Effortless Nutrition

When unexpected company is coming, you've had a hectic day, or when you just want to eat at home, a sensibly stocked kitchen makes meal preparation easier. You can prepare nourishing meals at home using quality staples and adding fresh ingredients - much better than prepared food that's often loaded with calories, fats, sodium, and added sweeteners.

Kitchen Essentials

As a chef, registered dietician, and a mother of three, I'm offering a few insider tips for keeping a sensibly stocked kitchen:

• Use your freezer to keep an extra package of fish filets or a pound of lean ground beef or turkey which can be easily thawed and used in a chowder, soup, or stew
• Keep ingredients such as maple syrup and whole-grain pancake mix on hand for a quick and easy breakfast
• Have a few jars of olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and artichoke hearts to use as an addition to a quick pasta or salad
• Hard cheeses such as parmesan or romano are easily stored and they're wonderful for perking up a salad, pasta dish, or soup
• Store a variety of oils and vinegars - they make inexpensive and delicious marinades and salad dressings
• Try to always have potatoes, garlic, and onions on hand - garlic and onions are an integral ingredient in many main dishes, and a potato cooked in any number of ways is a meal in itself
• Keep a variety of rice, grains, pasta and canned beans on hand - they're quick, easy, and can be the basis for a satisfying meal
• Reduced-sodium canned stocks and broths are perfect for making a quick soup
• Steer clear of seasoned rice and stuffing mixes, packed spice mixes, and seasoned hamburger and tuna mixes to avoid high-sodium meals - choose lower-sodium alternatives
• Buy whole-grain crackers and avoid prepared baked goods and snack crackers which are typically loaded with trans-fats (hydrogenated oils)

This is a list of key ingredients found in a healthy pantry. These ingredients, plus perishable items such as fish, chicken, eggs, pork, beef, are all that you need to keep on hand for cooking more healthy meals on a daily basis. This list can also be used as a starting point for a healthy grocery shopping list.