Quick Easy Recipes: 10 Foods, 40 Recipes (2024)

The Big 10

Load up on the nonperishable pantry items like beans and brown rice, and restock them as needed. Meats can be bought fresh weekly, or you can buy in bulk and store them in the freezer. Only fresh fruits and veggies call for a weekly trek to the store based on which recipes you decide to make. Meet your new 10 best friends:

Baby Carrots (washed and bagged) The beta-carotene in carrots really does improve vision, especially night vision.
Black beans (canned, low-sodium) The darker a bean's seed coat, the more antioxidants it can deliver, making the black variety the reigning champ. Black beans are also loaded with fiber, folate, and magnesium. See WH's Black Bean Mozzarella Salad in "Big Summer Salads."
Broccoli florets (washed and bagged) High in vitamin C and fiber, broccoli also contains diindolylmethane and selenium, two supernutrients that help ward off cancer.
Brown rice (instant) Brown rice has three times the fiber of white. And the outer layer, called the bran, has been linked to lower blood pressure. For a change, you can sub in quinoa.
Feta cheese (crumbled) You get 370 milligrams of bone-building calcium in just a four-ounce serving of this savory, relatively low-fat cheese.
Kale (washed and bagged, tough stems removed) This leafy green has been found to help protect against breast and ovarian cancers and contains carotenoids, which reduce the risk of cataracts.
Pork tenderloin At just 140 calories for three ounces, pork is a great source of lean protein, thiamin, vitamin B6, niacin, and phosphorous, an essential mineral every cell in your body needs to function properly. How to cook it? Try this healthy recipe: Vietnamese Pork Salad.
Red onions These tearjerkers are bursting with chromium, a trace mineral that helps protect against diabetes by boosting cells' response to insulin. Also rich in quercetin, a powerful antioxidant that may help prevent cancer.
Tilapia (skinless fillets) This fish is an excellent source of phosphorous and niacin, which keeps your digestive system, skin, and nerves healthy.
Turkey breast tenders Turkey breast has half the saturated fat of beef but is just as rich in selenium, a cancer-preventing mineral and antioxidant. For more benefits of turkey, see "Fat-Fighting Foods."

The Small Stuff

Stock up on these other staples ~ On your shelves
Bread Crumbs,Chicken Broth (low-sodium, boxed or canned), Cooking Spray,Flour,Dried Herbs and Spices (cayenne pepper, chili powder, cumin, curry powder, fennel seeds, oregano, paprika, red pepper flakes, rosemary, sage, sesame seeds, tarragon, thyme), Honey,Oils (extra-virgin olive and canola), Peanut Butter, Soy Sauce, Sugar, Diced Tomatoes, White and Red Wine Vinegars

~ In your fridge
Butter, Cilantro, Eggs, Minced Garlic, Fresh Ginger, Lemons and Limes, Reduced-Fat Mayo, Dijon Mustard, Black Olives, Parsley, Red Bell Peppers (roasted, jarred), Raisins, Low-Fat Sour Cream,Dry White Wine, 9-inch Whole-wheat Tortillas