Success lies in your Pantry?

Your Health... Your Weight.... Your Habits...maybe you've made some New Year's resolutions. Now you are pressed for time, as we all are, do you grab meals on the run? Your success may depend on what's in your pantry. What are your "quick to fix meals"? Did you know most of us eat the same 10 meals day in and day out? Are these meals aligned with your New Year's goals?

Open the cupboards, open the refrigerator? Can you meet your goals with what you see in your pantry? Setting up your kitchen for easy ways to prepare healthy meals is the single most important step for fueling a healthy body and making successful change permanent.

Get rid of the "dead" food (food that can live on the shelf without molding- mostly found in packages).
You only need to shop once a week for fresh produce, the rest can be in your freezer, ready to thaw or in your cupboard.

Freezer
Frozen broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, asparagus, green beans, chopped onions, artichoke hearts, brussels sprouts
Frozen strawberries, peaches, mango, blueberries, raspberries, Frozen sliced grilled chicken or beef strips, ground bison, ground turkey, salmon, tilapia, shrimp, pork tenderloin, turkey thighs or breast, chicken, lamb

Refrigerator:
Eggs, Salsa, Lettuce Mixes, Spinach, Mushrooms, Carrots, Celery, Zucchini, Kale, Red, Yellow, Green pepper, Red, Green, Napa & Purple Cabbage, Tomatoes, Apples, Oranges

Cupboard:
Olive oil, Spices*, Vinegars*, Marinara Sauce (no sugar added), Butternut Squash, Beets, Sweet Potatoes, Acorn, Butternut & Spaghetti Squash, Avocado, Whey Protein Powder (preferably with no added sugar), Nuts, preferably unsalted or raw

Every Meal should include mostly Plants, 2/3 of the meal, & about 1/3 of your plate as Protein.

Your new TEN "quick to fix" meals:

• Ground Bison Marinara Sauce over Spaghetti Squash
• Grilled Chicken or Shrimp over Fresh Lettuce Mix with Walnuts, Avocados & Vinaigrette
• Salmon with Artichoke Hearts, Brussel Sprouts & Onions
• Eggs Florentine (Spinach) & Orange slices or
• Frittata (Eggs) with Zucchini & Peppers, Salsa
• Roast Chicken with Roasted Vegetables and Pecans
• Pork Tenderloin over sliced Apples, Sweet Potatoes and Cabbage
• Roasted Turkey Breast with butternut Squash & toasted Almonds
• Lamb with Kale & Celery, Cashews
• Tilapia with Tomatoes, Mushrooms & Green Beans, Pine nuts
• Smoothies made with frozen fruits, protein powder, water & ice

Most of these meals can be prepared as easily as this:

1. Put some oil in a pan.
2. Brown some protein in that oil for a minute or two.
3. Add spices, vinegars
4. Add veggies, LOTS of them.
5. Stir it a bit, cover and set a timer for 5 min, stir, repeat until cooked through.
6. Sprinkle with some roasted nuts of your choice

OR use this same approach in the oven:

1. Rub meat with spices,
2. Place meat in open roasting pan in 350-400 oven.
3. Add veggies on same pan or a new one, LOTS of them.
4. Add more spices, vinegars
5. Stir it a bit every 5-10 minutes, repeat until cooked to through.
6. Sprinkle with some roasted nuts of your choice

*Take a trip to Maplewood for Penzey's Spices and Vom Fass vinegars to add WOW to your meals.