I put together a must have pantry list for quick, easy, delicious meals & snacks. To make this an even better list add your favorites to the “Speak Your Mind” Section at the bottom of this page.
Cereals: Kashi Go Lean (My favorite), Kashi Go Lean Crunch, Barbara’s Bakery Shredded Oats, Barbara’s Bakery Cinnamon Puff Ins, Post Shredded Wheat, Whole Grain Cheerios (feel free to mix cereals for better taste and variety – Kashi cereals have awesome protein and fiber but some of them have just as much sugar at frosted flakes – they trick you on serving sizes (READ YOUR LABELS!!)
Breads: Ezekiel 4:9 / Ezekiel Sesame (My favorites – might want to freeze gets moldy fast), Trader Joes Whole Wheat Tuscan Bread, Peperidge Farm 9 Grain Whole Wheat. Ezekiel Muffins, Kashi Go Lean Waffles (Blueberry my favorite), Vans Waffles.
Crackers: Dare Whole Wheat Grains First, Trader Joe’s Bite Size Everything Crackers, Stacy’s Whole Grain Pita Chips, Kashi TLC Crackers, Raincoast Crisps (Whole Foods)
Grains/Pastas: Barilla Plus Pastas (awesome protein, very tasty), Quinoa (Brand not important), Bulgur wheat (Brand not important), Long Grain Brown Rice (long grain – fluffier and lighter – brand not important, if not brown rice then wild rice is your next best option)
Steel cut or Irish oatmeal (not instant, rolled oats OK – brand not important – stay away from Instant Oatmeal) Trader Joe’s actually has pre-cooked frozen steel cut oatmeal. Very tasty and super fast!
Beans: Garbanzo beans/chick peas, kidney beans red/white (no sodium – canned beans are faster to cook), edamame/soy beans (probably in frozen section – shelled or not shelled)
Solid White Tuna (packed in water not oil)
Nuts: Raw, unsalted nuts (Almonds/walnuts- brand not important) roasted nuts taste better but unfortunately also destroy all the healthy omega 3 fatty acids in the nut
Crazy Richards Peanut Butter or Traders Joes Unsalted Peanut Butter (TJs mixes really well – to mix the oil store the peanut butter upside down in your pantry). Almond Butter is also another great alternative
Cooking Must Have Pantry Items: Chicken/vegetable broth – organic (less sodium), Muirglen Canned Tomatoes, Vinegar, Lemon juice
Dairy: Fage 0% Fat Free Greek Yogurt, Athenos 0% Fat Free Greek Yogurt, Chobani Greek Yogurt, Low Fat Unflavored Cottage Cheese
Snacks/Treats: Naked Popcorn, 365 Popcorn (Whole Foods), Newmans Own Organics High Protein Pretzels, Teddy Grahams Chocolate Bears, Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches (Awesome!!), Blue Diamond Chocolate Covered Almonds,
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Awesome list. This rocks. My faves are the grains, the Ezekiel bread and the edemame. Unsalted raw nuts are great of course. You can also roast nuts yourself in a frying pan quickly with no oil and sprinkle a teeny bit of sea salt on them while they are warm. YUM.
Give Whole Foods a try too; they may be a little pricier, but their philosophy on where they get their food, particularly food derived from animals is worth paying a little extra for. Plus, they have a greater variety than Trader Joes.