12 things I buy at Trader Joe's for my busy family of 4 every week

Prepping the perfect crisp salad after a long day of activities takes brain power that I frankly don't have. Trader Joe's kit has a handful of crunchy elements and an earthy, tangy dressing.

I'm a busy mom, so I love that I can turn this into an entire meal by pairing it with pan-fried salmon or tofu.

Plus, I can save dishes if I prep it in the bag. Just shake and pour, baby.

Even though I work from home and save on commute time, I don't necessarily want to spend those extra hours boiling fat sheets of pasta and checking expiration dates on three different kinds of cheese while Jim from Accounting is pinging me.

Trader Joe's frozen lasagna is chunky, gooey, and — with an extra five minutes under the broiler — perfectly browned.

I grew up in the golden age of snacks — before nutritional yeast and cauliflower took over.

Luckily, Trader Joe's Baked Cheese Crunchies are a little less processed than their mainstream counterpart, but I can barely tell the difference.

When we need a quick after-school snack, this is where we turn.

We usually start the day with cereal.

Half the O's in this box are plain, and the other half are glazed with tart, sweet yogurt. It's also got chunky freeze-dried strawberries.

The medley of flavors keeps things interesting, and I appreciate that I don't have to prepare separate grains, dairy, and fruit in the mornings.

How many times have I made the mistake of buying a bowling-ball-sized head of cabbage only to watch it taunt me from the back of the fridge?

Trader Joe's bag of colorful, low-prep, and nutritious cabbage mix is perfect when I don't want to chop.

There's a certain innocent delight to the store's silly frozen treat that's perfectly captured in the cartoon monkey on the box.

Plus the square, compact packaging means it's easy to squeeze this into an abysmally small freezer.

I'd be supermom if I had the time and foresight to sort and soak beans and mind the simmering pot while I worked from home.

The best thing about canned beans is that the portion is perfect for Frito pie, enchiladas, or green-chile pork burritos. And they cost almost half as much at Trader Joe's.

Something about the miniature pancakes feels both lucky and deluxe — maybe because they're just a little fluffy and really fun to eat.

I get a ton of compliments when I serve the bite-sized portions at brunch.

On evenings when your children suddenly don't want their usual dinner but you're not about to come up with something new, the pork gyoza potstickers save the day in their familiar, $5 royal-blue bag.

They're so versatile I can't refuse their siren call.

Steam them, wok-fry them, stick them in some soup. You can even cook them in the microwave if you're in a rush.

Fruit is expensive and the availability is often inconsistent, especially if you're trying to eat seasonally.

My secret weapon is Trader Joe's frozen blends of fruits with added veggies.

My kids are older now, but I have fond memories of popping these frozen fruits in a teether with a net to soothe them in the summer.

Trader Joe's fresh packages of ravioli come in an awkward portion that's usually not big enough to give my whole family a full meal.

But the mushroom flavor works for a meal because it's so rich.

We like to serve it alongside roasted veggies or a baguette.

Plus, the ravioli are in a self-contained package that cooks fast. It's my way of serving something a little more sophisticated when the family demands pasta for dinner (again).

If you think getting fresh flowers is a luxury, that's fair. But I'd argue that it's the sentimental things that make an ant-sized kitchen in a crowded city feel cozy instead of cramped.

At Trader Joe's, bouquets of dainty chamomile and walloping fist-sized sunflowers are usually cheaper than a Big Mac from McDonald's, so I always add them to my shopping cart.

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