As I have started helping clients who work late at night through the early morning, I have noticed that the main concern of most of them is what they should eat on their work shift. Almost all of the time, the only option they have is to eat fast food from a drive thru window, if they cannot or will not prepare the food themselves. It takes a LOT of convincing that carving out the time to prepare your meals at home is so worth it to your body and to your mind. First, when preparing your meal at home, you have the control of what goes into your meal, including sodium content and flavoring content. You can also have meals ready to go in advance in their own container, where all they need is a cold pack to keep them fresh. And YOU make the decision on what you want to eat for the day - not the fast food restaurant.
I have given my clients a list of my top 10 refrigerator staples (that has changed for me a bit over the years). If they come to my house and open the refrigerator door, these items would mostly what they would find present. I am excited about sharing my list with you.
In no particular order:
- Spring Salad Greens - I enjoy eating salads. When I was young, salads consisted of iceberg lettuce and Kraft Catalina dressing (that is ALL I would eat). I liked cucumbers, but not the seeds. I could not stand tomatoes, and I thought carrots were a separate vegetable according to the Bugs Bunny cartoons - LOL! Now, I love the blend of all these different lettuces with different veggies and maybe some fish or shrimp or chicken in my meal prep container. (One day, I will post about mason jar salads.)
- Baby Carrots - I don't know what it is about these baby carrots, but I eat them like there is no tomorrow. I also have been known to cook these with dried herbs and make a beautiful side dish. My mama told me recently that she heard an article about how they process these baby carrots and because of that, they aren't really that good for you. I am going to try and find that article so I can be informed (and maybe move to real carrots).
- Fresh Fruit - Strawberries, blueberries, mangoes, pineapples, cherries with pits. I love them all. I look for sales when I buy these because the organic versions can get expensive. I cut them up in a small tupperware bowl and have it as my "dessert".
- Kale (fresh or frozen) - Kale is a superfood, and it is delicious whether you wilt it down with lemon juice for a salad, or you cook it in a stirfry, or you blend it into a green smoothie. It can be bitter if you plan to eat it raw, so you have to wash it very well and use lemon juice to break it down.
- Boiled eggs - I used to love hard boiled eggs when I was little, but I ate so many that I burned out my desire completely. I now like to eat them as snacks with a little pepper and sea salt. They also make a nice topping for salads, if you like.
- Chicken Salad - Especially during the summer months, I will make a batch of chicken salad to put in a wrap or to eat with plain crackers. I make my chicken salad with plain Greek yogurt instead of mayo to lighten the calorie content, and it even tastes lighter as well.
- Hummus - Hummus is delicious. I am not a fan of hummus that doesn't have flavor, like garlic or roasted red pepper. Since my weight loss journey began back in 2007, I have been making my own hummus and I have been creative with the flavor. It is my go-to snack food that I use as dip for veggies or a spread for my sandwiches.
- Flatbread - Yes, I still like wheat bread. However, I really love the Flatout brand of flatbreads. They make wraps a lot healthier because of the reduced calorie and fat content of the flatbread. These flatbreads also make good pizzas for a quick weekend meal.
- Vinaigrette - These are a lot healthier than the Catalina dressing that I loved when I was young. I make my own flavor-filled vinaigrettes now, and they brighten up the taste and the nutrition of my salads in a huge way.
- Water - I cannot end my post about healthy refrigerator staples without water. A bottle of water packs in a lunch bag well, and depending on the season, I will lightly freeze some of them while I get ready for work, and it keeps my lunch cold as well as staying nice and icy when you are ready to drink it.
Comment below with some of the staples you keep in your refrigerator - I would love to know what you have always present for your meals!