Fitness with Flavor

Kev’s Cupboard

Oils, Vinegars & Condiments

* Extra-virgin olive oil for cooking and salad dressings

* Canola oil for cooking and baking

* Flavorful nut and seed oils for salad dressings and stir-fry seasonings: toasted sesame oil, walnut oil

* Butter, preferably unsalted. Store in the freezer if you use infrequently.

* Reduced-fat mayonnaise

* Vinegars: balsamic, red-wine, white-wine, rice (or rice-wine), apple cider

* Asian condiments and flavorings: reduced-sodium soy sauce, fish sauce, mirin, oyster sauce, chile-garlic sauce, curry paste, xaoshing cooking wine

* Kalamata olives, green olives

* Dijon mustard

* Deli mustard (the kind with the mustard seeds still intact. These provide additional kick and a more interesting texture than ‘ol yellow mustard)

* Capers

* Ketchup

* Worcestershire sauce

Flavorings

* Kosher salt, coarse sea salt, fine salt (many varieties of sea salt exist, which tend to be pricey. Start with the “standard” sea salt and experiment from there)

* Black peppercorns (don’t be afraid of multiple varieties)

* Red, yellow and sweet onions

* Fresh garlic, shallots

* Fresh ginger

* Anchovies or anchovy paste for flavoring pasta sauces and salad dressings

* Dried herbs | bay leaves, dill, crumbled dried sage, dried thyme leaves, majoram, oregano, rosemary tarragon, basil

* Spices | allspice (whole berries or ground), caraway seeds, chili powder, cinnamon sticks, ground cinnamon,coriander seeds, cumin seeds, ground cumin, curry powder, ground ginger, dry mustard, nutmeg, paprika, cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper, turmeric, garlic powder

* Dried citrus peels, such as lemon, orange, lime

* Sundried tomatoes, preferably not packed in water or oil.

* Fresh lemons, limes, oranges.

* Granulated sugar

* Brown sugar

* Honey

* Pure maple syrup

* Pomegranate Molasses (this is a specialty-order item that’s worth the effort. We’ll show you how it later)

* Unsweetened cocoa powder, natural and/or Dutch-processed

* Whey protein powder, chocolate and vanilla flavored (our recommended brand is Pure Whey Protein Stack for superior taste. We can attest to the Chocolate and Vanilla flavors; select other flavors at your own risk.)

Canned Goods & Bottled Items

* Canned tomatoes, tomato paste, canned roasted tomatoes. Avoid seasoned varieties — just add the seasoning yourself

* Reduced-sodium chicken broth, beef broth and/or vegetable broth

* Clam juice

* “Lite” coconut milk for Asian curries and soups

* Canned beans: cannellini beans, great northern beans, chickpeas, black beans, red kidney beans

* Canned lentils

* Chunk light tuna and salmon, packed in water.

Grains & Legumes

* Whole-wheat flour and whole-wheat pastry flour (Store opened packages in the refrigerator or freezer.)

* All-purpose flour

* Assorted whole-wheat pastas

* Brown rice and instant brown rice

* Pearl barley, quick-cooking barley

* Rolled, toasted oats

* Whole-wheat couscous

* Whole-wheat pita bread, sandwich bread, flatbread

* Asian black rice (also known as “Forbidden” black rice)

* Bulgur

* Dried lentils

* Yellow cornmeal

* Quoina

* Polenta (the pre-packed tubes in the refrigerator section are a quick-meal godsend and make for easily cutting)

Nuts, Seeds & Fruits

* Walnuts

* Pecans

* Almonds

* Hazelnuts

* Flax seed

* Dry-roasted unsalted peanuts

* Pine nuts

* Sesame seeds

* Natural peanut butter

* Tahini

* Assorted dried fruits, such as apricots, prunes, cherries, cranberries, dates, figs, raisins

(Store opened packages of nuts and seeds in the refrigerator or freezer.)

Refrigerator Basics

* Low-fat milk or soymilk

* Low-fat or nonfat plain yogurt, both American (i.e. supermarket brand or Dannon) and Greek-style (the most common brand is Fage)

* Reduced-fat sour cream

* Good-quality Parmesan cheese and/or Romano cheese

* Sharp Cheddar cheese

* Feta Cheese

* Gorgonzola or similarly-pungent cheese (blue, etc.)

* Eggs (large).

* Orange juice

* Preferred brand of white and red wine.

* Water-packed tofu (extra-firm for stir-frying or baking)

* Pancetta (don’t worry about the fat content — often we render the fat first before using it as an accent in various dishes)

* Salsa

Freezer Basics

* Frozen vegetables: edamame soy beans, peas, spinach, broccoli, bell pepper and onion mix, corn, chopped onions, small whole onions, uncooked hash browns

* Frozen shrimp and salmon fillets (if fresh is not available)

* Frozen berries (mixes are fine, but purchasing blueberries, strawberries and raspberries separately will provide you greater versatility)

* Italian turkey sausage and sliced prosciutto to flavor fast pasta sauces

* Veggie Burger (one recommended brand is Morningstar Farm’s Spicy Black Bean burger)

Useful Items that AREN’T Best to Keep in your Pantry — Buy as Needed

Note | In the interest of freshness, quality and also not keeping foods around that encourage mindless or unhealthful eating, buy these products as you need them. Purchasing small quantities from supermarkets, restaurants or specialty shops you trust also provide a better eating experience when you do eat them.

* Pint of low-fat ice cream

* One slice of pound cake

* Small amounts of high-fat cheeses (we use them for accents on dishes only — best not to keep them around)

* Squares of dark chocolate (some shops sell amazing brands of dark chocolate by one-ounce squares — cheap, and tasty! Think of them like a “sipping whiskey.”)

* Bran muffins from a quality baker

* Whole-wheat baguettes, for slicing and making bruschetta

* Various juices, diet sodas, and juice concentrates

* Chips (brown rice or fiber-oriented brands)

Trying to lose weight and get healthy means making different choices, most of which after time become second nature but at first take conscious thought.  Here are some changes you can embrace now that will be easy choices to make down the road…a ‘no brainer’ if you will.

1 Choose Whole Grain every time. Whole grain pastas, whole grain bread choices, wheat over white every time!  You will find these choices have more texture, they are more filling, satisfying and certainly better for your body.  Avoid any product with Enriched White Flour.  Some favorites:  Quinoa (a grain, available at Costco, cooks like rice), Whole Wheat Tortillas for those Mexican nights, Whole Grain Sandwich Thins and Whole Grain Israeli Cous Cous.  These are all great alternatives to white rice, white bread and flour tortillas and it’s a quick, easy change.

2 Lose the sugar! Sodas are terrible for us, full of sugars and other chemicals our bodies don’t need and can’t fully process.  If you must have a soda with your lunch limit it to just that one time a day and make it a sugar-free version.  Cutting back on these slowly will allow your blood sugar levels to adjust and you will crave them less and less.  It may even save you a few dollars to choose water over soda!  For coffee lovers, try a sweetener alternative like Splenda or Liquid Blue Agave (Costco carries this too) is a nice, natural alternative that also tastes great.

3 Increase your protein intake. Filling up on chips, fries, noodles, candy or any other snack takes a while to satisfy and is not going to keep you full for long.  Add protein to fill you up, give your body something ‘real’ to process and satisfy the hunger craving.  Add Peanut Butter to celery or an apple in the afternoon for a filling snack.  Add chicken or shrimp to whole grain tortillas with a little bit of melted cheese for a mid-day nacho feast.  (skip the sour cream and go easy on the cheese) A cool slice of fresh Avacado would make this creamy and add some good fats to your day.  When in doubt or lacking time and space, grab a protein bar (watch the labels for high sugar content on some).  Protein bars are a good way to curb hunger until you can get to a time/place for a real meal.  Don’t replace actual meals with bars, your body deserves more!

4 Keep it FRESH! Getting away from processed foods can be tricky.  We think they are so convenient, they save us time, they are cheaper than fresh.  Realistically, they may save a few minutes but what else are you sacrificing?  It’s very quick and easy to grill a breast of chicken, chop it up on a bed of fresh greens and top it with nuts, goat cheese, cucumber, tomato, onion, peppers or anything else you love.  Plus, if you make extra you can put it in a container and have a quick lunch or snack the next day.  Check out our vinaigrette recipes for healthy salad dressing alternatives, these can double as marinates for your meats and vegetables, the grill loves them!