Don’t you hate when you open the refrigerator or kitchen cabinet to find only condiments, a piece of moldy cheese, and a half-consumed bag of chips? No longer is there a reason to go hungry at home, simply because you’re out of meats, veggies and fruit. I have established for you a kitchen stocking guide that you can refer to for life! There are 16 kitchen staples with extended shelf lives that, if kept on hand, can unite in various combinations and provide you with healthy meal ideas on short notice. Immerse yourself in this list of 8 examples, and link here to find an additional 8 healthful foods that won’t be going bad anytime soon. Keep the list in your smartphone, and you'll always shop smart.
Organic Eggs
If you hunt through the egg section ambitiously, you can locate a carton-full with an expiration date as much as 6 weeks out. Then, in a pinch, cook your eggs creatively, implementing several of the other ingredients on this list for a protein-packed meal.
Brussels Sprouts
The tiniest, uniquely-textured and most delicious version of cabbage is also a trooper in the cooler. Brussels Sprouts will be around long after you purchase them, and among many options, make a devilish centerpiece for a hearty risotto recipe.
Chicken Stock
The basis for almost all things delicious is a savory chicken broth. You can create soup, risotto, pasta sauce, curry, casseroles, stir fry, mashed potatoes, couscous, polenta and more with this king of culinary foundations. Remember to always buy organic chicken stock. The best approach, however, is to create your own and freeze it.
Cans of Beans
A clever way to add complexity to your quick meals, while also adding a blast of protein, is to tear open a can of ready-to-consume beans. Keep cans of white beans, red beans, black beans and chickpeas in your pantry, and you'll never be without a quick, affordable meal idea.
Avocados
My favorite miracle food, the avocado, while lacking in protein, makes up for it in flavor. If you purchase yours as under-ripe as possible (bright green), that’s nearly a week of shelf-life right there. If they begin to approach optimal ripeness before you’re ready to consume them, refrigerate them to buy yourself an additional 7-10 days.
Oil-Cured Olives
Few olives are more loaded with health-protective nutrients, antioxidants and good fats than those wrinkly, shiny black ones. And few are more delicious. Fill a container at your supermarket’s olive bar, and they will keep for months in the fridge, inspiring many a quick pasta recipe or adding complexity to a snack.
Sauerkraut
If you find the idea of fermented cabbage delicious (as I do), load up on this cancer-preventing, immune system booster. It will last for months in the refrigerator, and add “pop” to an assortment of meals. Murray’s Cheese Shop in Grand Central currently vends an outstanding, tender version.
Potatoes
Tough as nails, the potato needs only a cool environment to hold well. Keep your favorite versions stocked, and when the time is right, create this favorite personal recipe of mine.
2 Bonus Condiments:
Bragg Liquid Aminos
Most of us have heard by now of the horror show that soy sauce and other soy-derived food products have become. Avoid this dangerously unhealthy flavor condiment, and keep a bottle of Bragg’s in the pantry. Its shelf life is 3 years unrefrigerated, and it will bring to life many a stir fry or rice dish on the fly.
Finishing Salt
Literally older than dirt, salt is indestructible. Treat yourself to a container of artisanal, flaky finishing salt like a Himalayan Pink Sea Salt or a Hawaiian Black Lava Salt, and sprinkle some onto soups, salads, pastas, poultry, avocados, omelets, and even ice cream just before serving.
Link here to discover the first 8 Magic Ingredients with extended shelf lives.
