I'm a Pilates instructor who's been shopping at Trader Joe's for 20 years. Here are 10 of my favorite items to buy.

• I'm a Pilates instructor who's been shopping at Trader Joe's for 20 years.
• I rely on the chain for nutritious, budget-friendly meals I can assemble quickly.
• I love picking up items like organic brown rice, cauliflower gnocchi, and organic hummus.

I've been shopping at Trader Joe's for the past twenty years. As a full-time Pilates instructor and adjunct college professor, I rely on the retailer for nutritious, budget-friendly meals I can assemble quickly.

As someone who's lactose intolerant and follows a Mediterranean-style diet , I know I can count on the retailer to find delicious products that fit into my lifestyle.

Here are 10 of my favorite items to buy at Trader Joe's.

I can't get enough of Trader Joe's organic brown rice.

Trader Joe's organic brown rice is flavorful, unlike most other boxed rice I've tried. It comes frozen and is ready in the microwave in just a few minutes.

For a post-Pilates recovery meal, I combine the rice with a protein. This one comes packaged in individual pouches, which helps with much-needed portion control because it's delicious.

I love Trader Joe's Greek chickpeas with parsley and cumin.

I like to add Trader Joe's Greek chickpeas with parsley and cumin to everything. The canned chickpeas come marinated in mouthwatering soybean oil and lemon.

I enjoy this item in a salad or as a stand-alone side dish with rice or other veggies.

Trader Joe's cauliflower gnocchi is a low-calorie pasta substitute.

Trader Joe's cauliflower gnocchi is a delicious low-calorie pasta substitute. It's the perfect dish for when I'm craving pasta but want to have something light.

I like to either heat the gnocchi in the microwave for five minutes or bake it. I serve it with Trader Joe's marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese.

I add Trader Joe's Just Chicken to almost every meal.

As indicated on the package, Trader Joe's Just Chicken comes ready to heat and serve. In fact, it's one of my go-to items because it allows me to easily add protein to every meal with zero prep time.

The chicken is cooked plain, so I can choose how to season it. I add this to pretty much every dish I make.

The organic French baguettes from Trader Joe's remind me of my favorite snack from Brazil.

Although Trader Joe's doesn't have a bakery, it sells organic French baguettes for $2.

The bread tastes fresh and is an appetizing choice for a turkey sandwich or served as a side dish with butter.

Trader Joe's baguette is so savory it reminds me of my favorite snack growing up in Brazil — a buttered baguette and café con leche.

Trader Joe's organic tomato-basil marinara sauce tastes great on the cauliflower gnocchi.

Trader Joe's organic tomato-basil marinara comes in a 25-ounce jar, which is enough for about four meals.

The sauce's thickness is ideal for cauliflower gnocchi or zucchini noodles. I also love that the basil gives a freshness to the jarred sauce, bringing out the tomato's sweetness.

The organic hummus from Trader Joe's is delicious.

Trader Joe's plain hummus is anything but plain. At $3, the 8-ounce container is a bargain.

The blend of oils and tahini adds flavor to this hummus, which I like to eat with pita chips and vegetables.

It also stays fresh for a while when refrigerated — not that it lasts too long in my fridge.

I like to sauté Trader Joe's organic shredded kale.

Trader Joe's organic shredded kale comes pre-washed, which saves me a lot of prep time. This vegetable helps me hit my daily nutrition goals with a good balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fiber.

I make it almost daily for dinner as a hot dish sautéed with olive oil.

Trader Joe's organic low-calorie lemonade is refreshing.

Nothing is more refreshing than drinking a glass of lemonade on a hot summer day.

However, I like to enjoy Trader Joe's organic low-calorie lemonade year-round because it tastes so good. An 8-ounce cup has only 40 calories.

Trader Joe's spanakopita tastes like an authentic Greek spinach pie.

Trader Joe's spanakopita is stuffed with spinach, ricotta, and feta cheese. It's the closest I've had to an authentic Greek spinach pie from a regular grocery store.

The 12 triangles in the package make a great appetizer that my vegetarian friends enjoy. They taste freshly baked, and people think they're homemade.

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