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4 foods a dietitian keeps stocked in her kitchen so she can always whip up a quick, healthy meal

Serafina Kenny   

4 foods a dietitian keeps stocked in her kitchen so she can always whip up a quick, healthy meal
  • Kate Hilton is a registered dietitian who combats misinformation about diets on TikTok.
  • She told Insider the essentials she keeps in her kitchen so she can always whip up healthy meals.

A registered dietitian spoke to Insider about the healthy essentials she keeps in her kitchen at all times so she can always make a balanced meal.

You may think eating healthily is hard if you don't have the time to plan out each meal. But registered dietitian Kate Hilton, who combats misinformation about nutrition on her TikTok account Diets Debunked, told Insider that whipping up a healthy meal without planning can be easy if you keep your kitchen stocked with certain foods.

She recommended keeping a source of protein, starchy carbohydrates, and vegetables in your fridge, freezer, and cupboards — whether they're canned, frozen, fresh, or dried — so "there's always a way for you to obtain the main food groups, even if you haven't been to the shops in 10 days."

Here are some of the items Hilton keeps in her kitchen so she can make healthy meals in a pinch.

Long-lasting carbohydrates

Hilton keeps a loaf of seeded or multigrain bread in her freezer, which are among the healthier types of bread because they contain lots of fiber and nutrients.

She also keeps pasta in her cupboards, which she pairs with a sauce made from canned chopped tomatoes, as well as basmati rice.

Meat and non-meat proteins

Hilton recommended freezing fresh meat, such as chicken breast and pork mince, or Quorn if you're vegetarian, so that you don't have to rely on less healthy, frozen processed options such as chicken nuggets. Processed meat can contain added salt, sugar, and fats, which are linked to a host of health problems including certain cancers.

Hilton also always keeps longer-lasting plant-based proteins in her cupboards, such as cans of beans and lentils, which are quick to cook and also full of fiber. Other plant-based options include tofu and tempeh.

In the fridge, she suggested having products such as soy yogurt, soy milk or eggs for proteins that can be made into quick breakfasts and lunches.

Fresh, tinned, and frozen vegetables

The majority of the produce Hilton keeps is fresh, because she prefers to eat seasonal fruits and vegetables. But as well as her fridge, she keeps her cupboards and freezer stocked with fruit and vegetables so she has plenty of variety and can get lots of different nutrients.

She always has canned tomatoes, tinned sweetcorn, and tinned fruit, such as peaches and pineapple in her cupboards, as well as frozen peas, bananas, and berries in her freezer.

"Whatever fruits and vegetables you can manage is going to be a good thing," she said.

Healthy fats

Hilton's healthy fat staples are extra virgin olive oil and rapeseed oil, but she also recommended keeping whatever nuts and seeds you like in your cupboards for another source of healthy fats.

"For me, it's walnuts and chia seeds for the Omega-3 they contain. And also things like pecans and nut butters, just because I like them," she said.



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