What staples do you keep in the pantry or on your shopping l
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Atlantique
Posts: 2,484 Member
Many of us have gotten far too accustomed to eating things out of boxes or take-out containers and are now trying to cook healthier food at home. For those of us who never really cooked before, this is a big challenge!
Can those of you who do cook healthy at home recommend some staples that you try to keep in your pantry? I mean real food--not other processed stuff (or as little of that as possible). Things you find yourself frequently using in your homemade meals.
Can those of you who do cook healthy at home recommend some staples that you try to keep in your pantry? I mean real food--not other processed stuff (or as little of that as possible). Things you find yourself frequently using in your homemade meals.
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Replies
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Barley
Canned tomatoes and tomato paste
a well stocked spice rack
whole grain pastas
dried beans, peas, lentils
flour
Knorr Vegetarian Vegetable cubes
brown sugar
baking powder & soda
salt
arborio rice
brown rice
vanilla
oats
dried fruits
onions, garlic
(and a fridge full of fresh vegetables, some fruit, cheese)0 -
Chicken breasts - I cook some up every Sunday so I can use them in salads or in meals. Egg whites in the carton, oatmeal (rolled oats, the kind you slow cook without sugar), bag of baby spinach to sautee in garlic and olive oil for breakfast, lunch or dinner, cherry tomatoes, bananas, apples, mandarin easy-to-peel clementines, light cheese sticks and nuts. I do NOT buy junk food because if it is in the house, I WILL EAT IT.0
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Natural peanut butter
Whole wheat pasta
Diced tomatoes
Sweet and white potatoes
Bananas
Apples
Onions
Unsweetened coconut
honey
whole wheat bread
raisins
canned salmon
sardines
tuna
beans
brown and white rice
Spices of all kinds (we buy in bulk at Sam's)
Here's some of the things we eat regularly. Of course there's the cold stuff in the fridge which would be our veggies and stuff.0 -
I always have brown rice and black beans along with some kind of homemade salsa (I make one with corn and black beans and one with mangos and avocados). I always have tons of fruit (mostly apples and clementines right now) along with fresh avocados, celery, and nuts. I also buy Fiber One bars to get in my chocolate fix and I usually keep dried cherries/cranberries for salads. And keep stuff handy for protein shakes!!0
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I always have chicken, assorted vegetables, and frozen, steamable brown rice on hand (Bird's Eye). It's easy for a quick stir fry or just a quick meal. As far as vegetables, I like to eat squash and peppers more than anything but that's just my preference. And a must have snack for me is Greek yogurt.0
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organic brown rice! it's probably what i eat most!
you can serve with practically any meat and/or veggie and it even serves as a breakfast food.
sometimes i use it as cereal (stay with me here)
i take it out of the fridge and warm in microwave for a mere 10-15 seconds. add a dash of cinnamon about an ounce of raisins and pour some rice milk in the bowl.
SO GOOD!
that's my staple.0 -
I'm a big lover of vegetables- I always have portabello mushrooms and spinach in my fridge. Quick easy side dish is to cut up the mushrooms in slices, spray some cooking oil spray with 0 cals in a skillet and saute away, when the mushrooms are almost done add the spinach. Really is delicious and flavorful with no salt or anything! I also used this mixture on top of low carb/cal tortilla's with fat free ricotta- baked for 10 minutes in the oven. So healthy and low cal!
I also keep cherry tomatoes/ yellow sunburt tomatoes on hand at all time as a snack. I would suggest keeping ingredients for your favorite salad always in your fridge. Don't stock up on snack foods like crackers or chips because that stuff is what you'll resort to if you are feeling lazy.
Laughing cow cheese wedges have been a great substitute for me since I love cheese. I make turkey sandwhichs with it, low carb tortilla wraps etc...
In my pantry- I always have quinoa, oatmeal, organic brown rice. Canned tuna- (to make with with fat free mayo)
Hope that helps a bit! Good luck
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I'm not really a home cookin' guru, but I've been trying to do better too! I like to keep fresh veggies and fruits around always and chicken of course. Wheat breads, eggs, extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), light butter, non fat milk...etc.0
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Salsa, Greek Yogurt .. make great toppings/sauces for a lot of things.
Some spices for cooking meat/fish - even the McCormick already mixed up stuff (Fiery Blend, Montreal Chicken/Steak, Rosemary Garlic, etc are all good on fish, chicken, steak simply broiled).
Tons of vegetables - the steamfresh frozen stuff is good for you and won't go bad. Apples, Oranges, Bananas.0 -
My go to is Brown Rice! I love it. It is easy, you can make it in big batches and bag it up, re-heat it up and enjoy it with butter and salt or add it ANYTHING. Last night alone, I browned up some garlic, onions and ground turkey meat. I added the rice to make it a meal or a snack, my choice.
Another one is healthy peanut butter. This is easy and when I want something sweet I eat one spoonful or put it on celery.
Green Smoothies are my salvation.
Apples. When was the last time you enjoyed one? This sweet taste, revitalizes my sweet tooth and there are so many varieties that my taste can get satisfied each time.
Want something sweet? Flour-less peanut butter cookies! Who knew? Delicious, period.
Salsa and chips.
----thanks for the barley reminder!
I agree with the spices. Make your food TASTE delicious and you will not want anything else.0 -
sweet potatoes
potatoes
quinoa
wild rice (or brown rice)
lentils
cans of no-salt-added beans (since I don't like taking the time to soak/cook the beans myself) - black, garbanzo, pinto, kidney
cans of tuna (the lowest sodium I can find at a reasonable price)
oats
flax seed (I buy the seeds whole and grind them in a coffee bean grinder that is reserved for non-coffee stuff)
olive oil
Natural PB (read the labels! "Natural" isn't regulated... I buy PB with ONE ingredient - peanuts!)
Raw almonds - no salt added
Refrigerated Staples (non-pantry)
all the fresh/frozen (without sauce/salt) veggies that is practical to keep around (enough to have options without them going bad)
skinless/boneless chicken breasts
ground turkey (I buy the 93% lean type)
Egg whites
Eggs
Yogurt (I buy yogurt that is only milk and the bacteria - no other ingredients)0 -
Hi!! I TRY to cook healthy as much as possible. I the two main meats I cook are salmon and chicken then just vary the recipes. It surprising how many ways you can cook something. I keep a variety of vegetables (broccoli, asparagus, corn, green beans, zuccini, squash) and fruits. I put the veggies with my meals (lunch and dinner) and use the fruits for breakfast and snacks. as far as pantry staples, I keep a load of seasonings to use on my chicken or fish. some of them off the top of my head are lemon pepper, smoky bbq rub, cajun, southwest, sweek hickory...and tons more, just look in the seasoning isle. I keep wheat flour, corn muffin mix, canned veggies for in a pinch, pam spray, sauces like Franks red hot (0 cals) Mustard (also 0 cals) bbq sauce, soy sauce, olive oil (very healthy for cooking). whole wheat pastas, ingredients for homeade tomato sauce (canned tomatoes, tomato sauces, onions garlic) brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pepper.... Sorry i cant thinkg of much off the top of my head. when I get home I will look and add more!! good luck!0
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tilapia
salmon
chicken breasts
shrimp
ground turkey
potatoes
jasmine rice
brown rice
strawberries
blackberries
blueberries
bananas
corn (frozen)
brussel sprouts (frozen)
baby spinach
tomatoes
orzo
whole grain pastas
large variety of spices
i have all of those things in my fridge, freezer or pantry as we speak 0 -
Things that I always have on hand,
Canned toamtoes, whole wheat pasta, onions, garlic, milk, eggs, egg whites, sardines, chick peas (for hummus), quinoa, brown rice, frozen shrimp, frozen chiken breasts, all natural peanut butter, whole wheat bread, healthy cereal, bag of frozen fruits (for smoothies).
Things I buy if I go the grocery store,
Fresh protein (lean beef, fresh fish filet),
fresh vegetables: broccoli, bell peppers, sweet potato. those are my go to veggies, I can stir fry them with garlic and some greek seasoning in 15 minutes for a healthy large portion of vegetables. Any other good looking vegetable that is affordable i will pick up and try as well, i bought endives this week for the first time, yummy. Green beans are excellent as well.0 -
Pantry:
Brown rice
Dried beans
Dry pasta (I buy Ronzoni Smart taste spaghetti)
No salt added canned tomatoes
Onions (you can dice and freeze if you need too)
Potatoes or sweet potatoes (I usually buy when I plan on making them)
Seasoned Bread Crumbs
Olive Oil
Low sodium Chicken Broth
Whole wheat bread
Light soy sauce (ha, ha, I typed out sodium sauce at first... which is a pretty accurate name)
Refrigerator:
Eggs
Butter (no, I don't use often but I want it there when I need it!)
Nonfat milk
Parmesan Cheese (fresh lasts a while, but grated is fine too!)
Cheddar cheese (shredded or block… block will last longer)
Fresh fruit (whatever is in season)
Lettuce or salad mix
Lowfat sour cream
Freezer:
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (bought in bulk and frozen in 1-pound portions)
Frozen stirfry mix
Frozen grean beans or corn
Peppers (buy fresh, slice and freeze)
Spices/seasonings:
Fresh garlic
Dried basil
Dried oregano
Garlic salt
Paprika
Black Pepper
Sea Salt
Items I usually buy fresh when I need them:
Ground turkey
Tomatoes
Fresh broccoli
Avocado (LOVE avocados!)
Mushrooms0 -
Balsamic vinegar
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Pepper
Basil
Oregano
hot Chilli powder
Cumin
Paprika
Cayenne Papper
Chinese All spice
Fresh lemons
Fresh garlic
Fresh chilli
Red Onion
White Onion
Peppers (green, red and orange)
Passata
You can make even the most bland of food taste amazing just using one or two of the above...0 -
cottage cheese
chicken
eggs
tuna
brown rice
whole wheat pasta
whole wheat bread
oatmeal
diced tomatos (toss a couple cans in with some whole wheat pasta and chicken and add some basil/pepper/salt for an easy and healthy meal)
frozen veggies
onion
olive oil0 -
amazing lists here,
Its cool how similar all the lists are and goes to show what healthy eating people have on hand to make their most commond meals.
With a little practice, all those items become second nature manipulate and cook with.0 -
These are great lists. I would add whole wheat couscous. It is yummy and so easy to cook.0
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Pantry:
Canned salmon
Wasa crispbread
brown rice
canned beans (black, pintos, cannellini, I like a variety)
oatmeal
Perishables I always have on hand:
Fresh broccoli (my fav)
Plain Greek yogurt
Boneless/skinless chicken breast and thighs
Ground turkey
Ground cornmeal (for polenta)
Skim milk
Laughing Cow light wedges
Multiple varieties of hot sauce0
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