What are your healthy staple foods?

[Catrin]

I neglected to mention steel-cut oats, blueberries, really any kind of berry. Berries are my favorite fruit. I also tend to use walnuts and pecans quite often.

[Crankin]

My diet is similar to others here, but I still don't eat enough veggies. I do eat a lot of fruit. Lots of avocados, eggs, nuts, blueberries, and some Greek yogurt.
Eggs are low fat. Yeah, they have cholesterol, but since i started eating eggs for breakfast more frequently, my cholesterol has also gone down, too (well, 10 years of cycling helped, too). And Jiffer, I buy bags of those little packets of nuts and cranberries from Trader Joe's. They fill you up and are good for you. Last year, I made a concerted effort to eat tuna and salmon at least twice a week. I ate these foods before, but not always twice a week.
I only eat healthy food, but I eat a variety of stuff. I eat red meat (usually flank steak) and pork about once every ten days. Otherwise, it's chicken, turkey, fish, or vegetarian. I have dessert maybe twice a month? In the summer, I do indulge in soft serve ice cream with a dip of chocolate covering; it's low fat and I get a kiddie size.
I don't do supplements or any of the other things I read about, like fasting or detox. I try to eat a variety of natural, healthy foods and drink lots of water. Oh yes, and a glass of red wine at least 3 times a week.

[OakLeaf]

Veggie staples for me (besides onions and LOTS of garlic) would be mostly greens. Especially kale and chard, which have such a long growing season that they're available almost all year round.

I always have carrots and celery in the house, for soups and stews. Ordinarily I have tomatoes and tomato sauce, too, but last year's crop was mostly wiped out by bacterial speck, I've run through what little I was able to freeze, and commercial tomatoes in jars aren't easy to find around here. Squashes are high on my list too - costata romanesco zucchini in season, lots of butternut to overwinter.

Plenty of parsley, too - I think when you're using more than a half cup of something it graduates from a seasoning to a vegetable.

[KnottedYet]

All my food is healthy.

Nothing I eat has measles, or chicken pox, or mumps. All very healthy food.

Now, whether it's all healthful or not remains open to debate.

[/snark]
(I watched the word "healthful" die a sad unheralded death back in the 1990's. I still mourn...)

I do find it interesting how many of us either saw our own or our spouse's cholesterol improve eating whole eggs. Guess my doctor wasn't crazy, eh?

[spokewench]

All my food is healthy.

Nothing I eat has measles, or chicken pox, or mumps. All very healthy food.

Now, whether it's all healthful or not remains open to debate.

[/snark]
(I watched the word "healthful" die a sad unheralded death back in the 1990's. I still mourn...)

I do find it interesting how many of us either saw our own or our spouse's cholesterol improve eating whole eggs. Guess my doctor wasn't crazy, eh?

I agree with Knotted. There are a few things I avoid completely and try to eat lost of veges, fruit, whole grains, etc.; but the things I avoid are processed foods, sodas, things like that that I have no control over what is in them.

[KnottedYet]

I agree with Knotted. There are a few things I avoid completely and try to eat lost of veges, fruit, whole grains, etc.; but the things I avoid are processed foods, sodas, things like that that I have no control over what is in them.

Actually, I was being a sarcastic grammar grinch over the words "healthy" and "healthful."

I eat all kinds of processed cr@p. Love the stuff. And it's all healthy, cuz none of it is in a state of poor health. (it doesn't have mumps, or fever, or chicken pox, etc.) It is not healthful, however, because it doesn't contribute to a state of good health for the person who consumes it.

[angelaslc]

Rice Protein Powder
Amazing Greens Superfood - chocolate flavor
Chlorophyll w/ mint
Borage/flax oil
Ground flax and chia seeds.
Asparagus, Broccoli, Zucchini
Organic Mixed Greens or Arugula
Organic Lemons
Organic Dijon Mustard
Wild Cod
Wild Salmon
Organic Quinoa or Brown Rice
Roasted sweet potatoes and onions
Cilantro
Coconut Aminos
Coconut oil & Olive Oil

For snacks occasionally I add in:
Almonds or Walnuts
Coconut yogurt
Coconut water
Organic berries
Kombucha
Hummus with veggies or brown rice chips
Larabars
Bananas
Apples
Oranges
Avocados
Pasture raised farm fresh eggs when I can get them….I love the orange yolk!

I always have a rice protein shakes for breakfast with the superfoods, chlorophyll, borage/flax oil, ground flax and now chia seeds.
I keep a bag of frozen cod and frozen veggies in the freezer at work and use a steamer I keep at work to cook them.
I bring a bag of organic lemons, costco size box of organic mixed greens and organic dijon. I make my own dressing with lemons and Dijon and poor over the fish and veggies and or salad.
Dinner varies but we’ll have marinated salmon on a bed of greens or soups that I make or buy from Whole Foods, Salmon burgers and sweet potato baked fries when we splurge.
My sweet tooth is satisfied with coconut yogurt sprinkled with berries, bananas and walnuts or Endangered species 88% dark chocolate or 72% Deep forrest mint. When we splurge we go to Red Mango for frozen yogurt.

[spokewench]

I agree with Knotted. There are a few things I avoid completely and try to eat lost of veges, fruit, whole grains, etc.; but the things I avoid are processed foods, sodas, things like that that I have no control over what is in them.

Oh, Dear, I need to read Knott's post more carefully. You never know what is being discussed when the grammar police is out patrolling!

[spokewench]

I always have in my fridge and kitchen:
eggs
1% milk
coffee
oj
Whole grain bread
corn tortillas
salsa
parmesan cheese
cheddar cheese
blue cheese crumbles
pasta (many types)
brown rice
white rice
potatoes white and sweet
onions
garlic
lettuce
avocado
cucumber
red bell peppers
canned hominy
canned tomatoes
canned beans (many varieties)
dry beans (many varieties)
chicken broth
veges - whatever looks good right now, beets, artichokes, arugula, escarole, parsley, tomatoes, zucchini,
strawberries
bananas
Right now I have raspberries and blackberries and watermelon, oranges, limes, lemons, and grapefruit, apples, grapes (always have fruit)
eat mostly chicken, but I do eat sirloin and pork occassionally.
Lots of herbs
pecans (unsalted)
almonds (unsalted)
red and white wine
beer
and, of course, tequilla for an occasional margarita!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

(I watched the word "healthful" die a sad unheralded death back in the 1990's. I still mourn...)

I don't know, i like correct word usage, and I like old fashioned terms too. But 'healthful' is one word i don't miss. It sounds so....Puritan or something. Plus, it's a mouthful to say. Try saying 'healthful mouthful' three times fast. lol!

[indysteel]

I neglected to mention steel-cut oats, blueberries, really any kind of berry. Berries are my favorite fruit. I also tend to use walnuts and pecans quite often.

When we were in Utah, we went to a cafe for breakfast every morning call the Mean Bean where I got a daily bowl of steel-cut oats that came with almonds, raisens and dried cranberries. To that, I added a side of really fresh blackberries, raspberries and strawberries. It was delish!

[aadkins74]

A CSA share is my first staple - 3 years ago DH and I started with a half share of 20 weeks of vegetables/goodies. This year we decided to graduate to a full share because we spent last year buying local veggies and fruit to supplement our half share. I also have a 6 x 3 raised bed for extra greens and herbs.

Fridge & pantry:
nonfat greek yogurt
hummos
brown rice
canned low sodium & dry beans
whole wheat & unbleached white flour
eggs
egg whites (add equivalent volume of egg whites to whole egg to make b-fast burritos)
avacados
quinoa
dried fruit
local honey
steel cut oats
chopped nuts (I buy walnuts, almonds & pecans, mix them and add to oatmeal)
spices (mostly for mediterranean and indian flavors)
tomato juice
grapefruit juice
winter squash & sweet potatoes (to make baked chips or roasted cubes for salad)
kettle cooked reduced fat potato chips (gotta indulge every now and then)
5 year old whole wheat & rye sourdough starter
truvia & raw sugar (DH will only use sugar, seems to use less if raw)
oranges, lemons, & limes

Freezer:
fish (no farm raised, mostly wild caught cod, salmon & halibut)
locally raised chicken & turkey
locally raised beef
single serving size raspberry sorbet (i can't be trusted with a 'normal' size )

[txcyclist]

This is all great information! Here are my wholesome faves:

Eggs
Low fat cheese
Sourdough bread (put those three together and you've got an egg "mockmuffin"--a common breakfast for me)
Old fashioned oats (I prefer cooked with milk)
Milk
Maple syrup for my oatmeal
Extra lean turkey bacon
Deli turkey
Chicken breasts
Tons of salad -- baby greens, shredded cabbage, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes
Supplemented with other crunchies....nuts, water chestnuts, chow mein noodles (just a little bit!), seeds
And some sweet accents...in moderation as well...mandarin oranges packed in juice, golden raisins, chopped apple, dried cranberries
Grapes! Lots of 'em
Tofu
Brown rice
Extra lean ground turkey and beef
Salmon, shrimp, and other fish would be on the list but my husband hates seafood so I only eat it when I dine out (similarly, he abstains from some foods I find too stinky to bear)
Other treats...kashi chewy granola bars, kashi golean and golean crunch, skinny cow ice cream sandwiches (not health food but a step up from a drive thru milkshake)