We all have those nights when we stumble home and are too tired to do much of anything. Rather than ordering pizza again, if you make sure you have some healthy kitchen staples at home, you can easily whip up quick, simple meals.
For those nights you just want a decent meal or snack but don’t have the energy to cook up anything elaborate (nor do you want to head to the grocery store), having these six kitchen staples on hand will make your task a whole lot easier.
Whole-grain pasta
An ideal go-to meal when you’re exhausted and don’t want to fuss in the kitchen. Boil some of this filling pasta, and you can enjoy it with a simple tomato sauce, a great olive oil and garlic sauce, a fresh pesto sauce or even just some freshly grated parmesan and butter.
Canned chickpeas
Stock a few cans of these in your pantry, and you’ll never know what you did without them before. Use them to add protein to salads, or make a salad out of the chickpeas themselves by adding a few fresh ingredients, another variety of bean and some dressing. For a quick, healthy snack, whip up the chickpeas in a blender or food processor to make hummus.
Unsalted nuts
Add a satisfying crunch, more flavour and healthy fats and protein to simple salads, or grind them to use as a coating for a fillet of fish. You can use them with your whole-grain pasta (see above) too.
Frozen berries
Fresh berries tend to rot quickly, so you have to eat them quickly, but there’s no such issue with frozen berries. Throw some in a blender with some yogurt and milk to make a refreshing and filling breakfast on the go. Or sprinkle them on top of cereal, granola, yogurt or buckwheat pancakes (leave them out for about 30 minutes — they defrost fairly quickly).
Canned tomatoes
Chances are you probably already keep a can or two in your cupboard. Since they’re often the basis of soups, stews, pasta sauces and more, canned tomatoes are a saving grace for those rushed nights of cooking.
Canned tuna
Got some cheese and bread? You can quickly make a tuna melt. No cheese? Make a tuna salad sandwich. Greens you need to use up and one or two other veggies? Chop them up and throw them in a bowl with tuna and canned chickpeas for a filling, satisfying meal.
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