**Uncover the Secrets of Healthy Eating: A Peek Inside a Dietitian’s Pantry**
Planning healthy meals can seem overwhelming if you don’t know the basics of what’s good for you. Have you ever wondered what’s in a dietitian’s food cupboard? Well, here’s the answer. The best part is, these health-boosting foods are reasonably priced. Stock your pantry with these foods and enjoy healthier, dietitian-approved meals.
Why Meal Planning?
When hunger strikes, we tend to grab whatever’s closest to eat or order on our phones. By planning your meals, healthy snacks and foods are always available. Knowing what you’re going to eat saves you time and money, and no food goes to waste when you follow your meal plan.
Start by knowing what a healthy meal looks like
It’s easy with the three-step plate model:
– Make half of it vegetables and fruit.
– Make a quarter whole grains.
– Make a quarter healthy protein foods.
Tip: Choose whole foods and minimize ultra-processed foods, salt, and sugar.
Foods to Always Have in Your Kitchen
Tip: By putting these foods on your grocery list each week, you’ll be more likely to eat them regularly.
Shopping List for a Healthy Meal at Every Meal
– Fresh vegetables and fruit: This should make up half of what you eat. Add as much color as possible to your grocery cart.
– Canned vegetables like tomatoes for a stew.
– Frozen vegetables can be added to many dishes to add fiber and nutrients.
Tip: Choose canned vegetables without added sugar or salt for a healthier option.
– Whole grains:
– Oatmeal.
– Brown rice: Cook brown rice in bulk and freeze portions to save time.
– Whole wheat pasta.
– Whole wheat couscous: A quick and easy addition to any meal that only requires boiling water and a few minutes to soak.
– Healthy proteins and legumes:
– Skinless chicken.
– Fish such as sardines, pilchards, salmon, trout and mackerel, or brined tuna.
– Raw or canned lentils, peas and beans: Rinse off the brine and add a healthy, nutrient-dense protein to your meal.
Tip: Choose proteins canned in water or brine, rather than in oil or sauces that often contain added sugar and salt, for a healthier option.
Snacks:
– Unsalted nuts.
– Dried fruit.
– Popcorn kernels for homemade popcorn.
Tip: It’s worth investing in a collection of herbs and spices to add a variety of flavours to your dishes. Choose fresh herbs and unsalted dried herbs and spices for a healthier option.
Have fun and get creative! Vitality Food Studio makes healthy eating easy with recipes you can make at home. Enjoy this cannellini bean soup with spinach, tomatoes and chives and a salad of lentils, roasted pumpkin, rocket and feta for an extra dose of protein and an immune system boost as we head into the colder months.
Book a class at Vitality Food Studio on the Food Studio website [Link to website https://www.healthyfoodstudio.co.za/#/courses]
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Carla Pool: Dietitian for Discovery Vitality