21 Best Foods To Keep In Your Kitchen

If being healthy is your goal, this means that there is no excuse to get around the best foods to keep in your kitchen. One’s physical appearance is a reflection of what you eat and how you generally live your life.

Already packaged foods may seem convenient, but cooking food from the first instance using unprocessed and fresh ingredients is mandatory if you desire to live a healthy life.

This means that your spouse, you or someone else must spend some time in the kitchen. Once an individual takes non-adulterated foods, this means that everything they consume is a super-food. One requires nutrients in abundance and which can be found in raw foods.

Your Guide On The Best Foods To Keep In Your Kitchen

Organic pastured eggs

Proteins are crucial for the repair, maintenance, and building of body tissues. This includes the muscles, internal organs, and the skin. They also form a part of one’s hormones and the immune system.

Even though proteins are found in numerous food types, animal proteins such as eggs and meat are the most preferred.

This means that they contain the necessary amino acids. Eggs also contain zeaxanthin and lutein essential for eye health, naturally occurring vitamin B12 and chlorine for your cardiovascular and nervous system as well as the brain.

Eggs are known to be a healthy source of nutrients only when harvested from free range and organically pastured chickens. The difference in nutrition in commercially farmed eggs and free range chicken eggs is the different food they consume. The color of the egg yolk determines whether the eggs are pastured or free range.

This extremely versatile kitchen staple is something you should always have stocked in your refrigerator. If you add this high-protein food into a salad for lunch, you can avoid those annoying hunger cravings that usually hit in the late part of the afternoon.

Frozen Berries

Fresh berries are rather expensive. If you are looking to keep your costs down, gather extra strawberries and blueberries in summer, and then freeze them in ziplock bags for the winter.

Alternatively, you can buy berries that are already frozen. These colorful berries maintain all their minerals and vitamins in the process of freezing. Use them in your smoothies, salads or warm oatmeal.

 Butter

The nice old-fashioned butter made from cows fed on grass is rich in conjugated linoleic acid. Not only does the substance help fight diabetes and cancer, but helps you shed weight something that cannot be said due to its trans-fat substitutes.

Butter is rich in vitamin A, which is easily absorbed in the body and helps in proper functioning of the endocrine system and maintaining good eyesight.

It also contains vitamins K2, E, and D, which are rarely found in other industrial diets. It was also rich in other less occurring minerals such as selenium, copper, zinc, chromium, and manganese.

Avocado

Classified as fruits, avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats and low in fructose. Studies have also shown that they are beneficial for heart health and vascular function.

Eating an avocado daily will increase healthy calorie intake and fat without largely raising the levels of carbohydrates or proteins.

Since it is rich in potassium, it has the ability to balance the sodium and potassium ratio. They also provide about 20 important health-boosting nutrients which include folic acid, vitamins B and E as well as fiber.

Apart from taking them raw, you can use them as a substitute during instances that call for other oils or butter. Since they are grown conventionally, this makes them safe hence no need to spend more money on organic avocados.

Nuts 

Research has shown that nuts have the ability to make you lose weight and live longer. This is not a wonder as nuts contain fats that are healthy for good body functionality.

The nutritional makeup of nuts consists of essential building blocks which include: Low amounts of carbohydrates; Moderate amounts of high-quality proteins; and fat which consists of the largest amount of daily calories.

Unsalted nuts provide the ideal all-rounder. They are packed with valuable minerals, vitamins, protein, and fatty acids.

Nuts are the perfect snack between meals. You can add them into sauces, oatmeal or smoothies. It is advisable to eat nuts in moderation as some variations such as almonds and walnuts contain a lot of calories.

Fresh herbs

Apart from being suitable for adding flavor and spicing food, fresh herbs are also essential in the nutritional density of the food you consume. For example, plain black pepper will increase bio-availability of other foods- compounds and herbs.

Herbs can provide individuals with minerals and vitamins, remove toxins from the body and protect against ailments. Adding spices to food causes an upgrade with no additional calories.

They can also make foods that are already-prepared taste more homemade. It is always a good idea to stock a variety of fresh herbs in your fridge. Some classic examples include Cilantro for Southwestern and Thai dishes, rosemary for roast chickens and marinades, and basil for all your Italian dishes.

Adding spices to food causes an upgrade with no additional calories.To ensure your herbs stay fresh, keep them in your crisper drawer and take them out of the plastic they are wrapped in. You could also stuff a few sprigs into a vase or glass filled with water.

Herbs de Provence

This is one of the easiest to find dry herb blends that contains marjoram, thyme, lavender, tarragon, basil, oregano, rosemary, parsley, and basil. This versatile herb blend adds an excellent herbaceous seasoning to just about any dish.

Some ideas include sprinkling these herbs over grilled vegetables, potatoes, and chicken. Herbs de Provence also works well when combined with panko to make a crust for chicken or fish, or to sprinkle over homemade pizzas.

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

It makes sense that olive oil forms a part of why the Mediterranean diet is regarded as among the healthiest worldwide. Many health enthusiasts recommend buying the cold-pressed varieties for maximum flavor.

Olive oil is a versatile staple that you can cook with, or drizzle over finished meals, like vegetable sides, pasta, or grilled fish.

Organic coconut oil 

In addition to being perfect for your metabolism and thyroid, coconut oil contains lauric acid which converts to monolaurin which is a monoglyceride that has the ability to destroy viruses with a lipid coating such as measles, influenza, herpes.

Evidence from research points to these substances helping fight harmful Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, a major cause of staph infections, as well as the yeast Candida albicans, commonly known for causing infections among humans.

Medium-chain fatty acids in the oil also help in fighting pathogens and enhancing metabolism in the body. It also does not trigger an insulin spike and is easy on the digestive system. So, take a spoonful of the oil to increase energy levels.

Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is an excellent source of protein, and even though it seems indulgent and creamy, the nonfat version only contains 100 calories per serving. Greek yogurt is a fantastic low-fat and low-calorie substitute for recipes that contain sour cream or mayonnaise.

Green Leafy Vegetables

It is always a good idea to keep your refrigerator stocked with leafy green vegetables like arugula, kale, and spinach. All seasonal green leafy vegetables are not only versatile yet incredibly healthy for you and your family.

Try to mix up the way you prepare them so you don’t get bored with them. From curries to pasta and salads to green smoothies, these vegetables contain important nutrients that complement just about any meal.

Honey

Honey has an incredibly long shelf life and is packed with healthy antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. This versatile sweetener is fantastic in baking, a cough remedy, and so much more.

You can use honey to sweeten homemade salad dressings and marinades. When swapping out sugar for honey in any recipe, make sure you reduce your baking temperature by around 25 degrees.

Beans

Beans are inexpensive and offer an excellent source of fiber and protein. For example, 1 cup of cooked chickpeas contains an impressive 12 grams of fiber and 15 grams of protein.

It is a good idea to stock your pantry with a variety of different beans. You can use canned beans for salads and salsas, and dried beans to prepare large servings that you can keep in your refrigerator for up to a week.

Quinoa

A cup of quinoa (cooked) is around 222 calories and gives you 5 grams of fiber and 8 grams of protein. This hearty whole grain offers an excellent source of B vitamins and iron. Quinoa is also one of the quickest grains to prepare as it cooks in as little as 15 minutes.

Ideas for quinoa include combining the grain with chopped vegetables and shredded chicken, combined with a drizzle of olive oil, pepper, salt, and lemon juice. Quinoa is also a good substitute for oats. For breakfast ideas, stir in dried fruit, almond milk, nuts, along with a teaspoon of honey.

Green Tea

Research has shown that green tea is a very effective method of preventing and treating many diseases. Thanks to its natural antioxidants, green tea is often considered an excellent health stimulant.

Green tea contains flavonoids such as catechin. Drink a cup every day to improve your mood and to stimulate your metabolism.

The plant’s flavonoids make green tea a healthy drink. A cup of green tea averages more flavonoids than the same volume of other healthy beverages, such as fresh fruit juice, wine or vegetable juice.

Garlic

Fresh garlic is one of the easiest and healthy ways to add intense flavor to dishes without having to use processed ingredients or unhealthy fats. For convenience, look for the already-peeled varieties for a quicker way to chop them up into your marinades, stir-fries, sautés, stews, and soups.

Mustard

This is a condiment that contains selenium, a popular immune-boosting mineral, along with turmeric, which is the spice that gives mustard its vibrant yellow pigment. Turmeric is also an essential spice due to its cancer-fighting properties.

Keep a few different types in your fridge. Dijon mustard works well in marinades, sauces, salad, and salad dressings while grain mustards are great to spread on sandwiches.

Flavored Vinegar

This is one of those specialty ingredients that are heart-healthy and extremely versatile. Vinegar is excellent for improving blood flow and opening up the blood vessels.

Flavors like strawberry or blackberry balsamic can brighten up the flavors of your favorite salads and is an excellent low-calorie option when compared to mayonnaise and creamy dressings.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal helps to lower cholesterol, and research has also suggested that adding oats into your diet can help with controlling your appetite. A traditional bowl of warm oatmeal is one of the best breakfasts to not only start your day but also to help you feel satisfied until your lunch break.

Broth

You can store cartons of broth until you need them. Most broths only contain 38 calories in a cup and around 5 grams of protein. Whether you decide on vegetable, beef or chicken, this is one of those staples that you will always need when making stews, soups, and roasts.

You can also store any leftovers in an ice-cube tray in your freezer for quick and easy access. Before you buy broth, make sure you read the labels. Avoid the brands that contain caramel coloring and added sugar, and when possible, stick with the low-sodium options.

Ground Turkey Or Chicken

Buying ground lean chicken or turkey breast is a great way to eliminate saturated fats when compared to other meats like ground beef. Store portions in your freezer and then thaw on the day that you need it.

This meat is fast to cook and can be used to stuff peppers, in rice bowls, enchiladas, tacos, stir-fries, and in meat sauces.

Final Thoughts

The secret behind achieving a healthy and balanced diet is to make sure your pantry and kitchen are always stocked with versatile and healthy foods.

When you have these foods available, it can really simplify your meal-making processes and encourage you to stick to healthier snacks and meals.

When you take the above foods, you will make a step towards achieving a healthy and successful eating plan.