How to make a week's worth of meals for under $15 at Trader Joe's

Getty Images/Michael Nagel

Ramen and mac n' cheese aren’t your only meal options when money is tight.

Finding a restaurant where you can get multiple meals for under $15 is quite a feat to accomplish. That's why Trader Joe's is actually the place to be when you're on a tight budget.

All five of these meals are nutritious and guaranteed to not break the bank, so dig out those coins from under your couch cushion and get shopping.

Shopping list:

• 1 cucumber ($0.79)
• 1 zucchini ($0.79)
• 1 yellow onion ($0.69)
• 1 red pepper ($0.69)
• 1 Roma tomato ($0.29)
• 1 sweet potato ($0.49)
• 1 avocado ($1.49)
• 1 banana ($0.29)
• 1 Georgia peach ($0.49)
• 1 orange ($0.79)
• 1 Bartlett pear ($0.69)
• 1 pink lady apple ($0.79)
• 1 6oz container French Village vanilla non-fat yogurt ($0.79)
• 1 15oz can of garbanzo beans ($0.79)
• 1 Demi baguette ($0.99)
• 1 8.8oz bag of farro ($1.79)
• 1 Clif kid organic Z-bar, chocolate brownie or oatmeal cookie ($0.79)
• 1 ready-to-bake whole wheat pizza dough ($1.19)

Total: $14.62 + tax

Extra pantry ingredients (not included in cost):

Salt, pepper, olive oil, cinnamon sugar, and butter

Refer to these five meals for under $15 whenever money is tight.

Parfait

Prep Time:5 mins 

Cook Time:0 

Total Time:5 mins

Servings:1

EASY

Ingredients

• 1/2 a 3 oz vanilla yogurt container
• Clif bar
• 1 banana
• 1/2 a peach

1. Crumble Clif bar into pieces.
2. Slice banana and cut peach into cubes.
3. Layer granola bar pieces, fruit, and yogurt.
4. Repeat as many times as possible until the dish is full or you run out of ingredients.

The time has come to grab a spoon and dig in to a breakfast parfait that doesn’t contain any soggy granola or syrup-covered berries.

Sweet breakfast pizza

Prep Time:10 mins

Cook Time:15 mins

Total Time:25 mins

Servings:2

EASY

Ingredients

• 1/2 a 8oz bag pizza dough
• 1/2 a peach
• 1 Pink Lady apple
• 1 pear
• 1/2 a 3oz vanilla yogurt container

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Roll out dough until about ¼-½ inch thick.
3. Bake the dough on a baking sheet for 12 minutes.
4. Cut peach, apple, and pear into slices. Drizzle slices with olive oil and grill until soft and slightly charred.
5. Spread cooked dough with yogurt and top with grilled fruit. Sprinkle with more cinnamon sugar if desired.

Who ever said you couldn’t have pizza for breakfast?

Sweet potato power bowl

Prep Time:5 mins

Cook Time:20 mins

Total Time:25 mins

Servings:1

EASY

Ingredients

• 1 small sweet potato
• 1/2 cup farro
• 1/3 5oz can garbanzo beans
• 1 zucchini
• 1/2 an onion
• 1/3 a red bell pepper
• 1/2 an avocado

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Combine one cup of water and the ½ cup of farro in a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Cut up the zucchini, red pepper, and onion into large chunks. Toss with salt, pepper, and olive oil on a lined baking sheet.
4. Roast for about 15 minutes in the oven (until tender and browned).
5. Poke holes in sweet potato with a fork and cook on HIGH in the microwave for 5 minutes (add time if necessary until soft).
6. Peel, pit, and slice the avocado and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
7. Rinse garbanzo beans under cold water and dry.
8. Arrange farro, vegetables, sweet potato, chickpeas, and avocado in a bowl and chow down!

This is probably my favorite of the five meals for under $15 that I've come up with.