What to Buy at Trader Joe’s for Easy Lunches

Buying lunch at Trader Joe’s is kind of a cheat. You’re grabbing something that’s fast and ready to eat (or at least ready to microwave), but you also aren’t buying fast food every day—you’re simply grocery shopping. See the difference? Brilliant. And you don’t have to spend your Sunday portioning out meals for the week—do yoga, watch football, and have your weekly existential crisis in peace! But what should you buy at Trader Joe’s if you’re in the market for quick and easy lunches? We went back through a bunch of our rankings and found six meals we recommend.

Trader Joe’s Lemony Arugula Basil Salad Kit

There’s a whole wall of salad kits at Trader Joe’s to choose from. I, unfortunately, do not get paid the big bucks to taste them all in one sitting, but my colleagues do so I’ll defer to them on which to recommend. TJ’s Lemony Arugula Basil salad kit, while admittedly giving summer vibes, beat 12 other TJ’s salad kits, so it wins a spot on this list regardless of the season that we’re heading into. Toss some canned beans or pre-cooked chicken on top, and that’s lunch.

Read our full ranking of the best Trader Joe’s salad kits

Trader Joe’s New England Clam Chowder

Soup is a midday meal unto itself. You certainly can have a carb on the side to make it a little heartier, but a bowl of creamy, filling soup can hold up just fine on its own, especially if it’s something rib-sticking like clam chowder. This cute container can stay in your fridge at home or hold up on a drive into the office. Just please be careful with a fish-adjacent food in the office microwave!

Read our full ranking of the best Trader Joe’s soups

Trader Joe’s Chana Masala

Sporked’s Justine Sterling had a lot of nice things to say about many of Trader Joe’s Indian offerings, but their chana masala—chickpeas in a spicy sauce—was her top pick. It’s fine on its own for lunch given that garbanzos are packed with fiber and protein, but you can make it feel like more of a meal with some of TJ’s frozen rice.

Read our full ranking of the best Trader Joe’s Indian food

Trader Joe’s Tarragon Chicken Salad Wrap

To put together this list, I really did walk into the deli section at Trader Joe’s, see all the options in front of me, and immediately think, “I should check Sporked for which to recommend.” I am nothing if not a loyal Sporked fan first and foremost. I wish I was joking about this, but staff writer Ariana Losch loved TJ’s wraps so much she decided to…literally rap about them all??? So at the very least, it’s my pleasure to highlight her whimsical poetry, even if you don’t opt for her favorite TJ’s wrap. The chicken salad is moist and bright tasting, with just a tinge of that anise-ish tarragon flavor.

Read our full ranking of the best Trader Joe’s wraps

Trader Joe’s Mandarin Style Orange Chicken Bowl

Okay, again, I went to TJ’s looking for some fresh ideas, and once again I wound up checking with Sporked to see which frozen bowl makes the best lunch. Really, it’s not my fault that the Sporked team has done its due diligence! Justine compared this to leftover Chinese food that you put in the fridge overnight, and that doesn’t sound half bad to me—especially if you don’t have to splurge on takeout in the first place.

Read our full ranking of the best frozen Chinese food

Trader Joe’s Seafood Boil

Is this an unhinged pick for an easy lunch from Trader Joe’s? Yes, yes it is. But I don’t know your life! Why would I assume that you’re stuck at a desk and only have a microwave at your disposal? Maybe you’re a person of leisure who can have shrimp and clams for lunch and not worry about getting buttery slime all over your keyboard! HOW DO I KNOW?? Anyway, this IS an easy and luxe lunch. Just toss the bag in boiling water for 20 minutes, eat what you want, and throw the rest in the fridge to put over pasta for dinner. TJ’s thinks outside the box, so why shouldn’t we??