Try to keep your kitchen stocked with recipe basics:
- Fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables.
- Recipe and soup starters such as garlic, onions, carrots, and celery.
- Healthy staples like brown rice, white Basmati rice, whole-wheat pasta, quinoa, and wild rice.
- Whole wheat bread and tortillas for healthy sandwiches and wraps.
- Beans such as lentils, black beans, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, kidney beans, fava beans, and lima beans.
- Frozen corn, peas, and other vegetables to add to recipes or for a quick vegetable side dish.
- Frozen fruit and berries to make smoothies or frozen desserts.
- Dark greens for salads, plus salad add-ins like dried fruit, nuts, beans, and seeds.
- Fresh and dried herbs and spices.
- Healthy fats and oils for cooking, such as olive oil and canola oil. You can also try specialty oils like peanut, sesame, or truffle oil for adding flavor.
- Unsalted nuts for snacking, like almonds, walnuts, cashews, peanuts, and pistachios.
- Vinegars, such as balsamic, red wine, and rice vinegar for salads and veggies.
- Strong cheeses, like aged Parmesan or blue cheese for intense flavor in salads, pasta, and soups.