A well-stocked kitchen is a great way to save money and time, and homemade dishes offer so much more than their fast food counterparts. When you prepare meals from scratch you control what goes into your dishes. And when your kitchen is stocked with nutritious ingredients you can prepare a multitude of meals that offer great health benefits—and great flavor. Keep these nourishing pantry picks on hand for better eating:
- Balsamic and red wine vinegars
- Brown rice
- Canned beans, such as black beans, cannellini beans, chickpeas, and red kidney beans
- Canned tomatoes and tomato paste
- Chunk light tuna and salmon
- Dried fruits, such as apricots, cranberries, prunes, and raisins
- Dried herbs
- Eggs
- Extra virgin olive oil (for cooking and salad dressings)
- Fresh garlic
- Kalamata olives
- Low-fat milk
- Low-fat or non-fat yogurt
- Nut and seed oils (for stir-fry dishes and salad dressings)
- Nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, and walnuts
- Onions
- Reduced-fat mayonnaise
- Reduced sodium beef, chicken, and vegetable broths
- Rolled oats
- Spices
- Whole wheat pastas