that perspective, this meal is completely optimized as it includes all the macronutrients: carbohydrates (gnocchi), protein (chicken sausage), fat (chicken sausage and cheese), and fiber (sautéed spinach).

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Create an optimized meal with burgers and sweet-potato fries.

Diet culture often deems burgers and fries as "junk food," but as an intuitive-eating dietitian, I help my clients remove the moral value of food. A burger is not morally inferior to a salad.

They are both just foods that offer different amounts of micro and macronutrients. In fact, a burger can actually be an optimized and satisfying meal. This meal includes all the macronutrients — carbohydrates (bun), protein (burger), fat (cheese), and fiber (arugula and onions).

Most of the time, I enjoy my burger with Trader Joe's frozen sweet-potato fries on the side, but sometimes, I find my body is craving more roughage and I prefer a salad on the side instead.

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There's a reason burritos with chips and salsa were my go-to lunch.

When I was working at Trader Joe's, I'd often eat this exact meal on my lunch break. It has lots of staying power, so I'm full and energized for a long time.

The bean-and-cheese burrito is an optimized meal on its own as it has carbohydrates (tortilla), protein and fiber (beans), and fat (cheese). From a gentle-nutrition perspective, the burrito would be filling by itself, but I find that it doesn't actually satisfy me unless I add something.

It's important to remember that being full means your body got enough energy and nourishment from the meal, though being satisfied means the dish was fulfilling on an emotional and sensory level. If you don't consider your satisfaction, you'll find yourself still searching for more at the end of the meal, even if you're full.

To increase the satisfaction of this eating experience, I add some crunchy tortilla chips and salsa, and sometimes avocado slices.

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Spaghetti, meatballs, and green beans can be a deeply comforting meal.

As an intuitive eater, I ask myself what I can add to a meal to increase the satisfaction of the eating experience. In this case, I like incorporating a vegetable to contribute some freshness and contrast the rich flavors of the pasta and sauce.

Adding a vegetable also gives this meal a little more fiber, which helps to slow the absorption of the food into your bloodstream, allowing you to extract more nutrients and feel full for longer. I also like adding grated Parmesan for extra fat.

Although diet culture has taught many of us to fear fat, our bodies need it for several reasons, such as providing the body with energy and supporting cell function.

Plus, fat contributes to the satisfaction of an eating experience. This meal has carbohydrates (pasta), protein (meatballs), fat (meatballs and cheese), and fiber (green beans).

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Soyaki tofu with rice and broccoli is perfect for busy weeknights.

For this dish, I typically let the tofu drain for at least 30 minutes to help get some of the water out so that it easily crisps in the pan.

In a pan, heat up a bit of oil and brown your tofu on both sides. Then add your sauce — the Soyaki from Trader Joe's pairs well. Once the sauce thickens and your tofu pieces are coated in it, it's ready to serve.

This microwave rice only takes three minutes to cook, making it perfect for busy weeknights. You can also roast fresh or frozen broccoli in the pan or sauté it on the stovetop.

This meal covers carbohydrates (rice), protein (tofu), and fiber (broccoli) and has a little fat from the oil that the tofu is fried in. You could also add a drizzle of sesame oil or some avocado slices to increase the fat content and satisfaction of this meal.

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Frozen pizza with salad is an incredibly simple dish to prepare.

When I lived in the diet mindset, I'd force myself to eat a salad with pizza because it made me feel less guilty. Since becoming an intuitive eater, I've realized I actually enjoy the experience of eating pizza and salad together.

I love how the fresh greens contrast the richness of the cheese and dough and how the crunchy, hydrating mouthfeel of the lettuce goes along with the salty pizza.

The fiber from the salad gives this meal more staying power, keeping you fuller for longer. The pizza contributes carbohydrates (dough) and fat and protein (cheese).

The best part about this meal is that it couldn't be simpler to prepare — all you have to do is pop the pizza in the oven and mix the salad-kit components in a bowl.

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Goat-cheese-and-sun-dried-tomato ravioli make for a satisfying meal.

After working at Trader Joe's for three years, I can confidently say I've tried most items in the store, but I only recently felt called to try its many ravioli options. Turns out these ravioli are delicious and so easy to cook — they quickly became a part of my weeknight meal rotation.

These ravioli offer carbohydrates (pasta) and some protein and fat (cheese filling). Texturally, it would be a little boring to eat a plain bowl of ravioli. I add sun-dried tomatoes, goat-cheese crumbles, and fresh arugula to make the meal more satisfying.

The sun-dried tomatoes and goat cheese compliment the flavors in the ravioli nicely while also adding unique textures. The arugula adds an element of freshness to contrast the more decadent pasta components.

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Mac and cheese with broccoli and chicken sausage is a delicious and filling option.

People are often surprised when they find out that I am a registered dietitian who eats boxed mac and cheese, but there is nothing wrong with consuming a packaged meal like this. The guilt that diet culture inflicts on you for consuming packaged or "processed foods" can be worse for your health than any food will ever be.

When you experience guilt, your body goes into a stress response that increases your cortisol levels. If you are chronically feeling guilt or stress about your food choices, then your cortisol levels will be high, which can lead to various negative health outcomes, like blood pressure and fatigue.

I love pairing this mac and cheese with some steamed or roasted broccoli because their heads soak up the cheese sauce like little sponges, which I find texturally appealing.

Adding broccoli and chicken sausage gives the meal more fiber and protein, which optimizes the staying power of the meal.

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Trader Joe's Mandarin-orange chicken is high quality and easy to prepare.

Trader Joe's frozen Mandarin chicken has been voted the favorite product from the store for years, and I can see why.

It tastes like it could be from a restaurantand it's so easy to whip up on your own. I love how the tangy orange sauce coats the rice and broccoli when I mix it all up.

This meal hits all the macronutrients, making it an optimized eating experience — carbohydrates (rice), protein (chicken) fat (chicken and oil it's fried in), and fiber (broccoli).

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Explore seemingly endless topping options with these chicken-shawarma pitas.

Even though I've eaten meat for years, it sometimes feels intimidating to cook it at home. Luckily, preparing this chicken shawarma is so straightforward because the package says exactly how long to bake it in the oven.

I love this chicken shawarma because it's already seasoned to perfection. I like to serve it shredded in a pita pocket with tons of toppings and sauces. I could see this going well with fresh onion, bell peppers, cucumbers, shredded romaine, tomatoes, feta, a drizzle of tahini, a scoop of hummus, olives, pickled cabbage, or tzatziki.

This meal is also optimized — carbohydrates (pita), protein (chicken), fat (feta, tahini, and olives), and fiber (fresh vegetables).

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