Six Staples Of A Dieticians Diet

Whenever I tell people I am a dietitian, the next question of course is always: well what do you usually eat? One of the funniest things is running into family and friends in the supermarket and watching them try to discretely sneak of peak inside my trolley! So today I thought I would share my top six absolute must haves in my kitchen! Difficult task to choose just six but here it is!

Peanut Butter
I absolutely LOVE peanut butter! I proudly eat it straight off a spoon quite often. I love it on wholegrain toast, in a banana and spinach smoothie, and mixed into porridge. Also love to make peanut butter bliss balls for a sweet treat. Seriously anything with peanut butter – I am all about it! I always make sure that I buy one that is 100% peanuts (or 99% peanuts with a pinch of salt). That way I know I am getting all the natural goodness of the healthy fats from the nuts, without added sugars, stabilisers and oils. Craving peanut butter now!

Rolled Oats
Majority of my breakfasts are made with rolled oats. Smoothies, overnight oats or porridge are my favourites. As opposed to quick oats, rolled oats are less processed and therefore provide a more sustaining form of carbohydrate, to keep you feeling full throughout the morning. Rolled oats are such a cheap option for breakfast too!

Bananas
I love how versatile and easily transportable bananas are. My favourite breakfast smoothie is a banana one, or I also often have a banana as a pre-workout snack in the afternoon with a handful of nuts. Whenever I have bananas that are starting to brown, I will crop them up and freeze in freezer bags. Frozen banana is so delicious in smoothies and makes them so creamy! And no food waste! Bananas lately have been getting a bit of flak for being too high in sugar. This is not the case however, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with including a banana as one of your two pieces of whole fruit a day. A very nutritious choice!

Baby Spinach
I always keep a bag of baby spinach on hand. Perfect to make a quick salad to take to work or to have with dinner, and the pre-washed bags are just so convenient! I also keep another bag of baby spinach in my freezer to add to smoothies, an omelette, or pasta. I go through a lot of spinach!

Canned Lentils and Legumes
I keep all sorts of canned lentils and legumes in my pantry. Chickpeas to make homemade hummus, cannellini beans to add to vegetable soups, red kidney beans to make chilli con carne, I could go on! I also love the small 125g tins of four bean mix that I will throw into a salad with a tin or tuna or salmon. They are so convenient to keep at work too so they are always ready to go. I always drain and rinse the lentils or legumes before I use them to remove as much excess salt as possible.

Eggs
I love eggs so much because they can be made so many different ways, and can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch or dinner! And they are such a quick, tasty meal! I have recently finally mastered the art of the omelette, which is very exciting for me as all my previous attempts always turned into scrambled eggs! I like to pack in as many veggies as possible too for a really, really nutritious and balanced meal.