Top 10 Foods I Have In The Kitchen

Gosh, how I wish that was my pantry.

When scrolling through the pictures on my phone, it’s pretty obvious that moments I love to capture usually involve family/friends and a fully sat dinner table!

But hey, food is truly wonderful! All the delicious tastes, the sense of achievement when cooking, the good memories and chats with people you care about, all while saving world problems.

Sounds familiar?

Unfortunately, a busy lifestyle and an outer pressure to constantly lose weight have stopped us from enjoying food.

Is it possible to enjoy food at the same time as maintaining healthy eating habits? And what does that even look like?

Supermarkets - Not A Walk In The Park

Picture yourself wandering around the supermarket hoping to find something for dinner (anyone else but me?). It’s like the foods are speaking: “Renourish yourself”, “Taste the difference”, “Protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass”, “Source of calcium and vitamin D”, “Treat yourself without compromise”, “Suitable for vegetarians”, and not to mention: “Enjoy X as part of a varied, balanced diet and healthy lifestyle” etc..

It’s like you’re having a frigging conversation with a stranger who never stops talking!

Anyhow, there you are, pushing the cart in front of you as the next person. Choosing between water-pumped chicken thighs, pink-coloured beef, straight cucumbers and other food affected by decent engineering skills.

It’s certainly not an easy task to figure out what foods to buy.

Which Foods To Choose?

If you see a supermarket - run the other way!

Gosh, I wish I could tell my clients this, but we all know it doesn’t work like that in real life.

Regardless of where you shop, your eating habits all come down to your daily food choices and what you keep easily accessible in your kitchen cupboards.

One major problem in the supermarket, is the fact that we often get tricked into buying food products. What I mean about that? Food that has an ingredient list, a long ingredient list.

I challenge you to try shopping only foods with less than 5 ingredients! Text me if you do, I’s love to hear all about it!

You’ll quickly realise that in most cases, you either have to choose organic or the raw/natural version.

I bet you understand where I’m going with this, but in order to maintain healthy eating habits, you have to make it easier for yourself to make good food choices.

Start by adding a various selection of healthy food to your cupboards. One by one. It certainly doesn’t have to be what I keep in my cupboards, but here it goes:

My Top 10 Foods

Oats

The small superheroes!

They are packed with fibre, rich in iron, essential proteins (yes - oats is a source to protein!), antioxidants and lowering cholesterol.

To support your gut health, you know where the inflammations often start, your gut needs fibre.

It is recommended to eat 30 grams of fibre a day in order to achieve all the good health benefits that comes with it. Half a cup contains 9 grams of fibre, compared to an apple with 4 grams (but an apple has other important nutrients, so choose them both!).

Black Beans

Beans, lentils, peas, chickpeas and even peanuts are filled with essential vitamins and minerals. In addition, they are excellent sources of fibre and protein!

Together with fibre-dense food (whole wheat bread and cereals), they will complement each other perfectly.

We love to add black beans to nachos, enchiladas and currys!

With this food group, you get lots of nutrients plus fewer calories.

Spelt Flour

Did you know that the oldest cultivated crop in human history is spelt?

That’s not the only reason it deserves a place in your cupboard, but it’s also the ancestor of today’s wheat and is considered to have more vitamins and minerals. Many people find spelt flour easier for the gut to digest.

Mix it with oats when making pancakes. Use spelt flour in the toad and the hole and Yorkshire puddings. Its delicious.

Onions

Another Old Charmer!

When it comes to onions, the more the merrier! These amazing bulbs are loaded with compounds that can boost your gut health and strengthen your immune system. Plus, they're packed with antioxidants that can support a healthy heart.

So don't be shy, add some extra onions to your next meal!

Chopped Tomatoes

at the rescue!

I can’t name one food that chopped tomatoes can’t be combined with. Can you? This package of antioxidants is such a cheap and easy staple to add any type of dish. If there’s a food your kid doesn’t like - wrap it up in delicious, tomato sauce!

Potatoes

Our best source of vitamin C and more food for fewer calories - what’s not to love?

And yes! It is a vegetable.

A vegetable that has been grown for thousands of years and never goes out of fashion. It is actually pretty cool to think about. Another staple that is easy to combine with other staples too, by baking or frying them in the oven, boiling them, or turning them into cute little gnocchis.

Have you realised that potatoes are the only vegetable we can not eat raw??

Garlic

Garlic is not just a seasoning, it's a magic ingredient that can turn an ordinary dish into a culinary masterpiece.

With its amazing health benefits, consuming just two cloves a day can protect you against life-threatening bacteria and reduce blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular disease.

Add some garlic to your meals and let it work its magic, making your life healthier and more delicious.

Raspberries

Using frozen fruits and berries can help you reach your daily recommended intake of fruits and vegetables all year round.

Raspberries have numerous health benefits, like supporting your immune system and gut health, but they're also a great source of folate, which can help prevent exhaustion.

Simply washing them and keeping them in a container with some paper in the fridge would make it easier to make healthier food choices in your hectic everyday.

Eggs

As long as there are eggs, there will be a meal.

One of the few natural sources of Vitamin D in foods. Eggs contain high-quality protein, alongside iron and multiple other vitamins and minerals.

Don't be scared by the cholesterol in eggs, it’s not the same as blood cholesterol. If you have no heart conditions it’s considered safe to eat two eggs a day.

Pistachios

Don’t let the calories scare you from adding more nuts to your diet. They are great sources of protein, healthy fats and other important nutrients like vitamin E, folate, potassium and fibre.

We love pistachios in my household, but since they all contain different types of nutrients (like walnuts with their omega-3 fatty acids), it’s important to vary the types of nuts.

Any particular food you would like to add to the list??

To be honest, I could’ve named plenty of other foods, like lemon, ginger, ketchup, cinnamon, dark chocolate etc, but these are my top 10:

• Oats -The tiny superheroes

• Black Beans - the natural vitamin pill

• Spelt Flour - Oldies know best

• Onions - The more the merrier

• Chopped Tomatoes - at the rescue!

• Potatoes - Yes, it’s a vegetable

• Garlic - What is life without?

• Raspberries (frozen) - a versatile nutrient bomb

• Eggs - Neverending opportunities

• Pistachios- Green health boost

Enjoy Food While Maintaining Healthy Eating Habits

Even though our lifestyles rely on supermarkets (which won’t disappear any time soon), it’s fully manageable to fill your cupboards with healthy, delicious and nutritious foods.

Stocking up on these foods is preparing yourself for success! To me, success means being able to enjoy food while still maintaining healthy eating habits. Do you agree?

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Looking for support to achieve healthier eating habits and a happier, more confident you? I’m always here to chat!