September 3, 2024

Creating a Family-friendly Pantry

Serving and preparing healthy meals and snacks for your family begins with the items you stock in your kitchen. Keeping a supply of wholesome staples in your pantry and fridge will cut down on the need for takeout food and visits to local restaurants and fast food establishments. Additionally, preparing more meals and snacks at home can foster good lifelong eating habits.

Pantry

Cereals
Most packaged breakfast cereals are made from refined grains and are loaded with added sugars. Choose cereals that contain 6 or fewer grams of sugar and at least 5 grams of fiber per serving.

Barbara’s Cinnamon Puffins
Barbara’s Original Puffins
Fiber One
Kashi 7 Whole Grain Flakes
Kashi 7 Whole Grain Nuggets
Wheat Chex
Uncle Sam

Hot cereals:

Oatmeal
Wheatena
Qi’a Superfoods Hot Oatmeal Creamy Coconut
Instant oatmeal (look for unsweetened or low-sugar varieties)

Chips & Crackers
Healthful snacks can include chips and crackers if the products you choose are made from whole grains and are not made with a lot of extra oil or sugar. Pair them with healthful dips (see below) or low-fat string cheese for a healthful snack.

Kashi Seven Grain Crackers
Kashi Teff Thins
Wasa Crispbread Fiber
Trader Joe’s Woven Wheats
Guiltless Gourmet Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips
Tostitos Oven Baked Scoops tortilla chips
Herr’s Whole Grain Pretzel Sticks

Cookies & Bars
Soft and chewy, crispy, or filled, everyone loves cookies. Try to stick with “healthy cookie criteria”: 140 calories or less and 12 grams of sugar or less per serving, based on the Nutrition Facts Panel. Limit serving size to one, two, or three depending on size or brand. As for bars, look for ones that have fewer than 7 grams of sugar per serving, and have some fiber and protein to help keep you satisfied.

Back to Nature Chocolate Chunk
Kashi Cookies Oatmeal Dark Chocolate
Kashi Cookies Chocolate Almond Butter
Kashi Cookies Oatmeal Raisin Flax
Trader Joe’s Triple Ginger Snaps
Honey Maid Chocolate Grahams
Honey Maid Honey Grahams
Animal Crackers
Health Warrior chia bar
KIND bar nuts & spices

Nuts & Seeds

Peanuts, almonds, walnuts, or sunflower seeds. Combine these with raisins, dried cranberries, and a low-sugar dry cereal for a healthful and satisfying snack that helps keep hunger at bay. Scoop about ½ cup into individual snack bags for a healthy grab-and-go trail mix.
Peanut and other nut butters like almond and cashew. These are rich in protein, minerals, and heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and make a great spread for bananas and whole-grain bread or crackers.

Pantry Protein Sources

Canned light tuna
Canned salmon
Canned white meat chicken
Variety of canned beans: garbanzo, red, white, black, pink

Whole Grains

Quinoa
Whole-grain pasta
Brown rice
Millet
Polenta
Rolled oats

Pantry Produce

Marinara sauce
Olives
Artichoke hearts
Hearts of palm

Refrigerator & Freezer

Dips
Adults and kids alike love to dip! Try store-bought hummus or make your own; serve with baby carrots or whole-wheat pita bread wedges. Create dips out of low-fat Greek yogurt. Blend plain Greek yogurt with low-fat ranch dressing or a teaspoon of salt-free seasoning mix as a dip for veggies or whole-grain crackers. For sliced apples, pears, or other cubes of fruit, blend fat-free Greek yogurt with vanilla extract and a dash of cinnamon.

Tribe Hummus
Athenos Hummus
Sabra Hummus
Low-fat Greek Yogurt (any brand)
Salsa (any brand)
Guacamole
Refried beans (vegetarian)

Dairy
In recent years, nutrition professionals have been moving away from recommending nonfat or skim milk dairy products. The reason? Fat helps you feel satisfied. In addition, removing the fat from dairy products increases the amount of carbohydrates per serving. We suggest sticking with low-fat dairy, so you get fewer calories than regular, but still have some fat so they digest more slowly.

Part-skim mozzarella sticks, also known as string cheese
Mini Babybel Light cheese
Unsweetened low-fat yogurt. Make sure you stock individual grab-and-go containers as well as the large 32 oz. size.
Low-fat milk (1% or 2%); fortified nondairy milk like soy, almond, or coconut

Ready-to-Eat Fruits & Vegetables