9 Trader Joe's Grab-And-Go Foods That'll Make Eating At Work A Breeze

If you're a longtime reader of The Takeout, you probably know all about the many virtues of Trader Joe's. You've read about its frozen foods that taste homemade, the side dishes you should look out for to accompany a meal, and some of the candy you need to grab on your next shopping trip. If you need something a little heartier than a snack but don't have the time to sit down and cook your food in a microwave or oven, that's where grab-and-go food comes in.

Bringing lunch from home can sometimes feel a little depressing. (Quoth The Onion: "Man Brings Lunch From Home To Cut Down On Small Joys.") No one's saying you have to eat ham and cheese sandwiches for the rest of your life, least of all your good pal Trader Joe. Whether you're grabbing a full, satisfying, ready-to-eat lunch from Trader Joe's or you're just picking up some quick and easy snackables, you have plenty of options to make your desk lunch a treat to look forward to rather than a compromise you made for the sake of your budget.

Sandwiches are a tasty, filling way to get grain and protein in your body in the middle of the day. But once you've cycled through ham and cheese, bologna, and chicken salad enough times you start to yearn for something different. Enter Trader Joe's Turkey Apple Cheddar Sandwich. On a rustic roll you'll find tender turkey breast, crunchy apple slices, tangy cheddar, and some arugula for roughage, all seasoned with creamy Dijon mayo. If you like it enough, you can even try making it yourself.

Of course, not everybody's willing or able to eat turkey — or any other meat, for that matter. Well, they can always satiate themselves with Trader Joe's Spicy Lentil Wrap, a tasty mix of lentils and bulgur wheat stuffed alongside red cabbage and slathered with spicy tahini. If you're working from home and have a sandwich press, you can make it even tastier by toasting it and drizzling with more sauce.

If you've never had dolmas, they're vine leaves stuffed with rice wrapped into a convenient, bite-sized package. In the case of these particular dolmas, the rice mixture includes chopped onion and dill for a savory, herbaceous flavor that's sure to brighten your day if you pack some in a Tupperware and bring it in for lunch. You can buy Trader Joe's Dolmas for $3.99.

Brunch for lunch, anyone? In fairness, you can eat eggs at just about any time of day, especially in this protein-obsessed cultural moment, so why not make it as delicious as possible? These $3.79 egg bites are enriched with cottage cheese and butter, and are flavored with cheddar cheese and bits of uncured bacon. It's sure to give you a salty, cheesy, hearty pick-me-up in the middle of the day, and it's a lot more satisfying than those slimy, old hard-boiled eggs you used to eat.

When it's a hot day, even the bracing chill of your office's air conditioner isn't enough to fully cool you down. That's why Trader Joe's Peanut Udon Noodle Salad is such a delight. Taking udon noodles and tossing them with various vegetables (including carrots, cabbage, and peanuts) and a peanut ginger dressing, this cold noodle dish is bright, savory, and utterly refreshing. And at just $4.99, it's an economical option too.

Speaking of grab-and-go lunches from Trader Joe's rooted in cold Asian noodle dishes, we have this lunch option inspired by Korean bibim-guksu. Thankfully for those of you with peanut allergies, there are none here. The wheat noodles and various veggies in this salad (including kimchi) are instead seasoned with a piquant gochujang dressing. Take a bite and savor that crunch, and be glad that at $4.99 it's not taking a bite out of your savings.

As anyone who's enjoyed some lemon pepper chicken wings will tell you, poultry is enlivened by a kiss of citrus. That's part of the reason why Trader Joe's Lemon Chicken & Arugula Salad (available for $5.99) is so invigorating. The tanginess of the chicken melds beautifully with the lightly bitter arugula, and the dish is made more substantial with red quinoa and couscous before getting brightened up by a spicy red pepper dressing.

The rooster on the label may wish you a good morning, but in truth you can eat this $4.49 breakfast burrito at any time. Because it needs to be refrigerated, it will go bad if you let it sit at your desk while you settle in for a day of honest work. But if you need a protein boost, the fluffy scrambled eggs and flavorful chicken sausage (not to mention those hearty potatoes) will give you all the energy you need.

Maybe you're not much of a lunch person but you still need a little bite to eat in the middle of the day to sustain you. In that case, these tasty Unexpected Cheddar Snackers (available for $4.99) may be more appealing. These are mini versions of Trader Joe's beloved Unexpected Cheddar, a kind of cheddar that tastes like parmesan, and they're just as delicious as its big brother. Have it with crackers or all on its own.