Creating a healthy kitchen can be simple. Wouldn’t it be nice if everything in your pantry supported your weight loss journey? If you’re changing your diet to a mostly plant-based one, this article will show you how to create a kitchen that’s kind to your waistline.

There’s a few things that I always keep in mind when grocery shopping, because at the end of the day, you eat what’s available. Why not give yourself healthy and delicious options that can be used over and over.

A healthy kitchen starts at home

The first thing you’ll want to do is take inventory of what you already have. Here at Well + Easy, I cannot stress the importance of this step enough. Most people have really good options at home and don’t even know it. The other reason this is important is because when you’re having a craving, you’ll first resort to what you have in your kitchen. 

3 things to always have in your kitchen:

1. Fresh and/or frozen fruits and vegetables
2. Proteins like organic meat, fish, beans, eggs, nuts and seeds
3. Whole grains like brown rice, whole grain pasta, quinoa

And bonus: healthy fats like olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil

With these 3 food groups, you can make countless healthy meals at any time. If possible, choose non-GMO or organic whenever possible. These foods are kind to your waistline because they adhere to a low glycemic way of eating. Simply put, your cravings will subside, you’ll feel fuller longer, and have more energy. 

Read why we choose Low Glycemic Eating

Grocery items for your weight-loss friendly kitchen

If you’re unsure which items to get at the grocery store, I have a few favorites and recommendations. This list should make it super easy for you to pick up your essentials, and start making healthy swaps right away.  

• Frozen berries: blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries. These frozen fruits can be used in anything from plain yogurt, to cakes, to smoothies, salads, or sauces.
• Frozen vegetables: spinach, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, and peas. Frozen vegetables are great because they last longer and can be used for stir-fry, omelettes, smoothies, and more.
• Protein (mostly plant-based, whenever possible): organic poultry, organic turkey, fish, eggs, black beans, pinto beans, chickpeas, nuts (almond, pecans, walnuts) and seeds (like flaxseeds). If anything, eggs are my go-to on a daily basis. Shop beans | Shop meat | Shop nuts & seeds
• Whole grains: Chickpea pasta, brown rice, quinoa, whole grain bread, whole grain oats. Shop whole grains
• Healthy fats: we cover this at length in our guide here, but for quick reference get: Extra virgin olive oil,Pure olive oil, and Avocado oil. 

A healthy kitchen truly begins at home, and with the essentials. When you begin to stock the above foods in your home, you set up to create delicious and healthy meals any time. I highly recommend checking out the Healthy Condiments and Sauces guide we created so you can get some wonderful flavor ideas for your meals.