Pantry Staples

I keep meaning to put this post together in it’s entirety, but I just keep forgetting to gather everything I need!  So, I’m just going for it and hoping and praying it helps with ideas for someone!

Before I started eating clean and following the 21 Day Fix meal planning guide, I just thought I cooked and ate healthy.  But there were TONS of items in my pantry that I used on a daily basis that were full of unhealthy fats, sodium, sugar, and more not-so-clean things.

As I was looking for some things the other day while cooking, it occurred to me that there were a handful of items that I keep stocked that I just cannot live without!  And I started snapping pictures –  like any self-respecting fitness coach would do…(insert eye-roll)!

Tomato sauce!  What kid doesn’t love spaghetti and meatballs??? I know ours do.  But store bought  tomato sauces can be crammed full of not so great ingredients.  The primary one being sugar! One cup of traditional tomato sauce can contain 16 g of sugar!  That’s outrageous.

I look for organic ones if I’m going to buy them, and a sugar content of less than 5g.  I prefer to make my own, but these are pretty handy when we have baseball games and places to be in general.

But if I AM going to make my own spaghetti sauce, I keep these ingredients on hand as well!

Italian seasoning

Crushed tomatoes

My boys love these noodles.  They’re packed with protein

Some other staples that we use in lots of ways include unsweetened flake coconut and sunflower seeds.  Matt used the coconut in his Shakeology a lot, and he likes to add it to yogurt and quick snacks.  I bake with it as well in muffins.  Matt loves the texture.  I’m not a fan so much, but I love him, so I keep it around!

Sunflower seeds are also something we use in lots of ways!  The boys eat them by themselves. We put them on oats, in muffins, sprinkled over cottage cheese and on salads. They’re a great healthy fat, and I used to skimp on that.  This is an easy way to get it into my day.

And I mean, what would I do without a can of Rotel tomatoes? I buy these by the case and go through them pretty quickly.  Especially in the winter.  I add them to every pot of chili and soup I make!  And we eat fajitas or tacos EVERY week, so it goes in there as well.  I panic if I run out of this staple…

It’s not exciting, but tuna is something we eat a lot of.  Milo loves tuna, so he eats a lot of tuna melts.  I whip up tuna salad a lot, especially in the summer, and if I’m hungry before bedtime, I might just crack open a can and eat it.  *Protein before bedtime is thought to promote weight-loss!

 Last one!!! We are always moving!  Going somewhere or just too busy playing to stop and make something. These are some snacks we keep on hand.  Not all are what I would consider “clean” but they’re pretty good options.  Especially for the boys.

I might just have a secret love affair going with this guy, Justin, who makes this almond butter.  He’s a genius!!

Those are some things that are ALWAYS in our pantry.  And as summer approaches, and we are home all the time, I will be making a trip to Sam’s to make sure I’m all stocked up!

If you need more tips and ideas like these, I am going to focus on being prepared for the craziness of summertime in my May challenge group!

I am going to teach you how to cut the cravings, increase the nutrient density of your food, handle temptations, eating out at restaurants and traveling and still reach your goals.

Plus we are going to focus on intensity of your workouts and pushing to the MAX!

30 days with me requires you to have 100% commitment & willingness to step out of your comfort zone and get intense!

This group requires that I AM YOUR COACH & that you commit to completing a Beachbody Fitness Program, Replacing 1 meal a day with Shakeology and actively participating in the support group online.

If this sounds like something you would like to do complete the application below:




#summerstrong

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