5 Healthy Meals to Make with Pantry Staples
With most of the country (actually, most of the world) on complete lockdown because of COVID-19, even basic things like eating can be a struggle. No more dining in at restaurants. No more farmer’s markets. Thankfully grocery stores are open, however they can be a bit crazy so I don’t blame you if you don’t even want to brave it and go through that mayhem. I recommend trying to shop for 2 weeks of groceries at a time when you do go, so you can stay at home and flatten the curve as much as possible.
The good news is that if you stocked up a few non-perishable pantry stables (which, by the looks of the store shelves, you probably did), it’s very easy to make a healthy meal at home. Here are some easy healthy recipes to make life a little easier during this rough time. These recipes are not only simple and affordable, but also delicious and nutritious.
Tuna Salad
Ingredients
1 6 ounce can tuna in water
2 tbsp Vegenaise
salt, pepper, and lemon to taste
optional -
1/4 cup chopped celery and carrots
1/8 cup sliced onions
1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries
handful of Romaine lettuce or bread/crackers
directions
Drain water from tuna.
Place in medium bowl with the rest of the ingredients and mix.
Place mixture on a bed of lettuce, bread or crackers
Overnight Oats
ingredients
1 cup rolled oats
1 to 1 1/2 cups of almond milk or coconut milk
fruit (blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, banana) - you can use fresh or frozen
Optional -
1 tsp sweetener - honey, maple syrup, agave
1-2 tbsp nut butter
chopped nuts or seeds (almonds, pecans, chia seeds, flax seeds)
directions
Put oats, liquid, and sweetener combine in a mason jar overnight.
If using frozen fruit, then I add that on top of the oat mixture in the jar and leave over night.
If using fresh fruit, add that and the nuts in the morning.
Enjoy the overnight oats cold. (Some people ask me if you’re supposed to eat it cold… yes you are. However, you can also heat it up and eat warm I suppose)
Burrito Bowl
ingredients
2-3 cans of pinto beans or black beans
1 batch of Mexican rice
meat on hand (ground taco meat, shredded chicken, grilled and chopped chicken, pulled pork, shredded beef)
1 cup salsa
2 cups grated cheese
2 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup chopped tomatoes
tortilla chips
Optional - greek yogurt, guacamole, sliced black olives, avocado
Directions
Lay out bowls of each of the ingredients.
Allow each person to layer beans, rice, and toppings in his/her bowl according to their desire.
Spaghetti
ingredients
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 pound ground meat (beef, turkey)
1 jar of Marinara sauce (Rao’s, Costco)
2 cloves garlic
salt and pepper to taste
pasta (spaghetti, brown rice pasta, banza, lentil pasta)
Instructions
Cook pasta according to box.
Add finely chopped onion and olive oil to pan and cook it low and slow until translucent.
Add thawed ground meat. Cook and stir, chopping up a the meat until well browned. Add salt to liking and stir in garlic.
Drain fat if you feel you need to.
Add marinara sauce. Cook on low, stirring occasionally.
Add to cooked pasta of choice.
Easy Pantry Chili
ingredients
lean ground beef
finely chopped onion
1 can of corn
1 can of chili beans (pinto beans in mild chili sauce), undrained
1 can of diced tomatoes, undrained
jar of spaghetti sauce (plain or garlic)
1 packet of taco seasoning and/or other seasoning like cumin, garlic powder
optional - cheese, avocado, chips
directions
In a large pot over medium heat, brown and crumble the ground beef with diced onion. Add salt to flavor meat. Drain.
Add in remaining ingredients and stir together. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat down to med-low and let simmer for 15 minutes.
Serve with all your favorite chili toppings.
I hope these recipes make life a little easier during this quarantine. Please share if you enjoyed these! Maybe you’ll continue to use these even after this pandemic is over! :)
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