Stock Your Kitchen with Healthy Ingredients
The first step to healthy cooking is to stock your kitchen with foods that you can throw together in a hurry for healthy meals. Keep some of these foods on hand for fast meals on busy nights.
In the cabinets
- Beans: Black, pinto, kidney, chickpeas, lentils, refried beans, black-eyed peas
- Rice: Brown, long-grain rice mixes
- Pasta: Whole wheat spaghetti, fettuccini, penne, bowtie, orzo, ramen noodles
- Other grains: Couscous, quinoa, cornmeal, whole wheat crackers, breadsticks, breadcrumbs
- Onions (you might keep these and the next two items on your counter)
- Potatoes
- Garlic?
- Canned tomatoes: Diced, whole, seasoned, sun-dried, sauce, salsa
- Canned vegetables: Mixed vegetables, green beans, mushrooms (look for low-salt brands)
- Canned and dried fruits: Applesauce (unsweetened), raisins, dates
- Sauces: Pasta, pizza, tomato (look for varieties that contain no or very little added sugar)
- Seasoning sauces: Worcestershire, soy, teriyaki, hot sauce, Tabasco, sofrito, and chili (after opening these go in refrigerator)
- Soups: Canned so