A Heart Healthy Kitchen

Keep your pantry stocked with these good-for-you foods.

Too busy to cook? Kim Assunto Sellers, a registered dietitian at Memorial Hospital, recommends stocking your kitchen with these healthy foods so you’ll be able to prepare quick, nutritious meals and snacks.

In the Fridge:
Fruit
Vegetables
Part-skim mozzarella
cheese sticks
Low-fat milk
Low-fat yogurt (watch the sugar)
Low-fat lunch meat
Whole-wheat tortillas

In the Bread Box:
Whole-grain breads and bagels

In the Pantry:
Oatmeal
Whole-grain cereals and crackers
Dried beans
Nuts (watch the portion size)
Canned fruit (watch the syrup)
Brown rice
Whole-wheat pasta
Canned tuna in water
Peanut butter

In the Freezer:
Frozen vegetables (try blends for more variety)
Low-fat meats

Sellers says if you can afford it, buy prepared veggies, such as washed and trimmed carrot sticks, broccoli and cauliflower florets, and peeled, chopped squash. Otherwise, prep these foods when you have a free minute so they’re readily available.

She also recommends that people batch-cook, and freeze meals for easy dinners on busy days.

“Many people eat out because they’re pushed for time. Instead, freeze what’s freezable. You can take out a meal to defrost in the morning, then when you get home all you have to do is reheat it, and maybe prepare a salad or a vegetable,” she says. Many homemade soups are great freezer choices, as is this chicken lasagna recipe.

By Stephanie Thurrott