Pantry Must Haves for Successful Weight Loss

[ibouncetoo]

So it's back to healthy eating for me. I've managed to hit an all time record high by living off restaurant/carry out/fast food meals.

Step one is to PURGE THE KITCHEN...not only of unhealthy items, but of things that have been sitting in the cupboard for YEARS.

Step two is where I'm looking for ideas. What are your Pantry Must Haves for Successful Weight Loss ? (That would include refridgerated items too).

I'll pretty much be restocking from scratch and will be getting fresh fruit and veggies, and some nice fresh chicken for grilling, but what are your favorite go to items that have saved you from jumping in the car and heading to the nearest drive through? What can you have stocked that will help with a quickly prepared light meal? What's that favorite condiment that will make your meals tastier?

Help me with my shopping list!

.

 

[wenrob]

My staples for a FAST healthy dinner:

Frozen, boneless, skinless, chicken breasts/tenders
Whole grain pasta
Birds Eye frozen Veggie Steamers
Olive Oil/Cooking Spray
Newman's Marinara Sauce
Chicken Broth
Bread Crumbs
Parmesan Cheese

These are always, always stocked so if I just don't have time or am feeling lazy there is a healthy meal on the table in under 30mins. For me it takes away the fast food run because this is just as quick and I don't have to leave the house. Last week I made WW Chicken Picatta and Chicken Parmesan, my DH asked they be added to the regular menu. So even though is sounds boring it's easy and quick to toss a fab meal together with these things on hand. DD and I even took a whole bag of chicken tenders (boneless, skinless) cooked them up and froze them in 4oz portions so we can grab them to toss on a salad or make a sandwich.

edited to add: I have lost 30lbs in the last several months.

 

[disykat]

I do okay with meals, my issue is snacks. Here are my favorite TREATS and snacks:

yoplait light dessert yogurts - I recommend the cherry cobbler!
skinny cow ice cream sandwiches
laughing cow cheese on celery
red pepper with hummus
cauliflower dipped in salsa
sandwich thins with a bit of soynut butter (peanut butter would work, we just don't have that)
Fiber Plus or Fiber One bars

My absolute favorite lunch is a big lettuce and vegie salad with 1/2 bag Tyson grilled beef strips( warmed), a tiny bit of Dorothy Lynch salad dressing (sort of like French or Catalina) and a few crumbled nonfat saltines as croutons.

I also keep some meal sized plastic containers handy to freeze leftovers in for lunches. If I immediately freeze everything it keeps me from picking AND I have an easy lunch to grab later.

 

[ibouncetoo]

Thanks for the ideas.....keep 'em coming!

.

 

[Octoberbride03]

A healthy quick breakfast is a MUST for me in the mornings. Emphasis on the quick. So for work mornings its 3/4 cup bowl of Kashi Cinnamon Harvest cereal and cup of V8 low sodium.

For lunch I usually do a PBJ with All Natural PB(Skippy's my fave here) and an all natural apple sauce. Always keep those in the pantry/fridge. these can also flavor snack cravings as well.

I need easy and lazy during work days so the above are constants. Looking for variety in my supper though so I'll take ideas there for me.

 

[Anna114]

I've recently lost a bunch of weight here are a couple of my musts.
Raisin Bran
Oatmeal
Low carb tortillas
Multi-grain tortilla chips
Salsa
100 cal snacks
whole wheat pasta
....just to name a few

 

[pjlla]

Not pantry, but fridge.... salad fixings and other fresh vegetables. I try to never be without these, and of course, fresh fruit. At the very least I try to have apples, bananas, baby carrots, and broccoli on hand ALWAYS!

Also in the fridge...
lowfat Paul Newman's dressings
Laughing Cow light cheese wedges
Hormel All-Natural smoked turkey and honey ham lunch meats (no artificial ingredients, no nitrates or nitrites)
Stoneyfield Farms fat free french vanilla yogurt
lowfat cottage cheese
salsa (both standard tomato salsa and others like mango and pineapple salsas)
Dijonnaise mustard
eggs (I only use the whites, but I prefer real eggs over Egg Beaters),
2% milk shredded cheeses
skim milk or almond milk or soy milk

Pantry.....

canned tomatoes and canned beans (kidney, black, pinto)
Fiberone cereal (the original)
oatmeal (both instant and regular)
Sandwich Thins and/or Deli Thins and/or Bagel Thins
Fiberone bars (when I need a sweet fix or a quick snack on the run)
lowfat microwave popcorn (regular and flavored)
Wasa crisp crackers
Melba toast crackers
Pam nonstick spray
whole wheat pasta and whole wheat couscous
brown rice

Okay... that is just the stuff that came to mind quickly. Hope it helps......P

 

[ibouncetoo]

Thanks everybody!

I have another question:

How long does rice last? I have some in a plastic bag (newish) and some long grain and wild rice in a heavy plastic jug (like a milk jug) that has never been opened but is AT LEAST two years old. These were kept in the cupboard, not the fridge.

(My co worker said, open it up, dump it on a cookie sheet and if anything moves...throw it all away...>EWWWWWWW>>>)

 

[ibouncetoo]

Not pantry, but fridge.... salad fixings and other fresh vegetables. I try to never be without these, and of course, fresh fruit. At the very least I try to have apples, bananas, baby carrots, and broccoli on hand ALWAYS!

Also in the fridge...
lowfat Paul Newman's dressings
Laughing Cow light cheese wedges
Hormel All-Natural smoked turkey and honey ham lunch meats (no artificial ingredients, no nitrates or nitrites)
Stoneyfield Farms fat free french vanilla yogurt
lowfat cottage cheese
salsa (both standard tomato salsa and others like mango and pineapple salsas)
Dijonnaise mustard
eggs (I only use the whites, but I prefer real eggs over Egg Beaters),
2% milk shredded cheeses
skim milk or almond milk or soy milk

Pantry.....

canned tomatoes and canned beans (kidney, black, pinto)
Fiberone cereal (the original)
oatmeal (both instant and regular)
Sandwich Thins and/or Deli Thins and/or Bagel Thins
Fiberone bars (when I need a sweet fix or a quick snack on the run)
lowfat microwave popcorn (regular and flavored)
Wasa crisp crackers
Melba toast crackers
Pam nonstick spray
whole wheat pasta and whole wheat couscous
brown rice

Okay... that is just the stuff that came to mind quickly. Hope it helps......P

Well I was already shopping when you posted, but all the items I bolded were in my cart!

I have to do a soy milk test, because cow's milk is really bothering me now that I'm getting old! Therefore, I haven't been eating cereal for a long time and it was always one of my favorite DINNERS on nights I worked late.

I did forget the juice (orange, or pineapple, or any blend) and will just grab some next time I'm out. I discovered a shot of juice (4-6 oz) as soon as I wake up gets the ticker (and the metabolism) started, then I have breakfast after I get ready for work.

I did get some of the Jello SF dark chocolate mousse to try...it sounds delightfully decadant! And Skinny Cow mint ice cream sandwiches were on sale...that should help keep me away from Dairy Queen.

Keep on with the suggestions.

.

 

[lizzyb5280]

I love to do hummus w/ veggies and pitas as either meal or snack. It's sooo easy to make, so I always make sure I've got tahini (sesame paste) in the fridge, and a couple cans of chickpeas in the pantry. Lemon juice and minced garlic are already fridge staples, as well as olive oil and paprika in the pantry. I personally find the whole wheat pitas rather dry, so I stick to the regular pitas, though I dip more tomatoes and cucumbers than bread.

 

[cclovesdis]

First of all, best of luck! I know for me the hardest part was/is getting my family to join me on eating some of the healtier foods. I love whole wheat pasta, my parents not so much. My sister would much rather have ravioli. Ok, enough about that.

Here are some of my suggestions:
- lots and lots of fruits and veggies-I love apples and broccoli! (fresh or frozen)
- lowfat and fat free dairy, like fat free milk, lowfat cheese, and nonfat yogurt
- high fiber bread
- whole wheat pasta
- low sodium pasta sauce (add your own additional spices and veggies)
- Skinny Cow bars/sandwiches
- low calorie deli meats, like turkey, chicken breast, roast beef, and ham (I also check the sodium count.)
- and of course, my favorite oatmeal with cinnamon

Again, best of luck!

 

[Zoesmama03]

pantry items
quinoa
brown rice if you eat it(I'm trying to cut out wheat gluten)
olive oil
spices
garlic
onions
canned beans and tomatoes are staples I keep

fridge
low fat yogurt if you eat it
fresh veggies and fruits(well the ones you should refrigerate) cut them when you first get them or buy the prepared ones at first if you have to.
frozen veggies for those times you cant get or don't have fresh(I keep a stock of frozen broccoli and other mixed veggies bags)

avocado I find these to be very full of vitamins and minerals and they give me energy with my almost daily lunch salads. Plus they have good amounts of good fats to help balance them.

I didn't put lean meats because I try not to eat them at all. On a challenge to eliminate all meat finally(been doing 1-2 meals a week still) but for a lot of people these are staples.


I really liked Jamie Olivers pantry list you can find it at his site with quick google search.

 

[rabyoga]

I keep it easy...

Fresh fruit and veggies. As much as you like and what you like to eat.

 

[tiki23]

I'm a savory person during the day and a sweet person after dark; for some reason I crave chocolate or cookies right before bed! I keep the fiber-one bars on hand for a quick fix for a late night snack, though I'm trying to only eat half of one per day.

Lots of fruit and veggies on hand, of course. I love Fuji and Honey Crisp apples, any type of berries, cukes, broccoli, carrots, sugar snap peas and the bags of mixed salad greens.

I throw salads together with any/all of the above ingredients with a few chopped almonds, manadarin oranges, cooked chicken or low fat cheese with yummy non-fat balsamic vinegarette or lite sesame-asian dressing

Trader Joe's stores have great crunchy snacks; Savory Thin Mini Crackers, Pita Puffs and Pretzel Thins are my faves. 25-30 pieces have 130 calories or less, with less than 3 grams of fat and the sodium content is reasonable. I eat these with salsa or the Lite Laughing Cow wedges or the Lite Baybel little round cheeses. (Both of which I find are less expensive at Trader Joe's!) TJ's also has great non-fat yogurt; I love the vanilla and eat it with frozen unsweetened berries or with cinnamon.

I still have regular cheese in the fridge for hubby and the kids but I can get my cheese fix with the lite versions. I only have light mayo and non-fat cream cheese in the fridge as well as 4 different kinds of mustard which help me keep sandwiches on the lighter side.

I have teenagers and my husband works graveyard so I never know who will be home when for dinner so I've gotten to where I will cook what and when I need to eat. But I have cut way down on the amount of hamburger and prepared foods that are available and will cook a large amount of b/s chicken breasts and/or lean beef steak at one time that I slice thin so both can be used for stir fry, fajitas, with pasta or rice or over steamed veggies.

I also keep the frozen Healthy Choice or Lean Cuisine meals on hand both at work and at home. There are some days I am just too tired or uninspired to cook or bag up a lunch and these keep me from stopping for fast food. (My snacking tip: keep low fat, low calorie, non-perishable snacks in the car! I drive a lot for work and drive by a lot of places that tempt me...but I reach for my snack instead!)

Oh - and I gave up Pepsi! My friends have always joked that I should buy stock in Pepsico. Lots of water and lower calorie juices now.

 

[amyy]

almond milk (to mix in the blender with strawberries or make pudding)
strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupe
green beans, celery, carrots
cranberries
almonds, filberts, hazelnuts
chicken breast
rice
steel cut oatmeal
oatmeal bread
70% dark chocolate
pesto

 

[tiki23]

Mmmmm....almond milk.

 

[jgive]

Great lists!
For snacks: low fat string cheese, unsalted roasted almonds, homeade Chex mix, homeade granola, Fiber one bar

for lunch: sandwiches on whole wheat, pita chips and hummus, fresh seasonal fruit and veggies, non fat yogurt or natural unsweetened applesauce

for breakfast: half whole wheat bagel, light strawberry cream cheese, hard boiled egg

dinner varies and isn't always the healthiest but I'm working in it.