I shop at Trader Joe's once a week and only buy ingredients I can use for multiple meals. Here's what I got on my last trip.

Trader Joe's Power to the Greens lettuce is a great way to add leafy greens to our meals. We enjoy this mix as part of a salad, layered on a sandwich, mixed into a grain bowl, or used as a taco filling.

Trader Joe's soy chorizo is tasty and easy to prepare. Because we only use about half for taco night, we put the rest in the fridge to use later in the week.

We also like to use it as a nacho topping or in a breakfast scramble with eggs, cheese, and avocado.

Trader Joe's cheese-and-green-chile tamales are perfect for those nights when I just don't feel like cooking. These tamales aren't spicy and have a gooey-cheese filling.

They come together within minutes in the microwave and are great when served with a side of salsa.

As a vegetarian, I'm always looking for ways to get extra protein in my diet. Trader Joe's organic red-lentil sedanini has 15 grams of protein per serving.

It cooks quicker than other types of pasta and has a chewy texture when prepared al dente. I like to toss in some fresh or frozen vegetables and pasta sauce for a hearty meal.

The quinoa cowboy veggie burgers are the best-tasting patties I've found at Trader Joe's. These burgers have a crisp texture and are ready in only 10 minutes.

I like to layer them on a bun with greens and cheese. For a full meal, I add tater tots or a salad as a side.

Because the patties are individually packaged, I keep them frozen until I'm ready to enjoy them.

Trader Joe's black and garbanzo beans are a versatile favorite in my house. Black beans can be added to tacos, quesadillas, or nachos.

Garbanzo beans make a great filler for pasta, and I also enjoy mixing them in a green salad with sliced avocado and cherry tomatoes. I even like to blend them in a food processor to create my own hummus.

Marinated artichokes are another go-to staple that can be used in a variety of ways. I like to toss them into pasta or pile them on top of a pizza.

Because they're shelf stable and store well in the fridge, Trader Joe's marinated artichokes make an appearance any time a meal needs a little extra something.

Greek yogurt is great on its own, but I also love adding a small amount to a frittata or quiche to make it fluffy.

I also like to mix the yogurt with artichoke hearts, lemon juice, and spinach to create my own spinach-and-artichoke dip.

I could easily go through a container of Trader Joe's oven-toasted old-fashioned organic oats every week. Oatmeal is one of my go-to breakfasts, but I also use these oats for baking and making granola.

When I bake, I either use the oats straight out of the container or grind them in a food processor to make oat flour.

For granola, I mix the oats with honey, coconut flakes, nuts, olive oil, and cinnamon. Then, I bake them in the oven until golden brown.

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