Table of Contents
Meal Planning Staples:
The whole point of meal planning is to make your life easier by making this process quicker. So that means using ingredients which can last or create a number of different meals. So, to make your shopping list an easy list to create, we have put together our top 10 ingredients that you can use to make multiple meals.
Extra-virgin olive oil
This is the only cooking oil which is made without the of chemicals and industrial refining. Due to this, it is one of the healthiest fats you can find. So, if you like making homemade fries make sure you purchase some of this oil.
Tinned Beans
Tin beans and a really helpful and easy way to bulk up a meal, from chickpeas to kidney beans, there are so many you are sure to find one you love. With a load of protein and fibre in them, beans are also inexpensive yet filling.
Eggs
Eggs are super diverse, whether you want them scrambled for a breakfast, boiled to pop into a salad for lunch or fried for a dinner. They a delicious way to get protein into your diet, and when you bulk buy them they’ll last in your cupboards for a few weeks.
Sea salt
Sea salt is another easy way to spice up a dish, making them more favourable. Though it is suggested to limiting your salt intake, ‘excess sodium’ this is usually a problem in processed foods.
Fresh herbs (or dried)
Herbs are what make a dish. Whether it’s basil in a spaghetti bolognaise sauce or rosemary on top of a roasted lamb joint. If you’ve got green fingers, then fresh, home-grown herbs are a handy way to make sure you always have your meals tasty perfect. If not, then dried homes do the job just as well.
Garlic
Fresh garlic keeps really well, plus it tastes amazing and is super versatile. Whether you’re making home-made garlic bread or want to give your roast potatoes a bit of a kick, then garlic is all you need. Not to mention it’s amazing health benefits, which including; reducing blood pressure and improving cholesterol levels.
Rice
Another money saver, rice lasts in the cupboards for a really long time, it’s super feelings AND is good for you. From providing energy to helping controlling blood pressure, rice is definitely a food you should have in your cupboards.
Wholegrain Pasta
Having pasta in the house is a great food to have in the house for those days you forget to get the frozen meat out of the freezer or if you’re simply in a rush. Using wholegrain pasta, over regular pasta gives more fibre, so is a lot healthier. It’s also really quick to cook and great to have for lunch or dinner. So, if you know you’re in for a long day, cooking up some pasta is definitely a great choice
Frozen vegetables
Getting vegetables into your diet is a really easy first step to a healthier life style. Having a packet of frozen vegetables in your freezer at all times is super cost effect and makes healthy eating really simple. This is a quick way to get your five-a-day.
Dried fruit:
Dried fruit is, whether it’s banana chips, dried apricots or raisins are another good handbag/school snack. Simply having a little storage box with a small selection of them in means that where ever you are you have a healthy snack. They are also a tasty extra to put into home-made treats.
When you start meal planning regularly and if you have the money, try and do one big shop of all the dry and tinned food essentials we have suggested (or make a list of yours) and you’ll be all set. Once a month check what your running low on and simply top up your cupboards to make sure you’ll always prepped for those unexpected guests or those days when you haven’t been able to get to the shops. Keeping your tins as healthy as possible i.e. vegetables, fruits etc. will mean it will be easier for you to keep your healthy lifestyle, even in the busy spells of life.
