Everything here is from Trader Joe’s except the sauce.

How I learned to make simple, healthy and cheap meals

I’m no Julia Child. I hate to cook, and I’m a fussy eater — a bad combination, especially when money is tight.

However, retirement now gives me the time to plan my shopping and menu more prudently, an extra challenge when you live alone. I’ve become more adventuresome as well. I started using onion in a lot of dishes. I add tomatoes — a favorite — to sandwiches, etc. I’m using fresh herbs and other spices for the first time!

Pizza

Who knew homemade pizza could be so easy (and cheap!) to make at home? And pretty tasty, too.

The finished product: Sauce, cheese, artichokes, cherry tomatoes, chicken sausage.

I buy Monteli organic pizza crusts from Trader Joe’s (where I buy 90 percent of my food). They’re gluten free without GMO ingredients and made in wood-fired ovens in Italy, just $3.29. They are frozen (two to a pack), so they have a bit of sodium.

I simply add two-third cups of sauce and cheese and then toppings. I try to be healthy so I usually add artichokes, tomatoes and already cooked chicken sausage, all from Trader Joe’s.

In a 420-degree oven for just five minutes and a meal fit for a lazy cook!