If all you have is healthy food around the house, you’re forced to make smart choices. It all starts with avoiding temptation at the grocery store. To help you out, I’m giving you a peek inside my fridge and cabinets. Your tastes are probably quite different than mine, but hopefully this will give you some good ideas you can use next time you’re at the grocery store. Let’s start with the fridge. Each week, I try to make sure I’m loaded up with lots of varieties of fresh vegetables. Most of the time I make sure I have plenty of vegetables like zucchini, onions, fresh mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, red peppers, etc. to use in my morning omelet. I also like to dice up some lean chicken or turkey sausage into the eggs, along with some Swiss, jack or goat cheese. Coconut milk is another staple in my fridge. I like to mix it in with smoothies, oatmeal or yogurt for a rich, creamy taste.

Other staples in the fridge

● COTTAGE CHEESE, RICOTTA CHEESE, AND YOGURT – I like to mix cottage or ricotta cheese and yogurt together with chopped nuts and berries for a great mid-morning or mid-afternoon meal.
● CHOPPED WALNUTS, PECANS, ALMONDS - delicious and great sources of healthy fats.
● WHOLE FLAX SEEDS - I grind these in a mini coffee grinder and add to yogurt or salads. Always grind them fresh because the omega-3 polyunsaturated fats are highly unstable and prone to oxidation, creating high levels of free radicals in the pre-ground flax.
● EGGS - one of natures richest sources of nutrients (and remember, they increase your GOOD cholesterol).
● SALSA - I try to get creative and try some of the exotic varieties of salsas.
● BUTTER - Butter adds great flavor to anything and can be part of a healthy diet (just keep the quantity small because it is calorie dense).
● AVOCADOS - love them...tasty plus a great source of healthy fats, fiber, and other nutrients. Try adding them to wraps, salads, or sandwiches.
● WHOLE GRAIN WRAPS AND WHOLE GRAIN BREAD - (look for wraps and bread with at least 3-4 grams of fiber per 20 grams of total carbs).
● RICE BRAN AND WHEAT GERM - these may sound way too healthy for some, but they actually add a nice little nutty, crunchy taste to yogurt or smoothies, or can be added when baking muffins or breads to add nutrients and fiber.
● LEAF LETTUCE AND SPINACH ALONG WITH SHREDDED CARROTS - for salads with dinner.
● HOMEMADE SALAD DRESSING – made using balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil.

Staples in the freezer

● FROZEN FISH - I like to try a couple different kinds of fish each week.
● FROZEN BERRIES - during the local growing season, I only get fresh berries, but during the other 10 months of the year, I always keep a supply of frozen blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, cherries, etc. to add to high fiber cereal, oatmeal, cottage cheese, yogurt, or smoothies.
● FROZEN VEGGIES - again, when the growing season is over and I can no longer get local fresh produce, frozen veggies are the best option since they often have higher nutrient contents compared to the fresh produce that has been shipped a great distance.
● FROZEN CHICKEN BREASTS - very convenient to nuke up for a quick addition to wraps or chicken sandwiches for easy meals.
● FROZEN BUFFALO, OSTRICH, VENISON, AND OTHER “EXOTIC” LEAN MEATS - these are some of the healthiest meats around, and are much better for you than the mass produced, hormone-pumped beef and pork that’s sold at most grocery stores.

Staples in my cabinets

● OAT BRAN AND STEEL CUT OATS - higher fiber than those little packs of instant oats.
● CANS OF COCONUT MILK - to be transferred to a container in the fridge after opening.
● VARIOUS ANTIOXIDANT-RICH TEAS - green, oolong, white, and rooibos are some of the best.
● STEVIA - a natural, non-caloric sweetener, which is an excellent alternative to the nasty chemical-laden artificial sweeteners like aspartame, saccharine, and sucralose. Remember, artificial sweeteners will only make you hungrier.
● WHOLE WHEAT OR WHOLE GRAIN SPELT PASTA – much higher fiber than normal pastas. Makes those carbs work for your body, not against it.
● BROWN RICE AND OTHER HIGHER FIBER RICE – NEVER white rice.
● CANS OF BLACK OR KIDNEY BEANS - I like to add a couple scoops to my Mexican wraps for the fiber and high nutrition content. Also, beans are surprisingly one of the best sources of youth-promoting antioxidants!
● TOMATO SAUCES - A great source of lycopene, but watch out for the brands that are loaded with nasty high fructose corn syrup.
● DARK CHOCOLATE (AS DARK AS POSSIBLE) - This is one of the treats that satisfies my sweet tooth, plus provides loads of antioxidants at the same time. It’s still calorie dense, so I keep it to just a couple squares but that is enough to do the trick.