What are your essentials for cooking?

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greeneyedgirl829
greeneyedgirl829 Posts: 335
in Food and Nutrition
What's always in your cabinet (or fridge) that you use alot for cooking? I need to get a better idea of healthy staple items haha

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  • lilmissy2
    lilmissy2 Posts: 595 Member
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    For core food items, we really eat what we buy each week so never really have any one food always there. For flavours etc though

    Wholegrain mustard
    Low fat natural yoghurt
    Balsamic vinegar
    Black peppercorns
    Various spices - cumin, coriander, paprika, tumeric
    Garlic
    Ginger
    Soy, Hoisin, Oyster and Fish sauces
  • shanolap
    shanolap Posts: 1,204 Member
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    Hi! I am always looking for new and tasty ingredients to use in my cooking as well as affordable and easy to use as well. Here are a few ideas:

    Egg Beaters: Scrambles, Omelets or Quiches using a variety of fillings.

    Roasted Red Peppers in jars and canned Artichoke Hearts in water. Toppings for pizza, fillings for eggs or wraps.

    Frozen Chicken Tenders...so easy to cook!

    Rice cakes, Laughing Cow Lite cheese and salsa makes a great snack!

    Soup in cartons (organic and approx 70 cals a cup) add with a Lean Cuisine for lunch. Or Burger King has a side salad for $1 that is 60 cals (no dressing or croutons).

    LOTS of fresh fruit and veggies. I try to double the amount of each in whatever recipe I am making.
  • DeathIsMyGift
    DeathIsMyGift Posts: 434 Member
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    I cook every night so let's see...I use a lot of olive oil. spices. jasmine rice. boneless skinless chicken tenderloins. ground turkey. Fresh Express Tender Ruby Reds (spinach and red lettuce). chicken broth. bell peppers. red onions.

    yeah, that's about it. lol. cheese too depending on what I cook.
  • KAskinny
    KAskinny Posts: 50
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    most of all those things the previous folks mentioned and black beans. I love black beans!
    also, I always keep lots of various canned tomato stuff. I also love to snack on okra that's been roasted under the broiler and hot chili sauce. I eat that with sandwhiches instead of chips, super yummy!
  • gecallo
    gecallo Posts: 135
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    Excellent topic!

    I always make sure I'm stocked with:
    whey protein
    eggs
    whole wheat and/or multi-grain bread
    brown rice
    oatmeal
    fruits (especially banana's)
    green veggies
    boneless/skinless chicken breast
    tuna (in water)
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
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    I use a lot of peppers of every color and a lot of onions in almost everything I make.
  • amk44
    amk44 Posts: 159
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    Too funny... I was going to post a similar question and never got around to it... :happy:

    My essentials are:

    - 35 calorie whole wheat bread
    - oatmeal
    - tuna, salmon, sardines, tilapia, and/or shrimp
    - chicken, turkey, or pork
    - spices and herbs
    - eggs (of which I mostly use just the whites)
    - lots of apples, because I make apple sauce which we enjoy (with or without other added fruits) and I use the sauce in oil free recipes
    - fresh pineapple (and whatever other fresh fruits are on sale)
    - romaine and spinach
    - onions and garlic
    - fresh vegetables, including at various times: sweet potatoes, beets, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, celery, green beans, etc
    - walnuts and almonds, although I use them sparingly.

    I could probably just sum it up by saying I try to keep processed foods to a minimum - I pretty much keep the kitchen stocked with all kinds of fresh stuff. The one utensil that I would never give up is my steamer... :happy:
  • jienelle
    jienelle Posts: 29
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    I always have:

    Garlic
    Onions
    Tomato
    Carrots
    Celery
    Milk
    Cheese
    Rice
    Pasta
    Eggs
    Bananas, Apples, or Watermelon
    Oatmeal
    I only use Olive Oil...
    I keep a lot of herbs/spices in the house too

    I cook a lot of Filipino, Chinese-fusion, Mediterranean/Italian, and Mexican dishes. At least one of these items seems to be in every meal.
  • breakingthepath
    breakingthepath Posts: 124
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    I always have...

    diced tomatoes
    beans
    onions
    bell peppers
    mushrooms
    heavy cream
    broth
    sausage/bacon
    dark greens (collard, etc)
    zucchini
    cheese
    low sodium v8
    seasonal fruits
    potatoes
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
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    Olive Oil
    Chicken
    Peppers & Onions
    Cheese for my boyfriend (didn't realize how easily I could cut back on cheese! Wow...)
    Eggs
    Milk
    Snacks (usually fruits, pretzels, 100 calorie kettle corn bags)

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