Stocking a Healthy Kitchen

Keeping a well-stocked kitchen can make it easier to prepare quick and healthy meals. It is helpful to stock your kitchen with a variety of basic foods, but it is best to buy fresh ingredients as you need them.

Make sure you have the following on your kitchen shelf:

Brown rice and/or couscous	Brown sugar
Pasta	Honey
Bulgur or barley	Cornstarch
Beans (dried or canned)	Baking powder and baking soda
Fat-free refried beans	Vinegar
Reduced-fat condensed cream soups (a variety)	Ketchup, mustard, light mayonnaise, and relish
Chicken or beef broth	Reduced-fat salad dressings
Salsa or picante sauce	Canned tuna or salmon (packed in water)
Pasta sauce	Peanut butter
Vegetable cooking spray	Ready-to-eat whole-grain cereals
Vegetable oil, such as olive oil	Oatmeal
Herbs and spices	Baking potatoes and/or yams
Flour	Dried fruit, such as apricots and raisins
Sugar	Bread crumbs

Try to have the following in your refrigerator:

Fresh fruit (variety)	Parmesan cheese
Fresh vegetables (variety)	Low-fat margarine or butter spray
100 percent fruit or vegetable juices	Eggs or egg substitute
Onions	Low-fat sliced cheese
Tortillas	Reduced-fat deli meat, such as turkey breast
Fat-free milk	Bottled lemon juice
Low-fat yogurt	Light soy sauce and teriyaki sauce
Low-fat cottage cheese	Fresh garlic

Try to have the following in your freezer:

Frozen vegetables	Lean meats (chicken breasts, lean beef, pork loin chops)
Frozen chopped onions	Fish
Shredded low-fat cheese (a variety)	Frozen yogurt, sherbet or sorbet; frozen juice bars

Once you have your kitchen stocked, it is time to turn those ingredients into wholesome, nourishing meals the whole family will love.

One large part of your stocked kitchen will probably be meat, poultry, and fish. These foods can contribute a huge part of your fat content for the day, so it is important to choose cuts carefully. Certain cuts of meat, poultry and fish are leaner than others. Look for these examples when stocking your kitchen:

Healthy meat, poultry, and fish stock

Beef:	Choose USDA Select or Choice grades of lean beef trimmed of fat, such as round, sirloin, flank steak, eye of round, top round steak, top loin steak, tenderloin, roast (rib, chuck, rump), steak (porterhouse, T-bone, cube), ground round
Poultry:	Chicken or turkey (white meat, no skin), Cornish hen (no skin)
Pork:	Canadian bacon, tenderloin, center loin chop
Lamb:	Roast, chop, leg
Veal:	Lean chop, roast
Fish:	Fresh or frozen cod, flounder, haddock, halibut, trout, fresh tuna, tuna canned in water, fresh salmon, salmon canned in water, catfish, canned sardines
Shellfish:	Clams, crab, lobster, scallops, shrimp, imitation shellfish, oysters

Substituting extra-lean ground beef, ground round, or ground turkey for regular ground beef will reduce fat content by 7 to 9 grams per ounce. That's a fat savings of 63 to 144 grams of fat in one pound of ground meat. Family favorites like Sloppy Joes, tacos, hamburgers, chili, spaghetti sauce, and meatloaf taste just as satisfying without all the saturated fat. To keep chicken, pork, or fish moist, poach it in heavy aluminum foil with herbs, onions, your favorite vegetables, and other flavorings. Secure the package well, and bake or grill.

Read more on FamilyEducation: http://life.familyeducation.com/foods/nutrition-and-diet/44304.html#ixzz2ieVSDKFJ