This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.
March is National Nutrition Month. It’s a great time to become better informed about your food choices and make any tweaks necessary to support healthful eating that fuels your body and goals.
For example, my goal is to eat a balanced diet rich in lean proteins, fruits and veggies, and whole-grain carbs to give me enough energy to perform my runs and workouts along with the proper nutrients to recover quickly. I like making homemade meals, but often convenience is king. However, I’m not willing to scrap my nourishing meals for takeout, so I keep my pantry stocked with quality convenience foods, condiments and better-for-me snacks to help ensure success.
Nutritious Pantry Staples for Quick Meals & Snacks
Coconut Aminos: One of my must-have pantry staples is Organic Coconut Aminos from Coconut Secret. For those of you who don’t do soy products or are being mindful of salt consumption, this soy sauce alternative really delivers that slightly sweet yet savory punch of umami you crave from a condiment. Made from hand-harvested, naturally fermented organic coconut blossoms, the only other ingredient in Coconut Aminos, is just a hint of sea salt. Coconut Aminos has 72% less sodium than the leading soy sauce brand. It’s also gluten-free, msg-free, has no added sugar, and is Whole30 approved. A 1:1 ratio soy sauce replacement, I use Organic Coconut Aminos in so many ways including in my ramen bowls, in marinades and glazes for grilling and oven roasting, and in veggie skillets.
Tahini: It’s amazing what kind of amazingly flavorful dishes you can create in a flash with a bottle of Mighty Sesame Organic Tahini. If you’re not familiar with tahini, it’s a creamy product made from sesame seeds. The squeeze-bottle on the Mighty Sesame Harissa Tahini is SO CONVENIENT and VERSATILE — it’s shelf-stable, always creamy, always drizzle-ready and is kicked up with a little bit of roasted chili pepper! There is no gunky stirring and spooning from a jar like I’ve persevered with other tahini brands. Perfect to drizzle on salads, grain bowls, tacos and raw veggie snacking for a boost of flavor, healthy fats and extra protein (7g per serving). Suitable for vegan, glute-free, dairy-free, kosher, and halal diets.
Pre-Cooked Grains: Keeping shelf-stable, pre-cooked grains (like rice and quinoa) in the pantry allows for quick, creative meal-making on even the busiest nights. I’ve stocked up with Minute rice cups, they are easily made in the microwave in about 60 seconds, perfectly portioned so I don’t overeat, and feature just quality rice – no weird chemicals, harmful ingredients, or weird processing methods. Even the plastic cups are BPA-free and can be recycled. The Minute Basmati microwavable rice cups offer that nutty, aromatic rice experience that’s hard to resist and Minute Brown Rice & Quinoa microwavable rice cups have a delightful texture with chewy brown rice and crunchy quinoa. Both are non-GMO, preservative-free, MSG-free, gluten-free, cholesterol-free and suitable for vegan and vegetarian diets. These easy rice cups are a smart and simple way to add the beneficial nutrients, like fiber from whole grains, into your busy lifestyle.
Nut-based Spreads: Naturally, almond butter, cashew butter and peanut butter are always stocked in my pantry – -but sometimes something chocolatey can really sooth that sweet tooth! When cravings hit, I grab a jar of Nutiva Organic Classic Hazelnut Spread from the pantry. It’s creamy, it’s decadent-tasting, it’s delicious all while being a product I can feel good about eating. Not only does it have 40-percent less sugar that the leading brand (that’s huge!), it’s non-GMO, suitable for vegan diets and the hazelnuts are harvested in a way that is rainforest and orangutan safe. My favorite ways to enjoy this vegan nutella -like spread is to smear it on whole-grain toast, drizzle on my oatmeal, or use as a dip for fruit!
Nuts: I LOVE nuts, especially almonds! They store so well in the pantry and are a good source of grab-and-go nutrients including fiber, protein, vitamin e and more. A favorite brand is RECIPE 33 infused almonds, not only for the inherent benefits of nuts, but also because the are flavored yet mess free! A proprietary, small-batch process takes real ingredients to infuse flavor into each almond without artificial flavors or additives. The result is an amazingly flavorful snack that leaves no messy, oily, sticky or other unwanted residue on your hands. These mess free almonds are so perfect for squashing hunger when out and about (I keep a bag in my purse), on salads and other recipes, or for charcuterie boards! Save $2 on any 4-ounce infused almond bag with code Try RECIPE33. SHOP HERE
