When temperatures drop to freezing outside, running to the grocery store can quickly fall to the bottom of your to-do list. When that happens, you want to be confident that you can create a few healthy meals with what you already have on hand.
During the winter months, you want to put your body in sync with mother nature. The best way to eat to maintain balance is to think about external and internal temperatures: cold outside = warm inside. That means more than putting the heater on in the house. Eating foods that are warm and/or cooked will balance your internal body environment with the external winter temperatures. It’s referred to as eating according to the season! Choosing foods that are readily available in winter also tend to be less expensive.
Here are a few foods to keep on hand to make sure you are able to make something quick and easy to nourish you from the inside, keep your energy in balance, and help maintain good health. Not to mention, buying foods that are shelf-stable (like frozen or canned produce, rice, pasta, etc.) will stay good in your pantry for weeks or months and keep you from running to the store as often.
- Unsalted broths – season to taste on your own to avoid excessive sodium
- Frozen or canned vegetables (to heat up for a meal or to put into soups/stews) as well as fruit
- Think green beans, spinach, mixed vegetables, carrots, squash, sweet potato, etc
- Think frozen fruit to make your own homemade apple, cherry, peach or strawberry sauces
- Citrus fruits are rich in Vitamin C and help build your immunity
- Nuts and seeds add some crunchy, healthy fat and protein
- Think natural nut butters- peanut, almond, cashew, mixed nut butter (Costco), etc
- Whole wheat crackers, pasta
- Chopped, refrigerated garlic
- Garlic and onion powder
- Canned diced tomatoes (great to throw into soups)
- Canned chickpeas, kidney beans, and other legumes
- Brown rice, wild rice or black rice
- Frozen ground turkey or beef
The chili recipe below or any combination of the listed ingredients will help you make some quick, easy and healthy meals and snacks. Don’t be afraid to hunker down at home because with the right pantry items, you can wait until the temperature rises to go back out to the store!
Easy, One-Pan Turkey Chili
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs ground turkey (frozen or fresh)
- 1 large onion (loosely chopped)
- 3-4 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 heaping Tbsp of bottled minced onions)
- 2 cans fire-roasted diced (or crushed) tomatoes
- I can tomato sauce
- I can kidney beans (drained)
- 1 Tbsp oregano
- 1 Tbsp garlic salt to taste
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Chili powder to taste (start with about 1 tsp and go from there)
- Olive oil for sauteing
Instructions:
- Sauté onions in olive oil until lightly caramelized in large skillet
- Add minced garlic until lightly browned
- Lightly mix in turkey with onions and garlic until lightly browned, then add the diced tomatoes and sauce
- Mix kidney beans and stir
- Add generous sprinkling of salt, pepper, garlic salt, and chili powder
- Let the mixture simmer for 5-10 minutes for flavors to meld, then add oregano
- Continue to simmer until enough liquid has cooked off and the consistency is to your liking
Leave a Reply