Kitchen Staples?
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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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I do find it helps to prepare things ahead of time. Everybody else gave excellent ideas on what to buy. When I get home from the grocery store or farmer's market, I dump all my produce in a sink full of water, wash it and dry it. I chop up things like celery, carrots and onions that I use the most. I chop up whatever vegetables (except the lettuce) I plan to put in my salads that week. If I think I'll snack on vegetables, I'll get those cut up, too. Then, when it's time to make a salad or stir fry or casserole or soup, or even throw a handful of veggies in my scrambled eggs, I just have to reach in the fridge and everything's ready to go.
I often cook meat in my crockpot then portion it out into ziploc baggies and keep in in the freezer, ready to thaw quickly and throw on a salad or in a quick main dish or soup. I also keep serving sized portions of raw fish or meat in ziploc bags in the freezer so I don't need to take the time to thaw a big package of something when I'm in a hurry.
I like canned fish. Canned wild caught salmon is cheap and healthy, and you can make salmon patties easily for a quick dinner. Tuna is always in my cupboard because tuna casserole is quick and easy to make when I'm tired and hungry (or tuna salad or tuna sandwiches or just to throw a little extra protein on a salad. I even keep sardines and oysters on hand for variety.
If you have staples on hand, you can always throw together dinner. Put some proportioned (cooked or not) meat in a pan, add some frozen or fresh vegetables, throw in some rice, beans, pasta, potatoes. Add a splash of chicken or vegetable broth and some seasonings and you have dinner in a few minutes. Choose basil & oregano for an Italian dish, cumin and chili powder for a spicy dinner, curry powder for Indian flavor, etc.
Probably my favorite treat is eating an avocado, but I'm weird.
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Tried30UserNames wrote: »I like canned fish. Canned wild caught salmon is cheap and healthy, and you can make salmon patties easily for a quick dinner. Tuna is always in my cupboard because tuna casserole is quick and easy to make when I'm tired and hungry (or tuna salad or tuna sandwiches or just to throw a little extra protein on a salad. I even keep sardines and oysters on hand for variety.
I'm not a big sardine fan but I am very curious about the canned salmon. I've never tried it. I eat tuna pretty regularly. I guess for some reason I've always assumed canned salmon would be terrible...but it really isn't any crazier of an idea than canned tuna...
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abetterluke wrote: »Tried30UserNames wrote: »I like canned fish. Canned wild caught salmon is cheap and healthy, and you can make salmon patties easily for a quick dinner. Tuna is always in my cupboard because tuna casserole is quick and easy to make when I'm tired and hungry (or tuna salad or tuna sandwiches or just to throw a little extra protein on a salad. I even keep sardines and oysters on hand for variety.
I'm not a big sardine fan but I am very curious about the canned salmon. I've never tried it. I eat tuna pretty regularly. I guess for some reason I've always assumed canned salmon would be terrible...but it really isn't any crazier of an idea than canned tuna...
Love canned salmon for croquettes. Make sure to buy high quality add celery, onion, some Lawry's Season Salt or Old Bay if you like it, add a little Panko. Pan fry and it's awesome. I know so people like to add a little mayo but I find the canned salmon has enough fat for me.0 -
abetterluke wrote: »Tried30UserNames wrote: »I like canned fish. Canned wild caught salmon is cheap and healthy, and you can make salmon patties easily for a quick dinner. Tuna is always in my cupboard because tuna casserole is quick and easy to make when I'm tired and hungry (or tuna salad or tuna sandwiches or just to throw a little extra protein on a salad. I even keep sardines and oysters on hand for variety.
I'm not a big sardine fan but I am very curious about the canned salmon. I've never tried it. I eat tuna pretty regularly. I guess for some reason I've always assumed canned salmon would be terrible...but it really isn't any crazier of an idea than canned tuna...
Love canned salmon for croquettes. Make sure to buy high quality add celery, onion, some Lawry's Season Salt or Old Bay if you like it, add a little Panko. Pan fry and it's awesome. I know so people like to add a little mayo but I find the canned salmon has enough fat for me.
Nice I'll try this soon. Thank you!
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U R Welcome! Let me know what you think. 0
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