Body Tip: Food Staples

photo source: http://web.mit.edu/athletics/sportsmedicine/wcrfoodpyr.html

Ok, I got this idea from Parents magazine, but I am changing it up a bit for adults. They made a list of food ingredients to always have on hand for quick kid snacks. But I think we can all take a hint from our kids. I'm willing to bet that a lot of moms make their kids eat healthier than they themselves do at times. But hey, we're busy. Well, if you keep these foods on hand, you won't have any trouble throwing together a healthy snack.

Breads:
100% whole wheat bread (make sure the label says exactly that!)
whole wheat tortillas or wraps

Meats:
sliced deli turkey
pre-cooked rotisserie chicken or pre-cut chicken for salads

Fruits:
grapes
apples
bananas
oranges
blueberries

Veggies:
baby carrots
broccoli
celery
cucumber
lettuce

Extras:
low-fat granola, any flavor
low-fat or fat free yogurt cups
sugarfree pudding or jell-o
raisins
graham crackers

Condiments:
mustard
peanut butter
jelly
low-fat mayo
low-fat veggie dip

There are so many different ways to mix and match these foods. If you make time at the beginning of the week to prepare your food for the next five days or so, you will always have some great food within reach! So pre-wash your fruit, cut up your veggies, and divide into ready to eat portions where it works. Let me just tell you that I don't always do this, but when I do I feel much better and I never go hungry when my son is fussy.

Here's a few ideas: Cut up your celery and stick it in a ziploc bag. When you're hungry you will have little preparation. Just grab a handful and add dip, or peanut butter with raisins. Yum! Make your sandwiches the night before, then later you can add baby carrots and grapes on the side for a complete lunch. Oh, and I hate all yogurt except for peach, so I add granola to make it taste better.