Good morning. It's Day 12 and I'm feeling good about this week (apart from a slight aberration when I had a bit too much wine - I blame you LC!), but otherwise it has been Nutri Foods and Carb Sense all the way. Pictured is my breakfast this morning; porridge was a very popular breakkie option on the Instgram poll I did recently which is fab because it's a brilliant incarnation of both Nutri Foods and Carb Sense - totally nutritious, good slow release energy and lots of fibre (fibre is one of my 'things', I'll blog about it soon).
To finish off the week I thought it might be useful for me to share with you my 'capsule kitchen' which is really just a poncey way of saying the ingredients I try and always have in, so I can easily make a range of healthy meals. With these basics in the fridge and cupboard it's just a question of topping up with extra bits which I can do after my gym class in the morning or if I'm not going to the gym then I'll try and engineer a walk out to the shops at some stage in the day - I just pop a rucksack on my back to carry the stuff home (people think I'm weird because it's so hot here in Singapore but I really love walking - must be another midlife thing!!!).
So in no particular order (I'm leaving out really obvious things like butter, milk, salt and pepper because I figure everyone has those):
[Click here for printable version]
Fresh
Lots of Eggs
Cheese - feta, Parmesan, strong cheddar
Greek yogurt
Olives
Miso paste
Meat/Fish
(This is just the stuff I have as back up, the fish or meat we are eating for dinner I'll buy as I need it)
Deli ham (off the bone - get at the deli counter)
Cooked chicken breast (free range or organic) - great for a quick salad or wrap
Smoked mackerel - love this on salad or I make smoked mackerel pate - see below
Bakery
Freshly baked wholegrain bread - buy the good stuff from a proper bakery if you can
Wholemeal pitas/wraps/flatbreads - try and get ones that aren't packed with preservatives, these are good Crosta-Mollica-Organic-Piadina-Flatbreads
Jars & Bottles
Tahini
Jalapenos
Capers
Cornichons
Good quality peanut butter (100% peanuts)
Marmite
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Organic rapeseed oil
Sesame oil
Low salt soy sauce
Apple cider vinegar
Red wine vinegar
Balsamic vinegar
Rice (white) vinegar
Maple syrup
Date syrup
Honey
Dijon mustard (grainy and smooth)
Fruit & Veg
Romaine lettuce
Spinach leaves
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Red peppers
Broccoli
Green beans
Avocados
Lemons
Limes
Ginger
Garlic
Red onions
Spring onions
Red and green chillis
Bananas
Berries
Fresh herbs - always coriander and flat leaf parsley and usually one other - mint, dill, basil depending on what I'm making that week
Frozen
Mixed berries
Frozen veg - peas, sweetcorn, edamame
Good quality soups - either homemade or shop bought
An emergency pizza!
Storecupboard
Organic oats
Brown rice
Wholewheat pasta
Wholegrain noodles or soba (buckwheat) noodles
Bulgar wheat (like cous cous but better)
Dried lentils
Tins of beans and pulses - chickpeas, cannellini, pinto, black beans etc.
Pouches of pre-cooked lentils and grains (such as Merchant Gourmet)
Baked beans (for the kids breakfasts)
Tinned tuna (in water or extra virgin oo)
Sardines in tomato sauce (an easy lunch on grainy toast)
Tins of chopped tomatoes (I like Cirio brand)
Oatcakes
Soft dried figs
Low sugar granola (I make my own sugar-free version), or muesli
Raw nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts)
Raw seeds (flax, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame)
Salted peanuts
70% dark chocolate
Dried Herbs & Spices
Cinnamon
Cumin
Coriander
Turmeric
Garam masala
Mild curry powder
Hot chilli powder or cayenne
Red chilli flakes
Paprika
Cardamom pods
Star Anise
Mixed dried herbs
Drinks
Sparkling water
FeverTree 'Refreshingly Light' tonic water
With these things 'in da house' there are loads of options for a healthy meal - including what is known in our family as a 'snacky plate' - essentially just an assembly of items; mine would look something like ... a few oat cakes, a dried fig, a bit of cheese, some cornichons, some chopped up veggies maybe a bit of smoked mackerel pate (mix smoked mackerel with Greek yogurt, lemon juice, spring onions and any fresh herb you have knocking around), that sort of thing.
I hope my blog posts this week have helped you get your head around Nutri Foods and Carb Sense. These two StealthHealth key concepts are absolutely central to getting your shizzle together in the kitchen and with a few simple ingredients you are never more than 5 minutes away from a delicious, healthy meal.
Now I'm going to practice what I preach ... the back pack is on and I'm heading out to the shops.
Sam xx
Have I missed a massive trick? Is there one ingredient you couldn't live without? Please let me know in the comments!