<p class="ingestion featured-caption">As a private chef, I love shopping for easy dinners and ingredients at Trader Joe's.JT Newman</p><ul class="summary-list"><li>I'm a <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-trader-joes-items-chef-buys-for-family-on-budget-2024-9">private chef </a>who buys easy meals and dinner ingredients for my family at Trader Joe's.</li><li>Trader Joe's holiday vegetable hash, made with chopped butternut squash, makes a great soup base.</li></ul><p>As a private chef, I love shopping at <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-trader-joes-products-for-quick-easy-meals-2024-10">Trader Joe's</a> for easy, gluten-free items for my family of three.</p><p>My family has various dietary restrictions, and figuring out what to eat for dinner can be tough. We usually try to <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.insider.com/giving-up-dairy-side-effects-2018-1">avoid dairy</a> and wheat, though our hungry preteen isn't a huge fan of our somewhat restrictive diets.</p><p>So, we need family dinners that are both flavorful and filling. Luckily, Trader Joe's, which <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.eatthis.com/trader-joes-store-openings-2024/">announced plans to expand</a> to more locations earlier this year, carries plenty of ingredients that fit the bill.</p><p>Here are some of my favorite things to buy at the retailer for <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/aldi-dinners-mom-gets-on-budget-for-family-of-four-2024-5">quick, cozy dinners</a>.</p>