Food staples?

Pretty much the same stuff I kept when I wasn't trying to lose weight. My food preference shift pretty frequently regardless of weight loss goals, though.

I think people just need to spend time figuring out what their preferences are (hopefully that's not too difficult?), what their maintenance looks like in terms of intake, and what combination of foods makes adhering easiest for whatever the goal may be.

A more specific answer will require a more specific question with fewer variables.

I always keep a lot of fresh berries in my fridge to make smoothies and purees with. I use the purees on cottage cheese, and in my green tea. I also keep my fridge stocked with Atkins protein shakes. I eat a lot of chicken and fish. I buy my fish fresh from the meat counter at my favorite grocery store. My Swai fish is bigger, fresher and less expensive than buying it frozen in a bag. Vegetables are great when roasted with some rosemary, garlic and other Italian seasonings (and olive oil). I get bored with steamed broccoli sometimes, so I roast it, or make stir fry. It is all tasty food and full of vitamins, and a change up can make your food fun and interesting. Good luck (-:

Definitely get thyself a BIG fruit bowl for your kitchen counter, and maybe even one for work. This way they're always visible and the first thing you see when you want to snack. The rule at my house is: if you're not hungry enough to eat fruit for snack, you're not really hungry.

Also having pre-cut veggies in the fridge makes all the difference in the world. Carrot sticks would take too long to chop? No they wouldn't... Dinner would be quicker to order out? Nope, just toss precut veggies into a pan with a chicken breast and some kind of spices/sauce. This way the excuse 'I'm busy and need convince foods' is no longer a viable one.

My "must-haves" include carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, yogurt and eggs (along with a variety of fruit)

Well, if I go by my "frequent foods" list, it would be: boneless skinless chicken breast, 1% milk, cheddar cheese, romaine lettuce, lite sour cream, jalapeno cheddar cheese, baby spinach, whole wheat pita bread and double stuf Oreos.

To that I would add: frozen strawberries, various other frozen fruits depending on mood, good salad dressing, spices/seasonings of all kinds, tomatoes and canned tomato products (sauce, paste, etc.), ground beef, flour tortillas, onions, broccoli, cottage cheese, various beans, cilantro, and chocolate.

Other than that, the standard kitchen staples are always on hand - flour, sugar, butter, pasta, eggs, etc. These are used for various things and can be incorporated in to a weight loss plan.

For someone else, I would recommend finding the things you love that fit your calorie goals and incorporating those regularly. After you figure out your basics, look to try new things to keep from getting bored, and herbs and spices can definitely be your friend when you are cutting calories because they can taken boring and ordinary to delicious.