Kitchen Staples?
I'm trying to kick my habit of ready-to-eat meals but that's pretty much all I've ever known, therefore, I feel like I'm starting at square 1 in my kitchen. I think I'm going to ransack the fridge and cabinets tonight to rid the house of temptation but I don't really know what to replace my french fries and chicken rings with? What are some healthy staples I need at all times, or just some suggestions for my grocery list? I am on a limited budget and SO can't handle really spicy foods due to stomach issues. I'm not a big fan of pork and have always eaten like a 2 year old, hence, why I'm here today:/ Any suggestions guys?
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if you're wanting quick meals then frozen chicken breasts (uncooked). frozen bags of rice (life saver). frozen bags of veggies.0
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I tend to have a lot of frozen veggies at hand, especially spinach and peas. I'm not eating massive amounts of carbs but it's a good idea to have some brown pasta and rice and oatmeal. My weekly shopping list also includes low-fat sausages, chicken breast, canned tuna and shrimp. Tinned tomatoes are helpful for soups.
Right now I'm eating a soup made of vegetable broth, carrots, spinach, peas, leek and sausage bits. Cheap, healthy and filling.
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frozen veggies and frozen rice are always in my freezer. I also keep chicken breast on hand and ground turkey. I also always have pizza dough in the freezer, perfect for a quick Friday night dinner.0
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emeals.com for dinners, they have a great portion control program that gives you a week of dinners
I really enjoy greek yogurt w/ berries, or waffles with pb and banana. Eggs (hardboiled or scrambled)
Lunches are either left overs or a salad.
Baking potatoes or red potatoes, steamable bags of veggies.
You can and should still have the same things you're already eating, maybe less frequently, and definitely in smaller portions. But if you completely deprive yourself of what you're used to, it won't be long term. Make small sustainable changes.
I still have everything I like, but I measure it and make an informed decision on how many calories in my day it will use.
A couple other great websites and resources
Skinnytaste.com
Skinnymom.com
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My 2 cents:
If you can go to Costco or a bulk food store and buy frozen chicken breasts (we get a 10lb bag for $25 at costco). If you're on a budget also try to grab a big bag of frozen veggies (mixed or broccoli if you like that). It pays off in the long run. Also keep an eye for when the things you do like (proteins especially) go on sale and then buy up some in bulk to freeze so you have it on hand if you can.
Whole wheat pasta or rice are good things to have on hand. Then it's really about spices or sauces--what kind of foods do you like to eat? Do you have a crockpot or slow cooker?
In our house (there's 2 of us) we take out 5-6 chicken breasts and put them in a tupperware container (still frozen) sprinkle with seasoning salt and let them defrost overnight. The next day I throw them all in the oven until cooked. I keep these in the fridge for lunches/dinners. Chop it up and shred it and mix in some BBQ sauce and that's tasty. Or instead of salt, you can put on some sort of seasoning before you cook it. Either way, chicken is a really good and versatile staple.
The veggies can be tossed in boiling water and drained and just eaten plain. Or you can add a little butter and salt and garlic powder. Or toss them in a pan to stirfry with some of the chopped up chicken and soy sauce and ginger and you've got a nice topping for rice.
I hope any of this helps... trade your french fries for a baked potato or potato wedges made fresh and you'll save on some calories there too!
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AWESOME! I expected to get back all kinds of off the wall foods I've never heard of or organic only, expensive things. I think I can use these to cook for the family too. I really didn't want to have to prepare 2 separate meals then sit there while everyone else eats yummy stuff and I'm chewing on an avocado or something lol0
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AWESOME! I expected to get back all kinds of off the wall foods I've never heard of or organic only, expensive things. I think I can use these to cook for the family too. I really didn't want to have to prepare 2 separate meals then sit there while everyone else eats yummy stuff and I'm chewing on an avocado or something lol
Lesson 1 - "Chewing on an avocado" counts as "yummy stuff"
You'll learn
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I ditto everyone else of frozen veggies. I buy bulk chicken extra lean ground beef, lean ground turkey and freeze portions myself. I try to keep fresh onion, garlic, potatoes on hand. I also keep no salt added can tomatoes, veggies, beans, and stock. I keep dry rice, pasta and beans too. I keep tortillas around too, they make good pizza crust, wraps, tacos, burritos, breakfast tacos, quesadillas too.0
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AWESOME! I expected to get back all kinds of off the wall foods I've never heard of or organic only, expensive things. I think I can use these to cook for the family too. I really didn't want to have to prepare 2 separate meals then sit there while everyone else eats yummy stuff and I'm chewing on an avocado or something lol
Try really hard to just make 1 meal--it cuts down on the stress and feeling like you're denying yourself.
If you're doing tacos (or chicken tacos) have yours in a hearts of romaine (like this) instead of a tortilla (I happen to like the crunch). Or if you're doing burgers, they have buns and you do yours on top of a salad etc etc. Small substitutions but the overall taste is there and you don't have to do a lot of extra work!0 -
Things I keep on hand:
Chicken breast or chicken thighs
Ground beef
Frozen vegetables
Frozen strawberries or blueberries
Fresh apples and oranges
Canned tomato
Rice
Pasta
Greek yogurt
Eggs
Cheese
Potatoes
Onions
Garlic
Cereal, oatmeal
Bread
Peanut butter
Dry beans, lentils or canned beans
Spaghetti sauce
Herbs and spices- cumin, oregano, basil, thyme, etc
Fresh baby spinach
Carrots
Flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, honey, vinegar, oil, cooking spray, butter, plain yogurt, lemon juice, lime juice, condiments
Frozen bean burritos, frozen french fries, frozen veggie burgers
You should start with some meal planning so you know what to buy for the kind of things you want to eat. You don't have to eat something new and fancy every day. It is okay to rotate a limited menu.
A lot of soups are easy to make. They freeze and reheat well.
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abetterluke wrote: »AWESOME! I expected to get back all kinds of off the wall foods I've never heard of or organic only, expensive things. I think I can use these to cook for the family too. I really didn't want to have to prepare 2 separate meals then sit there while everyone else eats yummy stuff and I'm chewing on an avocado or something lol
Lesson 1 - "Chewing on an avocado" counts as "yummy stuff"
You'll learn
I clearly have much to learn:)0 -
For meats, I always have on hand:
Chicken breast
Ground Beef
Salmon
Steak
Eggs
Salmon takes about 17 minutes to bake at 350F and I put maple syrup on it with some other spices. Very tasty!
Chicken takes about 35 minutes to bake at 400F and you can just season it and have it like that or shred it and make chicken salad out of it for lunches.
Ground Beef I make homemade burgers and throw them on the grill, or fry it in a pan and make Mexican food.
Steak - easy to throw on the grill.
For Veggies/Fruit, I always have:
Sweet Potatoes - for Vitamin A - I roast them and dip them in mayo
Asparagus - Just steamed
Romane lettuce - I have the occasional salad, provides Vitamin A
Mushrooms - I can fry these up and have as a side or throw them into a sauce
White onions - can be added to a lot of recipes
Avocados - excellent nutritional profile, I make guac or have it just as it is with a little steak spice on top
Berries - depending on what's in season - sometimes frozen
Grapes
Bananas
Spinach - for when I'm into making shakes, lots of vitamins there.
I also always have cheddar and mozzarella cheese on hand and other dairy like milk, cream, etc. to be able to make sauces and stuff.
www.foodgawker.com
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AWESOME! I expected to get back all kinds of off the wall foods I've never heard of or organic only, expensive things. I think I can use these to cook for the family too. I really didn't want to have to prepare 2 separate meals then sit there while everyone else eats yummy stuff and I'm chewing on an avocado or something lol
Try really hard to just make 1 meal--it cuts down on the stress and feeling like you're denying yourself.
If you're doing tacos (or chicken tacos) have yours in a hearts of romaine (like this) instead of a tortilla (I happen to like the crunch). Or if you're doing burgers, they have buns and you do yours on top of a salad etc etc. Small substitutions but the overall taste is there and you don't have to do a lot of extra work!
Excellent tip! Thank you!0 -
Dried beans, rice, pasta, other grains are cheap and keep forever and can be cooked in bulk. Frozen veggies in the freezer. I keep bags of nuts and dried fruit and nut butters for snacks. Apples, pears, and oranges can be kept for a while in the refrigerator so you can buy bags of them at a time. I keep canned goods that can be mixed with my meal to improve it a bit, like canned tomatoes, mushrooms, olives. Bags of onions and potatoes keep for a while too. I have all kinds of bread products in my freezer--sandwich thins, tortillas, english muffins. They freeze and then thaw well which allows me to eat have a variety of breads without rushing to eat them all up.0
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check out www.skinnytaste.com she has alot of awesome recipces that are family friendly!0
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Docbanana2002 wrote: »Dried beans, rice, pasta, other grains are cheap and keep forever and can be cooked in bulk. Frozen veggies in the freezer. I keep bags of nuts and dried fruit and nut butters for snacks. Apples, pears, and oranges can be kept for a while in the refrigerator so you can buy bags of them at a time. I keep canned goods that can be mixed with my meal to improve it a bit, like canned tomatoes, mushrooms, olives. Bags of onions and potatoes keep for a while too. I have all kinds of bread products in my freezer--sandwich thins, tortillas, english muffins. They freeze and then thaw well which allows me to eat have a variety of breads without rushing to eat them all up.
Apples, pears and oranges should never be kept in the fridge.
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I always have on hand:
Chicken Breasts
Ground Turkey
Ground Lean (90%) Beef
Lean Beef Steak
Eggs
Fresh/Frozen Broccoli
Fresh/Frozen Cauliflower
Fresh/Frozen Leeks (so yummy)
Fresh Snow Peas
Fresh/Frozen Corn (more for the DH)
Potatoes/Flakes (can't get over why my DH prefers flakes. Well, I do. I make them too full of butter, cream, etc.)
Onions
Whole Wheat Bread
Tortillas (I like corn, I just grill and HE likes flour)
Pasta
Brown Rice (these can go rancid, so I buy small size)
Canned Tomatoes/Tomato Sauce (and fresh, from my garden)
Canned Artichokes
Canned Olives
Canned Black Beans
Canned Bush's Beans
Canned Albacore Tuna in Water
Peanut Butter
Dry Beans
Flour (White, Rice, Almond)
Baking Soda
Powder Soda
Corn Starch
Yeast
Sugar
Dry and Evaporated Milk
Butter
Mayo and Miracle Whip
Mustard
Ketchup
Jellies/Jams
Oils (Olive, Canola, Peanut - all used in my "Misto" $9.99; much cheaper than "Pam".)
Spices too many to say LOL (but must have garlic, onion, CURRY, salt and black and white pepper.)
As others have said, don't give away all of the stuff that is "bad". Learn to live within you calorie's allot and enjoy your life. I eat a LOT of things that some think are "bad" foods but I have lost more than 30 pounds and have only 5 pounds until I start maintenance.
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Docbanana2002 wrote: »Dried beans, rice, pasta, other grains are cheap and keep forever and can be cooked in bulk. Frozen veggies in the freezer. I keep bags of nuts and dried fruit and nut butters for snacks. Apples, pears, and oranges can be kept for a while in the refrigerator so you can buy bags of them at a time. I keep canned goods that can be mixed with my meal to improve it a bit, like canned tomatoes, mushrooms, olives. Bags of onions and potatoes keep for a while too. I have all kinds of bread products in my freezer--sandwich thins, tortillas, english muffins. They freeze and then thaw well which allows me to eat have a variety of breads without rushing to eat them all up.
Apples, pears and oranges should never be kept in the fridge.
Never ever?0 -
Docbanana2002 wrote: »Dried beans, rice, pasta, other grains are cheap and keep forever and can be cooked in bulk. Frozen veggies in the freezer. I keep bags of nuts and dried fruit and nut butters for snacks. Apples, pears, and oranges can be kept for a while in the refrigerator so you can buy bags of them at a time. I keep canned goods that can be mixed with my meal to improve it a bit, like canned tomatoes, mushrooms, olives. Bags of onions and potatoes keep for a while too. I have all kinds of bread products in my freezer--sandwich thins, tortillas, english muffins. They freeze and then thaw well which allows me to eat have a variety of breads without rushing to eat them all up.
Apples, pears and oranges should never be kept in the fridge.
Never ever?0 -
And I buy lots of produce but I use it as fast as I can. Too expensive to throw it away from my hiding it in the fridge.0
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If you buy can goods beware of sodium! Buy the no salt added variety. High sodium will keep "calories in calories out" from working. Huge year long lesson!
Also, keep you rewards frozen in 3 bite portions. I kept homemade brownies and banana bread in the freezer to have as a treat, that I planned for. In the beginning I had one everyday. Now I never get into them. But the three bite rule is great for keeping portions control in check. (you taste buds lose their since of "food pleasure" after 3 bites. They are desensitized as you finish the whole serving.) With just three bites, every bite is great and calories or limited.0 -
I always have a wide variety of fruit, veggies, and nuts for quick snacks.0
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Great tips here, but I'd like to add: Start with what you like and recipes you want to try out and buy ingredients for that! No reason to buy large amounts of random stuff that will only fill up your cabinets and/or be thrown out. After a while you will know what you need and your taste buds will accommodate to your new way of eating, so you'll naturally want to try new things.0
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Y'all have been incredibly helpful! I'm actually excited to go home and throw out the Debbie cakes so that I can start this journey without temptation at home. Thank you so much!!!0
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Off the top of my head...
Meat
Boneless, skinless chicken breast
Lean ground beef - 93/7 usually, 96/4 if I can find it
Thin-cut boneless pork chops
Lean steak
Freezer
Frozen vegetables - broccoli mostly, but I also like a few of the Green Giant steamers
Waffles
Produce
Baby spinach
Blueberries
Watermelon
Strawberries
Raspberries
Bananas
Pantry
Oatmeal
Rice - usually brown, but I like the Uncle Ben Ready Rice
Bread
Tortillas
Rice cakes - caramel and chocolate crunch are my favorites
Canned beans
Canned tomato sauce
Peanut butter - right now I have 4 types of peanut butter and chocolate PB2 in my kitchen
Kodiak Power Cakes waffle/pancake mix
Fiber One brownies
Miscellaneous
Condiments - regular and reduced sugar ketchup, mustard, Ranch
Spices - onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, cinnamon, baking powder, vanilla extract, salt, pepper, Kernel Seasons cheddar and white cheddar cheese, chili powder, paprika
Salsa
Stevia in the Raw
Walden Farms products - pancake syrup, chocolate syrup, blueberry syrup
Refrigerator
Plain or flavored Greek yogurt
Cottage cheese
Unsweetened cashew milk
Eggs and liquid egg whites
Cheese - Sargenta Ultra Thin sliced cheeses, block cheese, shredded cheese, Parmesan cheese, string cheese, etc.
Sparkling water
The Essentials
Quest bars
Cellucor whey
I also have french fries and ice cream in the freezer right now, because why not? IIFYM. Can't have sloppy joes or grilled burgers without some Ore Ida Golden Crinkles, yo. And ice cream every night - every. single. night.0 -
tephanies1234 wrote: »Docbanana2002 wrote: »Dried beans, rice, pasta, other grains are cheap and keep forever and can be cooked in bulk. Frozen veggies in the freezer. I keep bags of nuts and dried fruit and nut butters for snacks. Apples, pears, and oranges can be kept for a while in the refrigerator so you can buy bags of them at a time. I keep canned goods that can be mixed with my meal to improve it a bit, like canned tomatoes, mushrooms, olives. Bags of onions and potatoes keep for a while too. I have all kinds of bread products in my freezer--sandwich thins, tortillas, english muffins. They freeze and then thaw well which allows me to eat have a variety of breads without rushing to eat them all up.
Apples, pears and oranges should never be kept in the fridge.
Never ever?
I found this for you but apples do tend to get "mealy" if stored in the fridge.
Apples: Apples, just like tomatoes, start to loose flavor and texture after spending time in the fridge. Leave them on the counter, and toss them in the fridge for 30 minutes prior to eating if you want a crisp bite.
Citrus: Store oranges, lemons, and limes at room temperature on your kitchen counter. Just be careful not to bunch them too closely, or they will tend to mold.0 -
Just a note: I'm subscribing, because I fin myself in a similar (though less-stressful) position to @moledew 's. I'm just beginning to attack my own lack of kitchen skillz.
I can offer that chicken breasts are my friend and I pre-cook a week's worth every weekend (Crockpot and shred). Also, I've found that a decent crockpot and a contact grill (cheap George Foreman style) have been invaluable so far for effort reductions to help ease my transition.
Thanks @moledew , for starting a thread that I've needed for some time.0 -
lunch meat, hummus, frozen yogurt bars, bread, soy milk, cereal, and fruit. I sometimes bake a whole pan of fresh veggies in the oven 350 for about 35-45 minutes. Cauliflower, carrots, broccoli, red peppers, onion, tossed with a little olive oil and sprinkled with herbs de provence and fresh thyme. Fresh out of oven- yum yum. And then I store the rest to add to whatever else I eat during the week- pasta, salads, potatoes... almost anything!0
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I often buy a small roast beef, prepare it on Saturday or Sunday, then cut it thin. Wrap the slices up in plastic and store them in the freezer. Microwave or defrost for ready-to-go protein.
Agree about frozen vegetables.
Agree about having dried fruits and nuts on hand.
If you have a small electric chopper, you can toss carrots, celery, peppers, etc. into a quickie salad to mix with tuna or hard boiled eggs.0 -
Things I keep on hand:
Chicken breast or chicken thighs
Ground beef
Frozen vegetables
Frozen strawberries or blueberries
Fresh apples and oranges
Canned tomato
Rice
Pasta
Greek yogurt
Eggs
Cheese
Potatoes
Onions
Garlic
Cereal, oatmeal
Bread
Peanut butter
Dry beans, lentils or canned beans
Spaghetti sauce
Herbs and spices- cumin, oregano, basil, thyme, etc
Fresh baby spinach
Carrots
Flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, honey, vinegar, oil, cooking spray, butter, plain yogurt, lemon juice, lime juice, condiments
This is practically my list, as well. I like hummus as a sub for mayo, as well.
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