HG Lisa’s Healthy Pantry Staples
Hi Lisa,I'm wondering... What foods are always in your personal kitchen pantry?
Pantry Raider
Dear Pantry Raider,Excellent question! It's a great idea to stock your pantry with smart snacks and meal starters. Here are six foods that are pretty much always in my pantry...
StarKist Tuna Creations Pouches. I've been a fan of these single-serve packs forever. The tuna is already seasoned, and it doesn't need to be drained, so it couldn't be more convenient. Plus, it's low in calories and loaded with protein. Most importantly? It tastes great! Sweet & Spicy is my favorite flavor, but the new Kid's Creations Honey BBQ is a close second...
Old-fashioned oats. Anytime I'm running low on these oats, I immediately stock up! For years, I’d only have them in my growing oatmeal bowls. Then I got hooked on overnight oatmeal. But now? I'm obsessed with oatmeal bakes like this Blueberry Strawberry Oatmeal Bake. So delicious... and filling! Try it just once, and you'll be packing your pantry with OFOs too.
Unsweetened vanilla almond milk. This 35-calorie swap for dairy milk is a must-add to your supermarket list. I use it in cereal (hot and cold), coffee, smoothies, etc. It's super creamy and flavorful for so few calories. I especially love the shelf-stable boxed versions, because they stay fresh for months. You need this in your life...
Amy’s Organic Chunky Tomato Bisque. I. Love. Soup. It really satisfies me, whether I'm having it as a snack or as part of a meal. This one is all-natural with just 130 calories per cup. It's slightly sweet, a little creamy, and full of yummy pieces of tomato. Bonus? It doubles as a sauce! Check out the original and the Light in Sodium version.
Quest Bars. I'm all about "emergency snacks" -- portable, shelf-stable foods that prevent you from making bad snack decisions or getting too hungry between meals. Not all bars are truly satiating, but these so are. Each one has around 200 calories, plus about 20g protein! Sometimes, I toss one in my bag on my way out the door, and then snack on it throughout the day. (BTW, these are the BEST-EVER travel snacks.)
Canned pure pumpkin. Full disclosure: The main reason I have a stash of canned pumpkin is that my bunnies love it! But it also happens to be a go-to ingredient in many Hungry Girl recipes -- flourless chocolate cake, two-ingredient brownies, and more.
There you have it!
Chew on this:
Today, November 4th, is National Candy Day. Really, food holiday people? Four days after Halloween? Sigh. Luckily, we've got eight no-guilt ways to celebrate...
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