DAY 12 DIARY - My Capsule Kitchen

Good morning. It's Day 12 and I'm feeling good about this week (apart from a slight aberration when I had a bit too much wine - I blame you LC!), but otherwise it has been Nutri Foods and Carb Sense all the way. Pictured is my breakfast this morning; porridge was a very popular breakkie option on the Instgram poll I did recently which is fab because it's a brilliant incarnation of both Nutri Foods and Carb Sense - totally nutritious, good slow release energy and lots of fibre (fibre is one of my 'things', I'll blog about it soon).

To finish off the week I thought it might be useful for me to share with you my 'capsule kitchen' which is really just a poncey way of saying the ingredients I try and always have in, so I can easily make a range of healthy meals. With these basics in the fridge and cupboard it's just a question of topping up with extra bits which I can do after my gym class in the morning or if I'm not going to the gym then I'll try and engineer a walk out to the shops at some stage in the day - I just pop a rucksack on my back to carry the stuff home (people think I'm weird because it's so hot here in Singapore but I really love walking - must be another midlife thing!!!).

So in no particular order (I'm leaving out really obvious things like butter, milk, salt and pepper because I figure everyone has those):

[Click here for printable version]

Fresh

Lots of Eggs

Cheese - feta, Parmesan, strong cheddar

Greek yogurt

Olives

Miso paste

Meat/Fish

(This is just the stuff I have as back up, the fish or meat we are eating for dinner I'll buy as I need it)

Deli ham (off the bone - get at the deli counter)

Cooked chicken breast (free range or organic) - great for a quick salad or wrap

Smoked mackerel - love this on salad or I make smoked mackerel pate - see below

Bakery

Freshly baked wholegrain bread - buy the good stuff from a proper bakery if you can

Wholemeal pitas/wraps/flatbreads - try and get ones that aren't packed with preservatives, these are good Crosta-Mollica-Organic-Piadina-Flatbreads

Jars & Bottles

Tahini

Jalapenos

Capers

Cornichons

Good quality peanut butter (100% peanuts)

Marmite

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Organic rapeseed oil

Sesame oil

Low salt soy sauce

Apple cider vinegar

Red wine vinegar

Balsamic vinegar

Rice (white) vinegar

Maple syrup

Date syrup

Honey

Dijon mustard (grainy and smooth)

Fruit & Veg

Romaine lettuce

Spinach leaves

Tomatoes

Cucumber

Red peppers

Broccoli

Green beans

Avocados

Lemons

Limes

Ginger

Garlic

Red onions

Spring onions

Red and green chillis

Bananas

Berries

Anything that's in season (see here for northern hemisphere and here for southern)

Fresh herbs - always coriander and flat leaf parsley and usually one other - mint, dill, basil depending on what I'm making that week

Frozen

Mixed berries

Frozen veg - peas, sweetcorn, edamame

Good quality soups - either homemade or shop bought

An emergency pizza!

Storecupboard

Organic oats

Brown rice

Wholewheat pasta

Wholegrain noodles or soba (buckwheat) noodles

Bulgar wheat (like cous cous but better)

Dried lentils

Tins of beans and pulses - chickpeas, cannellini, pinto, black beans etc.

Pouches of pre-cooked lentils and grains (such as Merchant Gourmet)

Baked beans (for the kids breakfasts)

Tinned tuna (in water or extra virgin oo)

Sardines in tomato sauce (an easy lunch on grainy toast)

Tins of chopped tomatoes (I like Cirio brand)

Oatcakes

Soft dried figs

Low sugar granola (I make my own sugar-free version), or muesli

Raw nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts)

Raw seeds (flax, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame)

Salted peanuts

70% dark chocolate

Dried Herbs & Spices

Cinnamon

Cumin

Coriander

Turmeric

Garam masala

Mild curry powder

Hot chilli powder or cayenne

Red chilli flakes

Paprika

Cardamom pods

Star Anise

Mixed dried herbs

Drinks

Sparkling water

FeverTree 'Refreshingly Light' tonic water

With these things 'in da house' there are loads of options for a healthy meal - including what is known in our family as a 'snacky plate' - essentially just an assembly of items; mine would look something like ... a few oat cakes, a dried fig, a bit of cheese, some cornichons, some chopped up veggies maybe a bit of smoked mackerel pate (mix smoked mackerel with Greek yogurt, lemon juice, spring onions and any fresh herb you have knocking around), that sort of thing.

I hope my blog posts this week have helped you get your head around Nutri Foods and Carb Sense. These two StealthHealth key concepts are absolutely central to getting your shizzle together in the kitchen and with a few simple ingredients you are never more than 5 minutes away from a delicious, healthy meal.

Now I'm going to practice what I preach ... the back pack is on and I'm heading out to the shops.

Sam xx

Have I missed a massive trick? Is there one ingredient you couldn't live without? Please let me know in the comments!