Be Prepared

Nope, no Boy Scout here – but I do love their Motto.  Half the battle of healthy living and healthy eating in particular is PREPARATION!   Let’s get back to that momentarily.

I want to feel good, but not just good…GREAT!  Who doesn’t, right?  The question is – How?  The world is full of BUSY people, too busy in my opinion, but busy nonetheless.  I hear it all the time from a variety of people I meet – “I don’t have time to work out”, “I don’t have time to eat breakfast, lunch, dinner”, etc.  Heck, I am sure I’ve been known to say…”I’m too busy…” (In fact, I KNOW I said yesterday that I would love to get my nails done but I just can’t get it scheduled (for those of you that really know me, you will find the comment “getting MY nails done”, pretty humorous : )

So – what’s my solution???  Well, simply put, MAKE THE TIME. But do it in a smart, efficient way - take a little time on a Sunday (or whatever day you do your grocery shopping) and prepare for the week ahead.  Wash, dry, cut up and bag your fruits & veggies into convenient grab-n-go baggies.  Do the same with your snacks for your purse, gym bag, briefcase, etc. – bag a handful of almonds for a protein-packed snack or hard boil some eggs for the entire week.

When you have it ready to go and labeled for each day of the week – you are setting yourself up for SUCCESS. 

In addition, your pantry, refrigerator and freezer should be stocked – here are some suggestions (not exhaustive) on what to have on hand so that you can…BE PREPARED!

Herbs, Spices & Flavorings
· Fine salt and coarse sea salt or kosher salt
· Black peppercorns
· Onions
· Garlic
· Fresh ginger
· Dried herbs: bay leaves, sage, thyme leaves, oregano, basil leaves
· Spices: coriander seeds, ground cinnamon, chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, crushed red   pepper, nutmeg, ground ginger
· Pure vanilla extract
· Lemons, limes and/or oranges

Oils, Vinegars & Condiments
· Extra-virgin olive oil
· Canola oil
· Balsamic, rice and red-or white-wine vinegar
· Reduced-sodium soy sauce
· Olives
· Capers
· Pimentos
· Dijon mustard
· Worcestershire sauce
· Ketchup

Grains & Canned Goods
· Assorted whole-wheat pastas
· Brown rice
· Barley
· Quinoa
· Oats
· Whole-wheat couscous
· Whole-wheat bread
· Corn and whole-wheat tortillas
· Plain dry breadcrumbs
· Flax Seed meal
· Wheat germ
· Diced tomatoes
· Tomato paste
· Reduced-sodium chicken broth, beef broth and/or vegetable broth
· Beans (cannellini, garbanzo, black, red kidney, great northern, etc.)
· Tuna, packed in water
· Evaporated skim milk

Nuts & Seeds
· A variety of walnuts, pecans, almonds, and/or pine nuts
· Sesame seeds

Refrigerator Staples
· Fat-free or low-fat milk
· Fat-free or low-fat plain yogurt
· Reduced-fat sour cream
· Reduced-fat cream cheese
· Butter (preferably unsalted) and/or margarine
· Eggs (large) and/or egg substitute
· Parmesan or Romano cheese
· Reduced-fat cheddar cheese
· Dry white wine (may substitute nonalcoholic wine)

Freezer Staples
· Frequently used frozen vegetables, e.g., spinach, peas, peppers
· Frozen berries (blackberries, raspberries or strawberries)
· Low-fat vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt

Coming up next…what I made with CSA#1.

Until next time…Be Well!

Jen