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A common theme I hear from clients and people out in the world is not knowing what to eat to help them lose weight, boost energy, beat brain fog and reverse chronic health issues.
Obviously, what you eat is individual to what you enjoy and what makes you feel your best.
Knowing what foods make you feel energized and ready to attack your day is key.
Figuring out what those foods are can take time and some trial and error, but it’s worth it.
But because decision fatigue is a very real thing, and people enjoy lists, I’ve put together a few of the main things I keep in my kitchen for feeding myself and my family the most nutrient-packed foods that I can.
My top 7 foods to keep in the house
Eggs: Eggs are nutrient powerhouses full of choline, vitamin A, and B vitamins like B12, Folate and Riboflavin. We go through a TON of eggs in our house: Scrambled, fried, hard boiled, in frittata. Reports of issues with cholesterol in eggs have been greatly exaggerated.
Look for pasture-raised or cage-free eggs if you can, but regardless I recommend including eggs in your diet (barring any allergies) on a daily basis.
Eggs are something I regularly recommend my clients add into their diets if they are not eating them already.
Cauliflower rice: I find cauliflower rice to be a great way to get more fiber and nutrients into a meal, especially if you have picky eaters.
Cauliflower is packed with Vitamin C, Vitamin K, magnesium, potassium and of course fiber.
There is a ton you can do with cauliflower rice. I like to add it to taco meat or curry sauces to up the nutrient and fiber value. But you can also boil and mash it, making it a kind of mashed potato side. If you’re feeling really clever you can even make pizza crust with it.
Stores like Trader Joe’s sell versions of cauliflower rice mixed with other vegetables and spices with Mexican or Asian flavors which make great additions to dishes.
Ground beef: This is a staple in our house. For me, cattle are raised and handled more humanely than chicken or pigs, so I prefer ground beef over ground chicken or pork (but we enjoy those, too.)
Ground beef is chock full of B vitamins, heme iron, minerals, potassium, omega-3 fats, and of course protein.
I keep ground beef around most because it is cheaper, easy to cook up quickly and mixes great with just about anything. We make tacos, meat sauce, curry, fried rice, I even mix it with my eggs and veggies in the morning.
Sweet potato: Instead of potatoes (which are nightshades) I love using sweet potatoes for a starchy root veg. They are packed with nutrients like manganese, copper, Vitamin A, and potassium, and honestly have a much more interesting taste.
I use sweet potatoes or yams in my morning veggies, spiralize them to make noodles, bake them, boil and puree them, and you can even make pie with them.
Having them around makes sure I get plenty of fiber plus slow-absorbing carbohydrates and lots of nutrients that help make hormones and enzymes, among other things.
Bone broth: I love keeping bone broth around, especially in the fall and winter as temperatures start to drop. I like to make it at home in my Instant Pot, but there are well-made store bought versions as well.
Bone broth, especially the homemade version, is a traditional remedy and has all sorts of good stuff. Collagen and gelatin from the bones, silky fat, plus nutrients, amino acids and minerals like phosphorus, potassium and calcium that may be missing from the meat of the animal.
I like making broth with either chicken or beef bones. It’s super easy to throw a chicken carcass into an instant pot or crockpot with some onions, garlic carrots and celery. You can even add the gizzards or chicken feet to up the collagen content.
Small, fatty fish: Fish is a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids, along with protein and a whole host of minerals. But larger fish, like tuna or swordfish, can collect metals like mercury at toxic levels.
Small fish like herring, salmon, anchovies and sardines don’t accumulate heavy metals, but still contain all those amazing nutrients like zinc, iron, choline, B vitamins, and of course lean protein and Omega-3 fats.
Tins of anchovies and sardines are relatively cheap. I recommend getting fish packed in salt water rather than olive oil, mostly because it’s impossible to know if it’s packed in real olive oil or… something else.
Eat them straight out of the tin like my 9 year old does, or mix them up with canned salmon and some veggies to make a salmon/sardine salad.
Kimchi or Sauerkraut: Fermented foods like Kimchi and Sauerkraut are ancient traditional foods used to preserve food and promote health. They populate and feed your gut with beneficial bacteria, boosting gut health and creating all the amazing downstream health effects of a healthy gut.
Kimchi and sauerkraut are two of the most widely known, but foods like kombucha, kefir, natto and even sourdough bread are ferments that improve gut health.
I love including kimchi or sauerkraut on eggs in the morning or with a curry or stir fry. I enjoy a kombucha once in a while and regularly make sourdough bread at home.
They are relatively simple to make on your own (though there is a learning curve), but more stores are starting to carry well-made fermented products. Make sure that whatever you buy is in the refrigerated section, since real ferments typically need to be kept cold.
These are just some ideas that I keep in my kitchen, but yours might be different.
What are some healthy, nutrient-dense staples you love to keep around?
Helping you find those everyday nutritious staples is something I often help clients with.
We identify things you enjoy and that make you feel good, and find ways to get more of them into your diet.
Through meal prep, calendars, and grocery lists, we’ll keep your fridge full of the delicious, nutritious foods that promote vibrant health.
This is all with the goal of helping you lose weight, boost energy, balance your mood and reverse chronic diseases like high blood pressure and pre-diabetes.
I’ve got spots in my 6-month health coaching program to get your health set on the right track.
Ready? Let’s go!
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