Staying consistent with healthy eating can be a challenge, but you can make it easier on yourself if you prepare. One way to set yourself up for more success is to always have the building blocks of some of the most popular healthy meals on hand at all times. Keeping several healthy basic ingredients in your kitchen all the time can make it easier when your dinner routine starts to get into a rut. Then, you can avoid giving in to temptation and cheating on your diet. Here are the top recommendations for healthy ingredients to always have in stock.  

1. Chicken Breast

Skinless, boneless chicken breast is one of the best sources of healthy protein around. With low amounts of fat, reasonable calories, and powerful levels of protein, you can use chicken in almost any meal. When you’re looking around your kitchen for something to make for dinner, you can always start with a chicken breast as your base. Having some in your refrigerator or even a few frozen chicken breasts in the freezer can help you stay on track with your healthy eating.

2. Eggs

Another top protein source to have on hand is a carton of eggs. When you want something a little different from your routine grilled or baked chicken meal, you can go with an egg recipe. Even after breakfast hours are long over, don’t be afraid to whip up some omelets or a delicious frittata. You get plenty of vitamins and nutrients, and you can feel more satisfied.

3. Canned Beans

A vegetarian option for protein in your pantry is a can of beans. Beans can also be an excellent source of fiber, which is essential to help you stay the course on your diet. Beans can additionally help you feel full longer, so be generous in your serving amounts. It’s a good idea to stock up on the different varieties of beans, so you can choose which type matches the dinner recipe you’re planning. Black beans, pinto beans, or kidney beans are popular options for many types of meals.

4. Green Vegetables

Beyond protein, your kitchen should also be stocked with some selection from the garden. Keeping leafy green vegetables, such as kale, spinach, or Swiss chard, give you a great side dish that is low in calories and high in nutritional value. Go with whatever is in season to keep your vegetable stock rotating all year long. This makes it easy to make salads as well, which can help satisfy your hunger and need for something a little different.

5. Olive Oil

When it’s time to start cooking something, no other oil is as valued as olive oil. As one of the standard ingredients of a Mediterranean diet, olive oil has significant health benefits. If you have a large supply of vegetable oil, you may want to swap it out for the healthier olive variety, so you can take advantage of some of the disease prevention plusses this oil has been shown to offer. Reduce your risk of heart problems, type 2 diabetes, or stroke by regularly including olive oil in your cooking routine.

6. Sandwich Spread

If you want to make sure your food stays tasty and keeps your interest, a great kitchen standard to have at all times is a jar of sandwich spread. Think outside of the typical regular mustard or mayonnaise, and try something even better for you like Just Mayo from hamptoncreek foods. You can create a healthy breaded chicken dinner with whole grain bread crumbs and Just Mayo to help them adhere to your chicken. Instead of putting more unhealthy oil into your diet, you get an ingredient that is packed with the delicious power of vegetables.

7. Brown Rice

The last top ingredient that should be in every kitchen is brown rice. The brown variety has more nutritional value than the traditional white rice. You get much more fiber, protein, and other beneficial nutrients. You can add brown rice to almost any type of meal and make it more satisfying on those days when you feel a little hungrier than usual.
If you want to keep looking great this summer and keep staying focused on a healthy lifestyle, your kitchen can help. Planning ahead and having the most common healthy basics in your pantry, kitchen, and freezer at all times can make cooking nutritious meals easy all the time. Then, you won’t be tempted to give in to your cravings and eat something that isn’t good for your body.