At the beginning of the holidays last year, my husband and I decided to start using the my fitness pal app to count our calories. Our biggest issue with eating was we just ate tooooooo much. In true husband form, he reached his goal weight. 6 months later I’m still struggling. BUT we are eating better.

When we started I decided to try out Trader Joe’s. It was never a grocery I went to on a regular basis. Actually I think I had been inside the store once previously, and that was to get the cheap wine they only sell there. My assumption was it would be a good place to get some side dishes, fresh veggies, etc to serve with the meat I have delivered from a local farm. Quick, easy, and still healthy meals. It worked! Plus it’s not all that expensive. So here’s my monthly tj’s haul . . .

1. Gnocci – We have a lot of gnocchi in this house, especially the cauliflower gnocchi. It’s healthy and you can mix it with any meat and any sauce for a quick, delicious meal. Our favorite is sweet chili sauce with grilled veggies and chicken. The Gorgonzola and the sweet potato gnocchi is soooo good with those sausages. In my monthly haul I get 2 of each.
2. Vegetable fried rice – The vegetable fried rice mixed with some chicken or shrimp and a little soy sauce is a 10 minute meal we all enjoy. I buy 4 of these each month
3. The chicken fried rice with a side of wontons is a 5 minute meal we all enjoy. I buy 2 of these each month
4. The chicken taquitos with a side salad or some Mexican rice. delicious. I buy 2 of these each month.

My little haul costs me around $100 once a month – with some cookie butter and fresh veggies mixed in. With that I get 2 or 3 meals for each week that month (10 meals total) under 600 calories. BOOM!