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Denise Austin

My Favorite Kitchen Essentials and Why They Are Good For You!

Denise Austin
by Denise Austin | 
 | 
Nutrition

Can I let you in on one of my top tips to keep your nutrition on track? Eat at home!! It sounds simple, and you may think that it wouldn't make much of a difference, but being able to control the quality of your ingredients, the amount of fat and salt that is used and your portion size is huge! Not to mention you will save money! If you tend to cook at home often, it pays to keep certain ingredients on hand at all times. You can find a full list of my kitchen essentials in my latest Fit over 50 Spring Magazine. These stapes are all healthy ingredients that are nutritious and have a long shelf life, so you can keep them on hand and ready to use at all times! Here are three of my top pantry staples and three of my top food staples and why they are good for you!

3 Pantry Staples:

  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil - this is a heart healthy oil and I use it on most everything that calls for oil!
  • Garlic - a natural anti-inflammatory food but also packs a huge flavor punch! I love adding garlic to anything I cook.
  • Quinoa - high in protein and great to bulk up any meal. You can use in place of rice, add to salads, wraps, or casseroles!

3 Food Staples:

  • Canned Fish - Tuna or salmon are my favorite! High in protein and good-for-you fats, these are perfect to keep on hand to make a quick tuna salad or throw on a fresh salad!
  • Frozen Veggies - Keeping frozen veggies on hand is not only smart because they last for months, but also because they are frozen at their peak freshness! Depending on the time of year, buying frozen veggies may be better than it's fresh version!
  • Canned Beans - Beans are delicious and versatile, also full of fiber, protein and antioxidants. I love to make meat-free dishes with black beans, cannellini beans, or garbanzo beans! 

I hope the kitchen essentials listed above give you some motivation to cook more at home! You will save money, probably eat smaller portions and be able to control the quality of your ingredients... a win-win-win! For a full list of my kitchen essentials pick up my most recent Fit Over 50 Magazine - on newsstands now!!


Let's live EVER BETTER™ - together!

Denise


PS - If you're looking for some no-fuss meals to have on hand that are healthy - consider trying out my Prepared Meal line. These meals are created by local chefs and a team of nutritionists to create delicious meal options that are good for you! Click the link here, put in your zip code and see which meals are available in your area!