How to Meal-Prep a Week of 400-Calorie Lunches from Trader Joe’s

• Recipes like Dumplings with Edamame and Peanut Slaw make your next lunch order a breeze.
• Give the Mediterranean Kale & Farro Bowl and Buffalo Chicken Meatball Wrap a try too.
• Build lower-calorie lunches with veggies, lean proteins and whole grains with a dash of flavor.

If you’ve ever begrudgingly spent $20 on a lunch salad or worked through your lunch hour snacking on whatever you can get your hands on, these meal-prep recipes are for you. Lunch can easily become an afterthought, but with a little bit of planning, you can have a healthy meal on the table or waiting for you in the fridge with just a few minutes of prep. 

Trader Joe’s is known for carrying a wide variety of convenience products, including frozen foods, condiments and pre-made meals. But instead of buying a pre-made sandwich or salad, we leaned on a few key ingredients to make a wholesome meal at home. If you’re looking to save money, streamline your cooking and enjoy a balanced lunch for around 400 calories, then you need to try out these Trader Joe’s meal-prep lunch recipes.

Products You’ll Need

Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food Stylist: Shannon Goforth, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco.

We took advantage of items that can only be found at your local Trader Joe’s. Things like dips, sauces, and salad kits. However, not everything needs to come from TJ’s, and you can certainly riff on these recipes with similar products from another grocery store.

• 1 bag Trader Joe’s Thai Shrimp Gyoza (or frozen dumpling of choice)
• 1 bag Trader Joe’s Shelled Edamame (frozen)
• 2 bags Trader Joe’s Organic Shredded Green & Red Cabbage with Orange Carrots 
• Trader Joe’s Thai Peanut Satay Sauce 
• 1 bag Trader Joe’s 10-Minute Farro
• 1 can Trader Joe’s Garbanzo Beans (or canned chickpeas) 
• 1 container Trader Joe’s Mediterranean Style Hummus (or hummus of choice)
• 1 lemon 
• 1 bag Trader Joe’s Organic Tuscan Kale 
• 1 container feta cheese (Trader Joe’s sells a few, pick your favorite)
• 1 package Trader Joe’s Homestyle Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas 
• 1 container Trader Joe’s Ranch Cottage Cheese Dip
• 1 package Trader Joe’s Buffalo Style Chicken Meatballs
• 1 bag Trader Joe’s Avocado Ranch Salad Kit 

The Meal-Prep Lunch Line-Up

Here are your lunch recipes for the week with the number of calories per serving:

• Dumplings with Edamame and Peanut Slaw (370 calories)
• Mediterranean Kale & Farro Bowl (402 calories)
• Buffalo Chicken Meatball Wrap with Ranch (407 calories)

These recipes can be made ahead but they’re all quick enough that you can make them for lunch on the same day or in the morning to pack up to-go. Each makes four servings, but you can halve them or make a single serving depending on how many lunches you need and how many mouths you’re feeding. Also, we let Trader Joe’s do some of the work for us, using their sauces and meatballs, but you can certainly whip up a homemade version of some of these if you have more time.  

Dumplings with Edamame and Peanut Slaw (serves 4)

Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food Stylist: Shannon Goforth, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco.

Per serving: 2 TBSP Thai peanut satay sauce + 2 cups coleslaw mix + 1 serving frozen shelled edamame (½ cup) + 1 serving shrimp dumplings (3) + optional drizzle of soy sauce. 

Prep time: 15 minutes

Total time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 12 Trader Joe’s Thai shrimp gyoza/dumplings
• 2 cups frozen Trader Joe’s shelled edamame with sea salt
• 8 cups (will need 2 bags) Trader Joe’s Organic shredded green & red cabbage with orange carrots 
• ½ cup Trader Joe’s Thai peanut satay sauce

Instructions:

1. Cook 12 dumplings according to package directions, in the microwave or pan (your preference). 
2. Heat edamame in microwave to warm. 
3. Combine 8 cups coleslaw mix with ½ cup peanut satay sauce and toss to coat. 
4. Place dumplings, edamame, and slaw in container.  Option to reheat dumplings and add drizzle of reduced-sodium soy sauce before eating. 

Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food Stylist: Shannon Goforth, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco.

Mediterranean Kale & Farro Bowl (serves 4)

Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food Stylist: Shannon Goforth, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco

Per serving: ¼ cup dry 10-minute farro + ¼ can of chickpeas (just shy of ½ cup chickpeas (109 g)) + 1 tbsp hummus + ¼ lemon + 2 cups kale + 1 ounce crumbled feta cheese

Prep time: 15 minutes

Total time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry Trader Joe’s 10-minute farro
• 1 can Trader Joe’s organic garbanzo beans/chickpeas 
• ¼ cup Trader Joe’s mediterranean style hummus 
• Juice of 1 lemon 
• 1 bag organic Tuscan kale 
• 4 ounces Trader Joe’s crumbled feta cheese

Instructions:

1. Cook 1 cup of dry farro according to package directions. Divide into 4 servings.
2. Drain and rinse chickpeas and divide into 4 servings
3. Mix ¼ cup hummus with juice of one lemon. (Add water, 1 tsp at a time to thin as needed, the goal is a creamy dressing for your salad.) Divide into 4 servings.
4. Add ~2 cups kale (¼ of the package), 1 serving of chickpeas, and 1 serving of farro to the container. Top with serving of dressing and 1 ounce crumbled feta.  

Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food Stylist: Shannon Goforth, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco

Buffalo Chicken Meatball Wrap with Ranch (serves 4)

Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food Stylist: Shannon Goforth, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco.

Per serving: 5 TJ’s buffalo chicken meatballs + 1 ⅓ cups avocado ranch salad kit (⅛ of dressing pack and no chips) + 2 TBSP ranch cottage cheese dip + 1 whole wheat tortilla wrap.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Total time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 Trader Joe’s whole wheat flour tortillas 
• 1/2 cup Trader Joe’s ranch cottage cheese dip 
• 20 Trader Joe’s Buffalo style chicken meatballs 
• 1 Trader Joe’s avocado ranch salad kit (remove the chips and only use ½ of the dressing packet)

Instructions:

Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food Stylist: Shannon Goforth, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco.

1. Cook meatballs according to package directions in an air fryer or microwave.
2. Combine salad kit with ½ dressing packet (skip the chips, but include the cheese). Divide salad by 4 to get about 1 ⅓ cups per serving.
3. Spread 2 TBSP ranch cottage cheese dip on a whole wheat wrap, add salad and top with 5 meatballs. 
4. To keep fresh, store salad and meatballs together and spread cottage cheese dip on wrap and add filling just before serving. 

Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food Stylist: Shannon Goforth, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco.

Tips for Making Lower-Calorie Lunches That Fill You Up

• Load up on veggies: Vegetables are important for everyone to eat and over 90 percent of us don’t get enough. Veggies are relatively low in calories so you get a big portion without adding too many calories to your meal. They’re also rich in nutrients, including fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. 
• Prioritize protein: Protein does a lot in our bodies, but it’s key for staying full after you eat. Protein takes longer to digest and stimulates satiety hormones. There isn’t a magic number to shoot for, but make sure your lunches contain a solid protein source whether that’s chicken, edamame, beans, seafood, meat or tofu.
• Include carbs: Carbs are often shut out of meals, but they’re not bad for you. Choosing mostly whole-grain carbs, which have more fiber, helps fill you up. Look for whole-wheat options of your favorite breads and pastas, and check grams of fiber on the labels.
• Add some flavor: Just because you’re watching your calories doesn’t mean food should be bland. No one is really satisfied eating steamed broccoli and plain chicken breast. Too much fat and oil can add lots of calories, since fat has more than twice the calories per gram as carbohydrates and protein. But fat-free isn’t the way to go. Fat is filling and tastes good! Finding a middle ground keeps your meals satisfying and yummy. Instead of relying just on fat, using flavorful sauces, sharp cheeses, and a little spice helps elevate these recipes to keep them satisfying.