I really like cake. Seriously. I can finish off an entire two-tiered, gooey, chocolate-y, decadent cake by myself in less than 48 hours. It’s bad, y’all. I feel like crap after it’s all gone and no matter how many cavities I get or how sick my stomach feels, I just can’t help myself. There’s good news though. I’ve discovered that if I don’t have cake in the house to “snack” on, I won’t eat it. Groundbreaking, I know.
Clean eating begins at the grocery store. The ingredients you pick up at the store are the blueprint of your diet at home. Unless you’re as determined as Harold and Kumar were to get to White Castle, whatever you have in the kitchen is what you’re going to eat. So in the spirit of new beginnings, and a healthier me, I’ve started compiling a list of some of the foods every healthy kitchen should have.
1 Yogurt
In a previous post, I sang the praises of yogurt. Packed with probiotics, calcium, and vitamin B-12, yogurt promotes a healthy digestive system, and in turn can improve the function of your immune system. Look for yogurts that contain live cultures. If yogurt isn’t your thing, try other fermented foods like kimchi or sauerkraut.
2 Honey
Refined sugar is a monster. It’s super high in calories and super low in nutritional value. Honey, on the other hand, is amazingly nutritious and extremely versatile. Not only can you sweeten up your morning tea or your afternoon salad dressing, you can also use honey as a face wash.
3 Whole Grains
Protein, vitamins, minerals, and fiber are just a few of the benefits of whole grains (pasta, rice, oats, quinoa, tortillas, whole grain breads). They’re easy to prepare, definitely stick to your ribs, and they have a long shelf life for storage in your pantry. Oatmeal, brown rice, tortillas, and Quinoa are rapidly becoming my favorites (it took me a while to start liking quinoa, so don’t beat yourself up if you think it’s gross).
*try making a quick tortilla wrap for lunch or dinner
4 Vegetables
I guess this one goes without saying. We all NEED veggies. I try to stick to vegetables that will keep fresh in the fridge, and that will freeze well. Carrots, broccoli, avocados, and bell peppers are all pretty long lasting. Some leafy greens like kale, collard greens, and spinach last a little longer in my fridge than other salad greens do. They also freeze really well without losing their texture so much in the thawing process.
5 Fruit
You already know I have a giant, cavity riddled sweet tooth, so if I tell you that fruit can tame my cravings, you really have to believe me. Fruit is a sweet, and insanely nutritious, alternative to all the processed sugar that I have a tendency to binge on. I like to get fruit that’s in season as much as possible, but frozen fruit is a must have for the best smoothies of your life.
This list is in no way complete. It’s a work in progress, and I need your help to flesh it out.
What are some healthy foods that you have in your kitchen? I promise that as we check on each other throughout the year, this list will grow, as will the list of tips and tricks I learn from you along the way.
*******I purposefully didn’t provide a link to the movie trailer for “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.” I think it might be a little too raunchy for some readers, and I didn’t want to force my sophmoric taste in humor on an unsuspecting population 🙂