If you are concerned about your health and want to live a healthy lifestyle, it starts in the kitchen. To avoid junk food, you must have plenty of healthy items on hand. Healthy eats will make it easy to throw a meal together quickly. And this especially will come in handy when hunger strikes at the last minute. In addition, you will find it easier to live healthily with versatile and easy-to-use items.
Here are five healthy staples that you should always have in your kitchen.
1. Honey
As hard as it is to cut back on sweets, you can make it easier by finding something sweet to snack on that isn’t loaded with sugar. Honey is an excellent option because it contains antioxidants and amino acids.
You can use honey in many different ways. Try drizzling it over fruit, put it in your morning coffee, or substitute it for sugar in some of your favorite recipes. You’ll find honey may satisfy your sweet tooth and curb your appetite for candy!
2. Peanut Butter
Did you know that peanut butter has a plethora of vitamins and minerals? Some vitamins are vitamin D, vitamin E, iron, and magnesium.
Because of its many vitamins, it’s the perfect kitchen staple. It adds to a healthy diet, and it tastes great to boot!
There are all sorts of things that you can do with peanut butter:
- Spread it on wheat toast for breakfast
- Dip carrots or celery in it for lunch
- Make a Thai dish for dinner by adding it to noodles
However, you do have to pay close attention to the ingredients on the label. For example, some peanut butter contains sugar and other fillers. If you want the healthiest peanut butter possible, choose one with only peanuts. It may not last as long, but it’s much better to eat than the ones with fillers.
3. Brown Rice
Grains sometimes get a bad rap because of the number of carbs in them. Yet, not all grains are created equal.
Brown rice is filled with things like fiber, manganese, and magnesium. It’s relatively cheap, and you can use it in all sorts of dishes.
For example, adding seasonings and garnishes can easily alter the flavor. Many people add cannabis trimmings to it for extra flavor and to get slightly buzzed.
Brown rice also works perfectly for homemade burritos, Chinese food, and the like.
While brown rice can take 30-45 minutes to cook, you can easily make it ahead of time. After making it, simply store it in your refrigerator until you are ready to eat it.
4. Canned Beans
Many people don’t realize that canned beans are both very versatile and nutritious. They keep you full for a long time. And, beans are inexpensive as compared to other sources of protein.
You can use them in salads, add them to rice or just eat them alone. You can also use them to make a bean dip! Because they have a long shelf life, it’s a good idea to stock up whenever they go on sale. You never know when they might come in handy for a late-night meal.
5. Frozen Produce
There are certain drawbacks to keeping fresh fruits and vegetables in your kitchen. Unfortunately, they tend to spoil quickly. So, you have to eat them before that happens.
Fortunately, frozen produce has the same nutritional value as fresh produce. Because of this, you should keep your freezer stocked with frozen fruits and vegetables.
With frozen fruits and veggies, you can easily:
- Throw them in a blender to make a smoothie before heading to work
- Add fruit to yoghurt or oatmeal for lunch
- Pair a hearty serving of vegetables with your favorite main course
Steaming your frozen vegetables is another option. Steaming your veggies does take some time, but once you get the hang of it, it goes quickly. Next, add some butter to your steamed veggies to make them taste delicious.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are all sorts of healthy staples that you should keep in your kitchen. By having these types of items readily available, you will always be able to create a healthy and tasty meal. So even when you only have a limited amount of time, it’s possible to prepare a filling and delicious meal!
