It is very important to me that I get all my micronutrients and essential macros in my daily diet. Because of this, I make sure that the foods I eat are full of protein, complex carbs, healthy fats, and adequate micronutrients. Because of this, it becomes really important for me to plan my grocery well. This is to ensure that all healthy foods are available in my kitchen at all times so that I don’t go off my diet.
Healthy Foods I always have at home
High Protein Food Sources
1. Eggs
My day starts with eggs. This is because eggs help me get a good amount of protein and healthy fats in my diet. If I’m eating something at home but I think there isn’t enough protein in it, I just add two eggs to it and I’m sorted.
2. Whey Protein
Protein is the most important element of my diet and also my life. Whey protein is a quick source of getting 22-25g of protein at any time of the day. I keep different varieties and flavors of whey protein shakes at home. You can check out our list of the Top 10 Whey Proteins in India. Keeping different variations helps you avoid getting bored of the same taste. You can use whey protein in your whey protein shakes, make a pancake out of it or use it in your mug cake.
I use mango whey protein in a bowl of curd or yogurt and then add bits of nuts on top of it. This is a treat for me and I enjoy it.
3. Paneer & Tofu
Paneer and Tofu are easy to include in your diet. You can make several delicacies using these. Paneer and tofu are close substitutes because they have a similar texture and taste. You can add some chopped paneer or tofu as a side to any dish to get protein in every meal.
4. Soya Chunks
Very few vegetarian sources of protein have as per protein per gram as soya chunks. It’s a veg protein superfood and clearly the one I love most. You can make several dishes out of soya chunks or soya chaap. Also, since soya chunks get the taste of any spice you use while cooking, you can give it any taste of your choice.
Complex Carbs Foods
In this category, we have rice, quinoa, brown rice, daliya, and millet. You should always keep these in your home because you can try different variations with them. You don’t need to have rice all the time. Sometimes you can have brown rice or quinoa instead of regular white rice. The cooking process for these is very similar to how we cook rice. You just have to add boiling water to the cooker and steam it until your quinoa is ready. The same way you eat your rice, you can eat any of these.
1. Lentils
I always have Rajma, Chickpeas, and a bunch of lentils at my home. I always keep 6-7 varieties of lentils. I use boiled chickpeas and rajma in making my buddha bowl. This makes it really simple. It’s a good idea to keep varying your lentils as well. Keep shifting between lentils such as tur, mung, and so on. Sometimes, you can mix all of these lentils as well. It gives you a great taste as well as you’re covering everything in terms of nutrition.
2. Oats
I keep two varieties of oats at home. One is rolled oats and the other is quick oats. I use the rolled oats in the overnight-soaked oats bowl. While normal oats I use in different food preparations. I always make a powder of oats which I make from the quick oats and keep it in a jar. This helps me use this powder any time I want. I use it to make oats cheela, cakes, and cookies.
3. Noodles & Pasta
I always use Pasta and Noodles for my dinner. I love eating a lot of veggies in my dinner but with that, I must eat some crabs. Because without carbs I don’t feel like my dinner is full and it’s a wholesome meal unless there are enough carbohydrates there. I add a lot of sauteed veggies with a small portion of noodles to it. I also add sauce to it and there my dinner is ready.
4. Sauces
Without sauces, you cannot imagine adding flavor to your food. You may think that sauces are not healthy since there is a lot of sugar in them. But you can always find sauces that are low in sugar content. Even if you add a small portion of sauces, you won’t be getting more than 50-60 calories in your meal. But your meal is going to taste so good that you’re gonna love your meal. This matters a lot more than eating boring veggies. My favorite sauces are barbeque sauce, soya sauce, mustard sauce, mayonnaise, and chili sauce.
Healthy & Natural desserts
1. Raisins & Dates
Raisins and dates add sweetness to my life. I add raisins and dates to my cakes instead of sugar. You can also use raisins and dates in your overnight oats. When you’re adding nuts, berries, and everything else to your overnight oats then also add raisins and dates. It adds flavor to it. And also makes it wholesome. If you have a sweet tooth then you can take a small portion of raisins and dates after your meals instead of going for those high-sugar sweets. This is a better form of having some sweetness in your diet. It is good, healthy, and natural.
Herbs and spices
You cannot have a joyful meal without herbs and spices. My go-to herbs and spices are salt, pepper, oregano, chili flakes, garam masala, and cinnamon. I use these herbs and spices on a daily basis. I sprinkle these over everything I eat. I don’t use a lot of packaged spices because it just doesn’t go well with my gut. But these simple spices actually make my food a lot tastier and more fun.
Fruits
Without fruits, there’s no fun in life. At least one meal a day you should have your fruits. Go for always the seasonal fruits which are available to you. Easily accessible fruits are the best fruits for you. I love all the fruits such as papaya, watermelon, kiwi, banana, guava, and whatnot. But my favorite fruit is going to be bananas because it is so versatile that you can make many things from bananas.
I always have banana cake at home, I also make banana ice cream. This acts as a dessert for me. I add these bananas to my protein shake to make it quite smooth and thick. I love my smoothies with bananas.
Veggies
Veggies may not be as tasty as fruits but we can’t leave them behind. Vegetables that I find simple to use, chop, and cook are broccoli, zucchini, mushroom, bell pepper, and iceberg lettuce. I always use these either in my sauteed veggies or in my salads. I love having lots of veggies in my diet, but these are the veggies that I never skip in my meals.
Good Fat sources
1. Peanuts & Peanut Butter
Peanuts and peanut butter are always at my home. This helps me during my snack time. These are roasted peanuts that I roast myself and keep at home. I roast them without any oil. The peanut butter I use doesn’t have any sugar and comes from one of my favorite brands, Pintola.
2. Milk Cream
Talking about flavor in food, you cannot miss out on milk cream. Go for normal milk cream or coconut milk cream. Use this over your sauteed veggies and any other veggies. You can also use it over your curries. You can add one or two tablespoons of milk cream on top of these curries and your gravy will taste so much better.
Ready to use veggies
A lot of times you either won’t have veggies at home or you won’t have time to chop those veggies. In such a time you should always go for frozen veggies or chopped veggies that you can always buy from the supermarket. I always have frozen peas and corn at home. Anytime I also buy some chopped cabbage, beans, and carrots. It makes life a lot easier. Especially in times when you do not have time to cook or chop veggies.
Conclusion
That was my entire list of all the healthy foods I always have at home. Please ensure you eat these foods in a proper balance. Combine these with a healthy and active lifestyle to get the maximum benefit.
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