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Photo: Courtesy of Brand
When I need a healthy meal in a pinch, I often turn to Trader Joe’s. The aisles of the popular grocer are packed with tasty, convenient products that make throwing together a meal effortless. One item that is often in my cart is the bagged salad kits. Compared to those at other grocers, I find the salad mixes from Trader Joe’s to feature better-looking and better-tasting ingredients.
Salad kits are a convenient item to have on hand when you need a nutritious, tasty meal. With plenty of flavor combinations available, salad kits are an easy way to meet your daily veggie intake. While I’m a big fan of eating a salad kit as is, it can be just as delicious to jazz it up with the addition of a few simple ingredients. Here are five easy meals to try that start with a salad kit from Trader Joe’s.
Chicken Caesar Salad Wrap
Alex Loh
Perfect for lunch or dinner, this three-ingredient meal uses a Caesar salad kit as the base. Buying cooked grilled chicken strips saves time, but you could easily substitute leftover chicken if you have it on hand. I like to add the croutons to my wrap for some crunch, but you can omit them and save them for another use if desired.
Active: 5 min Total: 5 min
Ingredients:
Directions:
Serves 4
Serving size: 1 wrap(382 calories, 16g fat (3g sat. fat), 76mg cholesterol, 32g carbohydrates, 2g total sugars, 29g protein, 5g fiber, 657mg sodium, 641mg potassium)
Creamy Black Bean Tostada
We use black beans in this easy vegetarian dinner, but other canned beans like pinto or kidney would work just as well. Mashing the beans creates a creamy spread for the tostada, and helps anchor the salad from falling off when you take a bite.
Active: 25 min Total: 25 min
Serving size: 2 tostadas(354 calories, 13g fat (3g sat. fat), 5mg cholesterol, 44g carbohydrates, 4g total sugars, 12g protein, 8g fiber, 309mg sodium, 422mg potassium)
Arugula Salad Pizza
You can easily make pizza on a weeknight when you use store-bought crust. Here, we top the crust with fresh mozzarella and tomato slices. Be sure to pat the mozzarella dry to remove any excess moisture so the crust doesn’t get soggy. A topping of arugula and lemon juice adds freshness to this easy dinner.
Active: 20 min Total: 20 min
Serves 6
Serving size: 1 slice(289 calories, 10g fat (4g sat. fat), 20mg cholesterol, 39g carbohydrates, 4g total sugars, 12 grams protein, 3g fiber, 506mg sodium, 303mg potassium)
Tuna-Veggie Melt
Canned tuna is a helpful pantry staple to keep on hand. You can toss it in pasta, use it for a protein boost in a salad or make a sandwich like we do here. Toasting the bread and draining the tuna is important, so you don’t end up with a soggy sandwich. Topping the open-faced sandwich with coleslaw adds color and crunch and amps up your veggie intake.
Active: 15 min Total: 15 min
Serving size: 1 sandwich(319 calories, 17g fat (6g sat. fat), 50mg cholesterol, 21g carbohydrates, 8g total sugars, 20g protein, 3g fiber, 557mg sodium, 289mg potassium)
Salmon Quinoa Bowl
This three-ingredient grain bowl is packed with veggies and hearty protein. Look for a Mediterranean- or Greek-inspired salad kit with a variety of veggies like broccoli, radicchio and carrots for a colorful bowl. Make this recipe when you need a quick and easy lunch or dinner.
Serves 2
Serving size: 1 bowl(495 calories, 19g fat (4g sat. fat), 55mg cholesterol, 9g carbohydrates, 5g total sugars, 7g fiber, 31 grams protein, 548mg sodium, 1,140mg potassium)
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