My Pantry

My previous “favorites” post didn’t include fresh, whole foods and pantry staples. Well, these are the items that are ALWAYS in our house:

• Fuji apples. I can eat three of these a day, easy.
• Oranges. I love the Cara Cara oranges. They look like a ruby grapefruit inside, and have a different taste. Yum.
• Bananas. A must for hubby and his hot cereal.
• Carrots. A wonderful, crunchy snack. We always get the peeled baby carrots. Ready to go is always good.
• Broccoli. Steams in 6 minutes. I usually steam to tender-crisp, shock in cold water, spin dry in a salad spinner, and keep the result in the fridge for a fast ingredient or munchie. Great with some fat-free salad dressing as a dip.
• Frozen and fresh spinach. Lovely as a bed for a “hot” salad (I use fresh baby spinach that’s slightly wilted in the microwave INSTEAD of rice or pasta).
• Boneless skinless chicken breast, both raw and cooked. Cooked (frozen) makes a quick salad ingredient. Raw (frozen and thawed in the microwave) makes a meal in just a few minutes. Boneless skinless chicken thighs are also good, especially if you’re making a stewed dish that has a longer cooking time. The chicken stays moist and juicy.
• Whole grain pasta. My favorite brand is Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Blend Extra Wide Noodles (say that three times fast).
• Roasted Turkey Breast. Butterball, Foster Farms, etc. This is low-fat meat for sandwiches, salads, and recipes. Or roast your own to control the sodium and flavor.
• Salad greens. Spring mix, butter lettuce, etc. We always have salad greens around for a quick meal.
• Canned tuna packed in water. Again, always around for a quick meal.
• Kraft Free and Light salad dressings. I especially like the Fat Free Zesty Italian (zero points) and the Light Asian Sesame (1 point) flavors. They are all good, and are great for both salads and as marinades and flavorings for quick meals.  They are also great dips for the carrots.
• Yogurt. We love the fat-free, sugar free yogurts out there. We especially like the new Weight Watchers brand yogurts. With flavors like White Chocolate Raspberry…mmm…they are almost like dessert.
• Fat free, low-sodium chicken broth. Great for quick soups, sauces, etc.
• Tomatoes.  I love the sweet grape tomatoes.  I also keep canned diced tomatoes on hand when I don’t have fresh on hand.  Great base for a number of dishes, including nice pasta dishes.  Fresh tomatoes
• Salsa.  I love the fresh, fire-roasted salsas, but have a variety on hand to add flavor without points to any dish.
• Frozen cooked or raw shrimp.  Great for a quick pasta or meal.  I love quick-cooking proteins, and just a little goes a long way.
• Canned mushrooms.  I know, I know.  Not much flavor versus the fresh stuff, but when I don’t have fresh mushrooms on hand, they do add some flavor and texture to a dish.
• Fresh and dried herbs, spices and flavorings.  Thyme, basil, oregano, garlic, onions, plus spice mixes (low or no sodium).  Essential for yummy food.
• Canned beans.  I keep the small white beans and spiced pintos on hand.   Great for adding protein and bulk to soups and main dishes.
• Canned or fresh pineapple and/or mango.  I love having something sweet to add to dishes to give them a little flavor and texture.  I found a great mango pico (with onions and tomatoes) at Costco, so I have this on hand and add a spoonful to a dish to pump up the flavor.

Wow, that’s a lot too!  Later I’ll talk about how I use these staples for quick meals.