Stock Your Fridge - Quick Proteins

April 23, 2018

One of the biggest obstacles to overcome when we want to eat healthier is that we don't have the right foods in our fridges when we need them.

Then what happens? We're starving and we have no time to prepare something healthy so we grab something processed -- or worse, hit the drive-thru window. But with a little organization and a little fridge-stocking, we can optimize our chances of making healthy choices.

Here are a few ideas for healthy proteins to keep on hand all the time. Make them on Sunday when you have a little more time and they'll be waiting for you all week:

- EGGS. Hard-boil a dozen eggs (boil for 10.5 minutes, dump out the hot water and throw in some cold water and ice cubes for a few minutes to stop the cooking -- parfait!). Great just as they are with a little salt, or cut up on a salad.

- CHICKEN. Grill up a bunch of organic (or, even better, pasture-raised) chicken breasts (they're even tastier if you marinate them as soon as you buy them -- for the quickest marinade ever, just dump a high-quality salad dressing over them and store them in a glass container or a Ziploc in the fridge) on Sunday -- they're great as is or on top of salads. Or, buy an organic rotisserie chicken (ideally pasture-raised, but these are hard to find). Pull the meat off the bones as soon as you bring it home — it's much easier to do when the chicken is warm — then store it in the fridge for a quick grab. It's good on salads or mixed with anything (rice & veggies, potatoes & veggies, JUST veggies) for a fast, weeknight dinner. For extra credit, save the bones and make your own bone broth!

- CANNED FISH like salmon and sardines. I haven't acquired the taste for sardines yet but I'm working on it! If you don't mind them, eat them ALL THE TIME. And this is a great recipe to make with the canned salmon. Most of us REALLY need more Omega 3s in our diets and these two provide a ton.

- GROUND BEEF (grass-fed, ideally). A favorite in our house. Make a big batch of chili, meatballs or burgers on the weekend and reap the benefits all week. All are great for any meal (they are all common breakfasts in our house, believe it or not!), and all taste totally fine cold if you're in a rush.

Need a great protein staple to keep around that requires no work at all? Stock up on grass-fed beef sticks like these -- they taste like hot dogs. I keep them in my car. Perfect for hungry kids for whom dinner can't come soon enough.

Add one or two of these protein staples to your shopping list this week and you'll see -- if it's in your fridge/pantry and ready to eat, you're much more likely to make a healthy choice.

Quick carb, quick breakfast & quick snack ideas to come!