FAYETTEVILLE, Ark., July 26 (UPI) -- A University of Arkansas dietitian believes the way to translate dietetic principles into everyday practice is to stock up on healthy staples.
"I don't worry about dinner when I know I can open my cupboard and freezer and find everything I need for a quick, healthy, home-cooked meal," Marjorie Fitch-Hilgenberg, a professor of dietetics, said in a statement.
Fitch-Hilgenberg keeps in her pantry:
-- Fruits and vegetables, either canned or frozen. Canned tomatoes and a good pasta sauce make hearty stove-top stews and casseroles. Canned beans turn into quick three-bean salad or baked beans.
-- Rice and pasta cook quickly. Quick cornbread mix completes a meal of beans and vegetables.
-- Canned tuna and salmon for sandwiches or a salad.
-- Dairy items like a hunk of favorite cheese in the refrigerator can make pasta into a main dish or provide a quick snack. Low-fat cottage cheese or plain yogurt goes from salads to dessert. A package of powdered milk in the pantry provides backup when the refrigerator is empty or is useful as a quick addition for soups and casseroles.
-- Seasonings and condiments, not on the food pyramid, but key to turning healthy into delicious.
