I move into my new place June 1st which means for the past month, I’ve made due with the cooking basics– salads, easy stir-fries, and Trader Joe’s. Rather than begin to stock a kitchen with pantry essentials, I’ve relied on simple, no-recipe meals. Here are a few of my Trader Joe’s staples.

1) Steel-cut oatmeal

I ate a lot of this stuff in college and I’d forgotten how much I love it. It’s $1.59 for a carton of two servings. The oatmeal is steel-cut (my favorite!) and lightly sweetened with brown sugar and maple syrup, which means a quick 3 1/2 minute microwave and it’s ready to eat!

2) Falafel

A recent Trader Joe’s discovery I made was the frozen falafel. I love falafel. I’ve never made it before and I hopefully will someday but for now, you can’t get much easier than this. Buy some pitas, lettuce, and a carton of whichever TJ hummus suits your fancy (I love edamame and chipotle pepper) and you’ve got a delicious lunch.

3) Quinoa Duo

I have a quinoa obsession and this frozen dish includes two of my favorite veggies: zucchini and sweet potato. A friend introduced me to this in college and now it’s always in my cart. Try eating it with plain greek yogurt!

4) Lite Kettle Corn

I love these portion-controlled mini kettle corn bags.

5) Nonfat Plain Frozen Yogurt

Since moving to NY, I’ve been faced with the night-time dilemma that Pinkberry is only a mere 4 blocks away. Forget about my waistline, I’m more worried about my wallet. While I admit the chain fro-yo is better, this is a delicious alternative. It’s creamier and perhaps a bit tarter.

(And if you feel like splurging, I recommend Mango Mochi or Molasses Chews!)