What are some of your household staples?

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allisonshaw710
allisonshaw710 Posts: 52 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi,
I am starting MFP today and am going for a healthy-food grocery trip this afternoon.

So, what are some foods that you always have on hand for the week? What are the essentials that are a "must buy"? Perhaps some easy recipe suggestions?

Thank You!
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Replies

  • oxFaithxo
    oxFaithxo Posts: 160 Member
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    Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast... they are good for everything: Salad, tacos, baked, pan fried with veggies, grilled, BBQ

    endless possibilities... and better than pork or red meat :happy:
  • ColemanM
    ColemanM Posts: 16
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    Fruits and veggies of all sorts
  • TakuraHunt
    TakuraHunt Posts: 208
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    I agree with the boneless skinless chicken breast, I also always try to make sure I have some yogurt and fruit on hand.
  • Heatherbelle_87
    Heatherbelle_87 Posts: 1,078 Member
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    We always have:

    Fresh Fruit Variety (apples, bananas, mangos, in season berries, oranges)
    Fresh veggies&salad makings (lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, Onions, Potatoes)
    Favorite low-cal salad dressing (s)
    Fresh meat (we vacuum seal and freeze bulk meats ourself) chicken is our staple but we like lean red meats also
    Oatmeal & anything you prefer to mix into it
  • sharleengc
    sharleengc Posts: 792 Member
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    Here are a few of our staples, some may be a little higher in calories but they fill you up and we still stay under the calorie goal:

    Eggs
    Turkey Bacon
    Bulk Vanilla Almond granola (from a local organic store - it's very sweet and works as a breakfast or a sweet snack)
    Bulk whole grain brown rice (from the same store)
    Dryers slow churned frozen yogurt (120 cal vs 220+ for the ice cream)
    Kids cones - (15 cal - a serving size of the frozen yogurt fits perfectly in one of the kids cones and you're still under what normal ice cream is!)
    Jeanie - o turkey cutletts
    Fresh stir fry veggies - Not sure where you shop but in Albertsons by the pre-mixed salads they have fresh stir fry veggies in bags
    Lettuce or salad blends

    I won't go too much more in depth but those are some things we always have on hand. I have a few recipes so feel free to add or message me for anything else!
  • katzav
    katzav Posts: 67
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    eggs. i eat an egg white and a high fiber lo cal english muffin almost every morning.

    high fiber and protein snack bars. in case i come home starving i can eat one (or sometimes just half) of one and not totally blow my diet, or i throw one in my purse instead of stopping at a fast food joint if i'm going to be out for a long time.

    baby greens. i love them. i put them on sandwiches as well as the salad i make with dinner nightly.

    greek yogurt. i use it instead of sour cream often, and it's super high in protein.

    good luck! and have fun with it!
  • guppygirl322
    guppygirl322 Posts: 408 Member
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    Brown basmati rice. It's the tastiest brown rice I've ever had.

    Fresh veggies. Especially green ones. I love them steamed, with brown rice, but you can do stir fries too. Protein of your choice. I'm a vegetarian so I tend to go for beans (omg I love chick peas) and tofu. Lean chicken or beef is good too though.

    Plain non fat greek yogurt. This has become my favorite thing EVER. I make parfaits with it. 1/2 cup greek yogurt, fresh fruit of your choice, a tsp of sweetener (I use brown rice syrup or honey) and a small sprinkle of granola. Less than 200 calories and it's my favorite breakfast, but it also makes a great dessert. Greek yogurt is also good on baked potatoes instead of sour cream. It has a TON of protein.

    Fresh fruit.

    Make sure that the fruit and veggies you get are in season. That is when they taste the best and you will enjoy them more. If you have a local farmer's market I would suggest hitting that if you can.
  • damcool
    damcool Posts: 97 Member
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    I don't know if you like salad, but if you do, try this...romaine, cucumber, tomato, red pepper, green olives, 1 tbsp sunflower seeds, and Kraft low fat three cheese ranch...130 cals about 2-3 cups worth. I also drink either tea or coffee(1/2 caffeine) in between lunch and dinner. It keeps me from munching away. Of course stay away from canned or microwavable foods. Toooooo much sodium!!! Congrats on your desire to get fit!!:smile:
  • renku
    renku Posts: 182 Member
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    Yogurt and frozen fruit have become my staple breakfast.

    I like a variety of food, but measuring cups/spoons and a kitchen scale are absolute must-haves.
  • dawnkitchen
    dawnkitchen Posts: 161
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    Boneless, skinless, 98% fat free chicken breast (usually natural or organic)
    Turkey meatballs (Coleman Farms is what we get)
    Barills Plus! pasta
    Apples
    Strawberries
    Onions
    Peppers
    Granola
    Almonds
    Salad ingredients
    Raisins
    Starkist Tuna
    Steamfresh vegetables

    We pretty much live on the above foods. Grilled chicken with steamfresh vegetables pretty often. I'm kind of boring with food.. haha. But we need to make quick meals most days of the week so it works.
  • feliciapeters
    feliciapeters Posts: 525
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    i make a bumch of grilled boneless chix twice a week so i always have it on hand for lunches/snacks
    bagged salad
    Grilled veggies, zucchinin, viadalia onions, asparagus
    if you dont want to heat them up again them are good in a salad too
    oatmeal/frozen blueberries for breakfast at the office
    some sort of granola bar for the mid dau munchies at my desk
    and a box or 2 of some sort of 100 calorie pack cookies for when i get a sweet craving
  • morefitmom
    morefitmom Posts: 264 Member
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    Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast... they are good for everything: Salad, tacos, baked, pan fried with veggies, grilled, BBQ

    endless possibilities... and better than pork or red meat :happy:

    For me too! Plus plenty of frozen veggies and whatever fresh fruits are in season.
  • radio_flyer
    radio_flyer Posts: 85
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    I'm a vegetarian -- so I always have beans, rice and tortilla's in the house. You can wrap anything in a tortilla, use it as a sub for bread. Make sure you're getting enough calcuim too. I have fat free milk and soy or almond milk in the fridge always. (soy & almond have more calcuim then real milk). My other staple is ritz wheat crackers and laughing cow cheese wedges. 5 ritz crackers is 70 calories and topped with a cheese wegde (35 calories) its a nice yummy snack that gets that need for something crunchy salty out of my system.
  • AnitaAntone
    AnitaAntone Posts: 177 Member
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    Great idea for post , looking forward to seeing others suggestions! natures on lite bread,40 cals a slice,cucumbers,2% cheese, green giant broccoili and cheese 40 cal individual pks, birdeye vegtable steamers, la banderita fat free tortilla, salad mix, perdue chicken cutlets,pickles ,lean deli meats,healthy choice ice cream bar, 100 cal snack pk , zone strawberry /chocolate bars, lean sirloin, mixed cutup bellpeppers for stir fry, salsa ingredients, glazed chicken lean cuisine. I get these every week and can make a variety of instant and home cooked meals and snacks.Good luck!
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  • laceylovespink
    laceylovespink Posts: 138
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    always on my grocery list...
    fresh chicken breast
    green beans
    brown rice
    plain greek yogurt
    salad mix
    spices
    peanut butter
    almonds

    :)
  • wildon883r
    wildon883r Posts: 429 Member
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    Use a general principle in that If Mother Nature didn't make it then don't eat it. Those are famous words from the Juiceman Jack LaLanne and so true. Staples? Meat, Veggies, Fruits, Grains ie rice, legumes- all soak and cook beans. Nothing boxed or processed if you can avoid if not reduce to rare occasions. Pistacio's, Walnuts for snacks. Good Luck
  • rfcollins33
    rfcollins33 Posts: 630
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    ground turkey, fresh veggies, frozen veggies, uncle ben's whole grain wild rice, Greek yogurt, H2o!!!, lean meats such as chicken, pork, even steak (yes, steak lol), sugar free ice cream, baked southwestern ranch chips, fresh frozen berries and honey to put in my greek yogurt, banana, natural peanut butter, COFFEEE!!!, sugar free creamer, weight watchers smart one's for quick lunches, whole grain bread, sandwhich meats, whole grain pasta. And, sometimes with me it's not about what I eat, I just make sure I measure everything and log it. I use a measuring cup, tblspn and tspn measuring spoons, and kitchen scale for that. Good luck :D
  • radio_flyer
    radio_flyer Posts: 85
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    Oh, yeah the other thing --- yoplait yogurts, the fat free ones. I freeze them. Because when they're frozen, it takes longer for you to eat them -- and tricks your brain into thinking you've had more. (My doctor suggested it). It works. I can eat a refridgerated one and wonder, hmmm, what else can I eat when I'm done. But a frozen one last longer and eating slower is better.
  • allisonshaw710
    allisonshaw710 Posts: 52 Member
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    Thank You everyone! Amazing respenses in minutes! I am ready to hit the store!
  • jpalmer7384
    jpalmer7384 Posts: 23
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    Definiitely chicken breasts!! I eat them all the time, and I have different kinds...regular, tyson grilled and ready (these are good for a quick lunch and they are fully cooked and seasoned), chicken pattys, tenderloins, and bone in chicken breasts occasionally. I like eating quaker high fiber oatmeal for breakfast. My staple that I have on hand now is Healthy Life Hamburger buns (they have hot dog buns too) they are wheat but you can't tell they are wheat and only 80 calories!! I also like lean cuisines, angel hair pamadoro is my favorite...Turkey from the deli is always a good choice too!

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