If your employer offers you the chance to take part in one of our many corporate wellness programs in Mt. Laurel, NJ, you might wonder how possible it is to start building a healthy lifestyle. After all, you might have tried diets in the past with mixed success, or have relied solely on weightlifting or cardio to reach your fitness goals.
Starting to build a healthier lifestyle differs for everyone, but it often means developing a more nutritious diet for your daily meals. Below are a few of the best things you should keep stocked in your pantry if you want to start building a healthier lifestyle.
Lentils and Legumes
Lentils and legumes are excellent sources of nutrients and proteins without adding unhealthy fats or unnecessary, potentially harmful ingredients into whatever you’re cooking. They can often replace meat in tacos, soups, or even a salad to give it an additional protein boost.
In addition to keeping dry lentils and legumes on hand, you should also integrate canned beans into your pantry shelves to reduce the amount of time needed to cook up a healthy meal on a busy weekday evening.
Whole Grains
A healthy diet requires the help of some carbohydrates. Complex carbs like whole grains, whole-wheat pasta, oats, and more offer excellent sources of energy for your body, because they are digested at a slower rate than alternatives. Brown rice can also be a good option for healthy meals if you have a little more time to prepare.
Refrigerated and Frozen Options
A nutrition specialist will always advocate keeping a few items on hand that have a longer shelf life, even if they require a little refrigeration. For example, eggs and almond milk can often last a few weeks in the fridge without spoiling and are great sources of protein and other nutrients that help you stay satiated throughout the day.
On the frozen front, you want to make sure that there’s always a bag of mixed vegetables in your freezer that you can pull out on a moment’s notice. While fresh fruits and vegetables are still preferable to frozen – for the sake of taste if nothing else – frozen vegetables can be steamed or sautéed quickly, making them great items to keep on hand if you need to cook up a healthy dish.
To find out more about what healthy pantry staples you should keep on hand, or discuss available corporate wellness programs in South Jersey, contact us today!