There are a lot of delicious and nutritious foods out there that can help you stay on track with your healthy eating goals. The key is to find foods that you enjoy eating and that will help you feel satisfied throughout the day.
One of the best ways to do this is to plan ahead and make sure you have healthy food options available when you’re hungry. That way, you’re less likely to make unhealthy choices or succumb to temptation.
Chickpeas
If you have some chickpeas, you can make all sorts of dinners and lunches.
All you need to do is drain them, and mix them with any sort of soup, chilli or stew for the extra protein and fibre they give you. You can also mash them and add a little bit of seasoning and have it as a filling for a wrap or sandwich.
Chickpeas can be saved for up to a week if sealed in a container and put into the fridge.
These contain 12g of fibre, 14g of protein and just 4g of fat. They are also very high in manganese which helps with bone health, ideal for people with arthritis.
Smoked Salmon
If you are able to get your hands on some fresh salmon, especially smoked salmon because it is already cooked it can be an easy, healthy food for you to add to your diet. You can try eating it with a little bit of seasoning or sauce, like lemon, dill or cream cheese with some toast.
Due to it coming in small packages you might not have leftovers to save. However, if you do it can be frozen for up a month.
Smoked salmon has lots of benefits. It is full of omega 3, which is healthy for your brain. It also has vitamin A and E, which is known to reduce inflammation, which can combat any sort of arthritis or injury inflammation occurring.
Tofu
You may be unsure about about tofu, or think it is really boring. Well it may be that you haven't prepared it well.
If you press the liquid out of the tofu it become really great for pan frying, making it crisp. Then you can add it to any stir fry, curry or noodle dish.
Red lentils
Red lentils do not take long too cook, with it only being around 20-25 minutes. There are a variety of coloured lentils that can be eaten, but arguably red lentils has a taste that that is slightly sweet, but can absorb most flavours you cook with it. They go best with daal or a stew with tomatoes and onions.
These lentils have a mix of fibre and antioxidants which are good for the heart and digestive system, and are especially high in protein, which can be a good alternative if you are vegetarian.
Bone broth
This can be done with the meat of your choosing or a veggie broth! Broth can be added to create extra flavour for soups and savoury sauces. It is a great alternative to water for cooking rice or quinoa.
Bone broth can easily be saved in the original packaging or if it is home made be frozen in small ice cubes, which can be simply added to the recipe when cooking.
Sweet potatoes
Sweet potato is a different option instead of regular potatoes, they are slightly sweeter and go well with spices like cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. For that reason they are best in Mexican or Indian dishes. Add cooked sweet potato to curries, chillies, tacos or pasta. They are able to be left in the fridge for around a week so you are able to use them all week if needed.
These potatoes have lots of fibre, and potassium which is good for your muscles to help them contract properly.
When you maybe have random ingredients laying around the home, it can become quite easy to toss a meal together that is tasty and nutritious, which takes the stress of deciding to what cook every single day.