Favorite ingredients to have on hand

Black beans- I put these in burritos, quesadillas, bean burgers, chili, dips and soups!

Whole wheat pita- Use this for a quick individual pizza, sandwich, or homemade pita chips.

Bananas- Eat plain, with peanut butter, in smoothies, and dipped in yogurt. I make my kids what I call a banana split without the ice cream- 1 banana, drizzle with chocolate syrup, a dollop of whip cream and a maraschino cherry!

Frozen spinach- I use this for homemade pizza, and omelets.

Lite cool whip- Perfect for putting on top of fresh fruit, especially for kids!

Chicken sausage- I crave “breakfast meat” in the morning but don’t want the bacon with nitrates, etc. I like the all-natural Al Fresco chicken sausage. Can also use this on homemade pizza, in eggs; eat instead of hot dogs, etc.

Avocados- I could live on avocados!  I can eat these plain or make into guacamole or just eat as a side with any meal. Delicious on a tuna sandwich!

Tuna- Always great to have on hand for a quick tuna sandwich, salad or tuna noodle casserole.

Sweet potatoes- I like to make sweet potato fries by cutting the potatoes into strips and tossing with EVOO, salt and pepper.

Almonds- great for a quick pick me up snack.  Keep a snack bag of these in your car!

Portobello mushrooms- Try using a Portobello mushroom as the crust for your homemade pizza instead of bread!  Delicious! I also love these on a bun with all of the fixings instead of a regular burger sometimes.

Alfalfa sprouts- Not sure why but these give sandwiches some added freshness!  Great in salads also!

Hummus- Who doesn’t like hummus?  Use as dip for vegetables, and a spread for sandwiches!

Steam in the bag vegetables- These are in my opinion, the greatest product out there and worth the extra cost. Now there is no excuse for my not having vegetables at the dinner table.  I use these all the time!

Pizza sauce- Great to have on hand to make a quick homemade pizza for the kids with mozzarella cheese and a whole wheat pita!

Ground flax seed- I put this into my smoothie every day for extra fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.  You can also sprinkle on oatmeal or put into other recipes such as muffins.

Cherry tomatoes- These are great to throw into any salad or eat as a guilt-free, nutritious snack!

Egg beaters- Love these as they come in different flavors now and are quick to make. I use regular eggs also but I like to have these on hand.