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10 Food Items to Keep on Hand to Add Flavor and Nutrition
to Otherwise Boring Meals
by Erin Rogers, Health-E-Meals.com
Having
a well-stocked pantry and refrigerator can be a busy cook's
best weapon in the war against resorting to fast-food, high-fat,
unhealthy meals. If you know what to keep on hand, you
can easily whip up quick, nutritious meals that the whole
family will love!
Here
are 10 ideas for ingredients that will add taste, color
and nutrition to your old standby's:
1.
Roasted red peppers - can be used on casseroles,
salads, pizzas, hummus, pasta, pesto
2.
Balsamic vinegar - great for a fat-free salad dressing
with a touch of olive oil, splash on steamed veggies, soups,
add to pasta sauces
3.
Fresh basil (freeze in ziploc bags to make it last)
- sprinkle on salads, pizzas, pasta, pesto
4.
Frozen onions and green peppers - use to jazz up
spaghetti sauce, chili, fajitas, casseroles, omelets
5.
Garbanzo beans - put on salads, puree to make creamy
soups
6.
Canned mushrooms and canned tomatoes - pasta sauces,
pizza, casseroles
7.
Teriyaki sauce - season stir fry's, use as marinade,
splash on steamed veggies
8.
Sun dried tomatoes - use on pizza, pasta sauces,
sandwiches
9.
Bottled minced garlic and gingerroot - quicker alternative
than fresh, still packs in flavor
10.
Chopped green chiles - Mexican casseroles, quiches, scrambled
eggs, burritos
Your
family might have other favorite ingredients. Just remember,
if you keep a variety of tasty add-in's on hand, you'll
be more likely to eat at home, which means you'll be more
likely to eat a more nutritious meal.
