7 Healthy Kitchen Staples & My Favorite Popcorn Recipe

My friend Lori recently shared the 10 Healthy Foods You Should Always Have in Your Refrigerator and it got me thinking about the healthy kitchen staples that I always try to have on hand. I loved getting a bit of a peek inside Lori’s kitchen and we even have some favorite foods in common, which makes me think I must be doing something right. This past weekend I had someone ask me what I like to eat for healthy snacks, so I thought this was as good a time as any to run with the inspiration Lori’s post sparked and share my personal favorites.

Mixed Frozen Berries – As much as I love and prefer fresh fruits and vegetables they are just not always that easy to find, especially during the winter months, living here in the Northeast so I always keep a bag of Mixed Frozen Berries in the freezer. They are wonderful for blending together a quick and healthy smoothie or adding to my favorite muffin recipe.

Organic Greek Yogurt – Speaking of smoothies, I like mine to be a little thick so adding some Stonyfield Greek Yogurt not only does the trick, but also adds a serving of protein to help with an often much needed energy boost. Another wonderful use for Greek Yogurt is as a substitute for Sour Cream. Seriously, my husband and boys say it doesn’t taste a whole lot different than Sour Cream when they add it to their Burritos and Spanish Rice, but I like that it is much healthier so we all win!

Almond Butter – If I don’t have a jar of Almond Butter in my pantry I tend to get a little antsy. A long time ago I made the switch from peanut butter and while it is certainly a different taste and hard to get used to for some people (like my husband), Almond Butter is so much better for you so I’ve come to love the way it tastes. I like to spread it on toasted Ezekiel Bread or Brown Rice Organic Rice Cakes. One of these days I’ll sneak on a sandwich for my husband and see if he complains.

Kale – I try to always have a bunch of kale in refrigerator at all times. While it’s great sauteed with olive oil and garlic, lately I’ve been using it to make Kale “Chips” on a regular basis. They offer the crunch that I crave and the taste is pretty darn fantastic, too! Oh! I’ve also found baby kale at the grocery store, which makes a wonderful addition to my smoothies.

Organic Popcorn – We always, always, always have a full container full or organic popcorn kernels in the fridge. I love to make it all ‘old school’ on the stove top and top it with a little bit of sea salt, nutritional yeast, and dill weed. Oh, my mouth is watering right now just thinking about it. Needless to say, I eat a lot of popcorn! I’ve eaten it for lunch, I’ve eaten it as a snack, and I’ve eaten it for dinner. Yeah, my family is pretty sure I could live on popcorn if I had to. I think they are probably right.

Coconut Oil – Aside from olive oil, coconut oil is pretty much the only oil I cook with. My favorite use is for when I make popcorn. It adds a light and not-so-coconutty flavor to the popcorn while also giving it an added health boost. Yup. My popcorn and coconut oil go together like peas and carrots.

Organic Dark Chocolate – Okay, this one should be in everyone’s kitchen, fridge, or cupboard because honestly? It’s chocolate! And we all know that DARK CHOCOLATE IS GOOD FOR YOU, right? Pair it with a glass of red wine because RED WINE IS GOOD FOR YOU, TOO and you have a winning combination to keep your heart healthy and your soul soothed.

There are so many healthy staples that I like to keep on hand, but these are a few of my absolute favorites that I can’t live without! Do you have a favorite healthy food that is always in your fridge or cupboard? Tell me, tell me.