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People today are busier than ever before, and trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle and a healthy weight sometimes becomes difficult. A big help in staying on track is to keep a pantry that is well-stocked with healthful food for meal preparation or to grab for snacking. This makes eating fast food or "junk food" far less tempting. Make a list of such foods and stock up next time you shop. Once you've stocked your pantry, keep a list somewhere close at hand so that you can write down items to replace as you get low on them. An added benefit of non-perishable items is that you don't have to shop for them as often. Below is a list of helpful tips and healthy foods to get you started.

Non-perishable Items For Putting Together Quick Meals:

Canned Goods-

1. Tuna packed in water

2. Canned salmon and chicken

3. Fruit packed in it's own syrup or low-sugar fruit

4. Low-sodium canned vegetables

5. Tomato products: sauce, paste, stewed tomatoes

6. Healthy Choice soups (or a similar brand)

7. Low-sodium canned broth

8. Different varieties of canned beans for use in soups, salads, and casseroles

Packaged Foods For Meal Preparation-

1. A variety of whole-grain pastas or vegetable pasta

2. Whole-grain cereals for breakfast or to be used for breading meat or topping casseroles

3. Whole-grain rice or brown rice (in rice combos, check package details for sodium and MSG content)

4. Whole-grain pancake mix

5. Muffin mixes-corn or bran muffins have the most fiber

6. Non-fat dried milk for sauces and creamy soups

7. Packets of dried soup or Ramen Noodles (not for use when on a very low-sodium diet)

8. Oatmeal or other "hot" cereals of choice

Additional Items To Keep On Hand

1. A non-stick spray such as Pam

2. Olive oil

3. Balsamic vinegar for salads or salad dressings

4. A wide variety of spices and herbs

5. Dried minced onions (use as is when cooking, or soak a couple of minutes in water for the equivalent of a raw onion)

6. Low-sugar syrup

Snack Food:

1. Packages of dried fruit, while they do contain natural fruit sugars also contain a lot of fiber and vitamins. Black or golden raisins or dried cranberries are good alone or in hot cereals and green salads.

2. Cans or jars of all-fruit or vegetable juices

3. Small packets of unsweetened apple sauce or other fruits

4. Low-fat, low-sodium micro wave popcorn

5. Whole grain crackers

6. There are many 100-calorie packets out now of cookies and other snack foods

7. Low-sodium pretzels

8. Nuts and seeds (such as sunflower seeds) can be bought in low-or-no salt varieties. Try mixing them with your dried fruits for variety.

9. Various teas (green tea is an especially healthy choice

10. Bite-sized candy bars or chocolate pieces (dark chocolate has been shown to contain many health benefits)

With these ideas, keeping your diet and healthy life-style on track will be made much easier. Variety is key for getting the best mix of nutrients into your diet and for satisfying your appetite in ways that will not sabotage your efforts to maintain good health.

Learn more about this author, Karen Chaffee.
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