As a personal trainer, group fitness instructor, and yoga teacher who also works full-time at a nonprofit, my schedule is packed. Meal prepping is essential as I juggle classes, meetings, and more.
Trader Joe's has been my go-to store for high-protein, nutritious meal prep essentials for more than a decade. Plus, as someone who generally eats a plant-based diet, Trader Joe's has plenty of options.
Here are some of the items that always make the cut when I'm meal-prepping.
Trader Joe's crunchy chili-onion hummus adds a boost of flavor to my meals.
Trader Joe's has a wide selection of hummus, but the crunchy chili-onion flavor is my favorite. This hummus is delightfully creamy, and the pepper adds texture and a spicy kick.
It's great served in a Mediterranean-inspired lunch bowl or scooped up with raw vegetables or crackers.
Tofu is my favorite versatile protein.
My favorite way to prep Trader Joe's firm tofu is to crumble it — no pressing needed.
I toss it with coconut aminos (which is similar to soy sauce) and seasoning, bake it, and then stuff it into pita bread with veggies and hummus for a delicious, plant-based wrap.
Microwaveable frozen brown rice is my go-to base for meal-prep bowls.
I'm all about saving time where I can. Luckily, Trader Joe's frozen brown rice uses a steamer bag to heat up in just three minutes.
I like to pair it with beans, fajita vegetables, salsa, and cheese for a DIY taco bowl — or alongside roasted veggies, hard-boiled eggs, and tahini sauce for a power bowl.
Trader Joe's Guacasalsa perfectly combines the flavors of two popular dips.
If I'm not prepping a sauce at home, I'm buying one with simple ingredients, like Trader Joe's Guacsalsa — made with tomatillo, avocado, jalapenos, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, and salt.
True to its name, it tastes like a cross between guacamole and salsa verde. I love to drizzle this on burrito bowls for extra flavor.
I use frozen gyoza to create a quick soup.
For an easy soup, I like to pop some of Trader Joe's frozen gyoza into the store's miso-ginger broth, along with whatever vegetables I have on hand.
Or, if I'm not meal prepping, I pan-fry them and serve them alongside a homemade soy-sauce-based dip.
Frozen broccoli saves me time and delivers on flavor.
Frozen vegetables are typically packed at peak ripeness and flash frozen within hours, so they deliver the same nutritional benefits as their fresh counterparts.
One of my favorite options to buy is frozen broccoli, which I add to a grain bowl or serve alongside a grilled protein.
I can't get enough of Trader Joe's vegan kale, cashew, and basil pesto.
The ingredients in Trader Joe's vegan pesto are simple but delicious: kale, cashew butter, basil, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Although it's great on pasta, I particularly love it drizzled on grilled vegetables and halloumi, or as a spread on sandwiches.
Coconut milk serves as a creamy base for curries and sauces.
I love making a quick chickpea and spinach curry, and Trader Joe's coconut milk has the perfect creamy texture for the base.
It has a recognizable coconut taste, but it's not strong enough to overpower other ingredients.
I always keep a container of Greek yogurt in my fridge.
Trader Joe's yogurt selection is robust, but my favorite option is the strained thick-and-creamy Greek variety. I think it has a great texture and is easy to customize and use in a variety of meals.
For example, I create post-workout yogurt bowls with berries, granola, cinnamon, and a drizzle of honey. My partner loves to use it as a sour-cream replacement on burrito bowls, too.
Marinated chickpeas create an easy lunch option.
Trader Joe's Greek chickpeas are packed in a parsley and cumin-infused marinade, so they don't require any prep.
They're a great source of protein and fiber and complement any Greek salad or grain bowl.
Trader Joe's chicken meatballs are easy to customize.
Although I generally eat a vegetarian-forward diet, I throw meat in every so often.
I especially love Trader Joe's precooked chicken meatballs, which are packed with 16 grams of protein per serving. Even though they're preseasoned, the flavor isn't overpowering, so they're easy to customize.
Some of my favorite ways to prepare them are simmered in marinara and served over protein pasta, tossed with Buffalo sauce and added to a salad with romaine and crunchy vegetables, or mixed into a stir-fry bowl with a dash of Japanese barbecue sauce.
Curious what's in other shoppers' carts? Keep reading our Trader Joe's diaries.
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Emily Roethle is a communications professional and freelance writer with more than a decade of experience covering fitness, health, wellness, food, travel, and other lifestyle topics. She previously managed health and fitness content for a leading fitness certification organization and is both a NASM-certified personal trainer and certified yoga instructor who regularly teaches in the Midwest. Her work has appeared on Yahoo, AllRecipes, Wellworthy, PopSugar, The Daily Beast, and Blogilates.
