Shopping Cart/Pantry Staples
Hi Caught in Southie Readers!
Your friends at Nutritious Navigation thought we’d chat about a topic we are often asked about from family, friends, and clients…Shopping Cart/Pantry Staples!
We try to be adventurous with delving into new recipes to keep things interesting and less repetitive, but as we all know, life can get in the way. We believe in always keeping “staples” in our kitchen so there’s always something to cook or eat at home even in on the craziest of days. This habit may eliminate relying on takeout too much.
We’ll categorize these staples into food groups to ensure you’re still eating a healthy balance of foods. Here are some of our favorites:
Fruits/vegetables:
- Fresh fruits – look for what’s in season
- Frozen fruits – great to add to your morning yogurt or oatmeal
- Frozen non-starchy vegetables – perfect pairing for stir-fries
- A head of romaine – to build an easy salad
- Sweet potato – after a few minutes in the microwave or ~40 minutes in the oven, you have a high-fiber side
Protein:
- Eggs – a meal for any time of the day and can be very portable if you enjoy them hard-boiled. Who said you can’t have a veggie omelet for dinner?!
- Canned/pouches of tuna & salmon
- Canned beans, pre-cooked lentils – a filling side with protein & fiber!
- Nut butters
- Yogurt, milk (cow’s milk, soy, or almond) , and cheese (preferably pre-portioned)
Carbohydrates:
- Oatmeal (quick oats or steel cut)
- Whole wheat/whole grain cereals and breads (keeping bread frozen may prevent spoiling)
- Whole grain rice/ quinoa – to pair with protein and vegetables or include as a base of a grain salad
Remember, preparing your own meals plays such an important part in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. We all love to go out to eat and treat ourselves to takeout, but try to practice the “80/20” principle – 80% of the time, work towards preparing your own healthy meals and the other 20% of the time, use to treat yourself to something you’re craving.
We hope sharing some of our favorite food staples will help in your meal prep! Nutritious Navigation is happy to help with any food shopping questions and/or meal planning ideas! Check us out: www.nutritiousnavigation.com
