3 Ways to Make Healthy Meals Using Long-lasting Ingredients

Avoid unnecessary trips to the grocery store by making use of long-lasting ingredients. To create a supportive meal, mix and match simple combinations of starch, produce, protein, and healthy fats (like olive oil and olives).

1. Utilize Tortillas to Make a Variety of Quesadillas and Tacos

PROTEIN OPTIONS: black, pinto, or garbanzo beans, frozen shrimp, or cheese
PRODUCE OPTIONS: frozen spinach, peppers, or broccoli and jarred salsa

Tip: frozen produce often has just as many - if not more - vitamins than fresh

2. Use Leftover Grains (Like Rice or Quinoa) for a Stir-fry

PROTEIN OPTIONS: tofu or eggs
PRODUCE OPTIONS: frozen broccoli, peas, or peppers and canned vegetables like baby corn or mushrooms

3. Get Creative with Pasta

PROTEIN OPTIONS: white beans, chickpeas, anchovies, or tuna
PRODUCE OPTIONS: garlic and onions, canned tomatoes (or tomato paste), dried mushrooms and herbs (like basil, oregano, or thyme), jarred roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and frozen broccoli or spinach

Tip: try this pasta with chickpeas recipe, which utilizes only pantry ingredients

By Kylie Sakaida, MS, RD, LDN