Kitchen survival guide

The Essential Pantry

Low-fat, healthy cooking will be easier if you keep your pantry stocked with healthful and convenient foods. Having these foods on hand will enable you to cook a quick, satisfying meal in minutes.

Produce

Fresh is great but frozen has a longer shelf life. Both are full of vitamins and nutrients, so you can’t go wrong.

Asparagus
Bell pepper, green and red
Matchstick or baby-cut carrots
Celery
Cucumbers
Garlic cloves
Green beans
Ginger
Herbs: cilantro, parsley, basil, thyme, rosemary
Lemons
Lettuces
Limes
Mushrooms, pre-sliced
Onions, red and green
Potatoes, white and sweet
Shallots
Spinach leaves, baby
Tomatoes, grape and cherry

Canned Goods

These have a long shelf life, but the sodium content can be high. Be sure to read the labels.

Black beans
Beef broth, less sodium
Cannelloni beans
Chickpeas
Chipotle
Chiles
Coconut milk, low-fat
Olives
Diced tomatoes
Pasta sauce
Tomato paste

Pasta/Rice/Couscous

These are great staples to have on hand for meals when you are pressed for time. Be sure to look for high fiber options.

Pasta, whole-grain pasta
Rice, quick-cook, boil-in-a-bag, long-grain
Couscous
Instant polenta

Dairy

If you are watching fat intake look for reduced fat dairy products.

Cheese, reduced-fat shredded, Feta cheese, goat cheese, blue cheese
Sour cream, reduced-fat
Eggs

Staples

These items have very long shelf lives and are basic ingredients in many recipes.

Light butter or margarine
Cooking spray
Olive oil
Sesame oil
Hoisin sauce
Soy sauce
Worcestershire sauce
Horseradish
Mustards, Dijon, whole-grain, honey
Catsup
Barbecue sauce
Salsa
Capers
Pickles
Dried mushrooms
Dried fruits
Sun-dried tomatoes
Roasted red peppers
Pesto
Garlic, bottled minced
Nuts, almonds, pecans, pine nuts, walnuts
Vinaigrette, reduced-fat
Vinegars -- balsamic, red wine
Wine, red and white
Broth, beef and chicken
Brown sugar
Sugar
Honey
Salt
Pepper
Cumin
Chili powder
Curry powder
Crushed red pepper
Dried Italian seasoning