Want a better sweat session? Find out which fitness foods can help improve your workout. Want to give your routine a boost? Five key ingredients can give your body an extra edge when exercising or recovering from your workout. Here are the ingredients that can help power your next exercise session.

1. PEANUTS

The most protein-rich nut of them all gives you quality protein, which is important for muscle building.

Pre-workout: A little protein staves off hunger without overtaxing digestion.

Post-workout: Protein helps repair muscles and stokes your body’s muscle-building machinery, especially when consumed within a half hour after exercise.

2. OATS

Oats are rich in carbohydrates, the fuel your muscles prefer.

Pre-workout: Fiber-rich oats supply sustained energy.

Post-workout: They provide a healthy amount of carbs to replenish depleted glycogen stores.

3. DRIED BLUEBERRIES

Dried blueberries are a super tasty and antioxidant-rich alternative to raisins.

Pre-workout: The easily digested carbohydrates in blueberries fuel muscles, and their fiber provides staying power.

Post-workout: Polyphenolic compounds in blueberries may help combat oxidative stress in muscles, potentially preventing soreness and inflammation.

4. CHOCOLATE CHIPS

You probably don’t need us to justify why you should snack on a handful of chocolate chips or an energy bar containing them, but there actually are some great health reasons for adding them.

Pre-workout: Antioxidants in dark chocolate help prevent muscle soreness later on. One study of cyclists showed that dark chocolate helped reduce oxidative stress in muscles, a component of soreness. Animal research suggests chocolate’s epicatechins can boost leg strength and endurance capacity.

Post-workout: Dark chocolate provides flavonols, compounds that can help improve blood flow, which brings more oxygen to replenish your hardworking muscles.

5. PUMPKIN SEEDS

Pumpkin seeds are good sources of alpha-linolenic acid, a plant form of omega-3 fatty acids that can help fight inflammation, a factor in muscle soreness. While they’re not as potent as fish-based omega-3s in producing these benefits, they’re also  (like exercise) good for your heart.

Pre-workout: Snack on some pumpkin seeds a few hours before your workout to bolster your energy.

Post-workout: Pumpkin seeds are a good source of zinc, a key nutrient for recovery that helps repair muscle tissue.

We need more. We need less. Beef is best. Beans are better. Fed up with your friends’ conflicting Facebook posts? Here’s how you can power up your plate for real. Protein is crucial to nearly every bodily function. We need it to have energy, to feel full, to build and repair muscle to process nutrients and boost immunity, to send chemical signals—basically, to stay alive. And with so much new research pointing to the nutrient’s power as a hunger buster and super sculptor, it’s easy to think the more protein, the better. Many women I see are making a conscious effort to get more protein in their diet. But is that wise? Ahead, the most evolved advice.

How Much Do You Really Need?

The recommended dietary allowance (RDA), which is the minimum amount you need to be healthy, is 0.8 grams per kilogram (0.36 grams per pound)  of body weight per day—46 grams for an average woman. That equals as little as 10 percent of your daily calories. If you’re not super active, that’s likely adequate, and you’ll hit the target effortlessly if you follow a typical Western diet. In fact, American women already eat about 68 grams of protein a day, according to the latest data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. “There’s no reason to go out of your way to get protein,” says Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, dean of the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy. “Just eat a variety of fish, nuts, beans, seeds and dairy, including yogurt.”

However, increasing your protein well above the RDA may make sense if...

You're very active. That means you get at least 35 to 40 minutes of moderate exercise four or five days a week, including resistance training two or more times a week. Consider eating 1.2 to 2 grams of dietary protein per kilogram (or about 0.5 to 0.9 grams per pound) of your body weight each day, says Nancy Rodriguez, PhD, professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Connecticut. That amount is best for rebuilding muscle tissue, especially if you do a lot of high-intensity workouts, research suggests.

You're trying to lose weight. Protein takes longer to digest than carbs, helping you feel full, and it also pushes your body to secrete the gut hormone peptide YY, which reduces hunger. “When you bring protein to about 30 percent of your daily calories, you’ll naturally eat less,” says Lauren Slayton, RD, founder of Foodtrainers, a nutrition practice in New York City, and author of The Little Book of Thin. “Protein decreases appetite and also, in my experience, helps you manage cravings.”

While research is mixed about whether consuming more protein leads to weight loss, it’s pretty clear that protein can help you retain more lean muscle as you lose fat. A studies suggests amping up protein to as much as 1.8 to 2 grams per kilogram (roughly 0.8 to 0.9 grams per pound) of body weight per day to stave off muscle loss when restricting calories. Cut back on refined carbs to balance out the extra calories from adding protein.

You're in middle age. Eating more protein as you get older may help you maintain muscle and ward off osteoporosis, “so you can stay stronger and more functional,” says Rodriguez. In a study, adults over the age of 50 who roughly doubled the RDA (eating 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram, or 0.68 grams per pound, of body weight per day) were better able to rebuild and retain muscle after only four days, compared with control groups eating the RDA.

Doubling the RDA gives you “optimal protein,” a concept that Rodriguez and more than 40 nutrition scientists advanced at a recent Protein Summit, the findings from which were published in 2015 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Optimal protein works out to be about 15 to 25 percent of your daily calories, still below the level recommended by many popular high-protein diets. Over a day, that could look like 20 to 30 grams per meal and 12 to 15 grams per snack, for a total of 90 to 105 grams daily.

The Dangers of Loading Up

When experts decry protein-heavy diets, the issue is usually not quantity but quality. “It’s not protein per se that’s a problem, but the ‘passengers’ it brings with it,” explains Tom Rifai, MD, regional medical director of metabolic health and weight management for the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit. “You can’t compare egg whites, fish or beans to fatty porterhouse steak.” Eating a lot of meat means getting a ton of calories and saturated fat as well as a digestive by-product called TMAO, all of which can contribute to higher risks of certain cancers, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Indeed, a  study showed a hike in cancer mortality risk for people who ate more animal protein in midlife. On the flip side, a new study found that adults who ate a plant-based diet and dropped one or two servings of animal-based foods (to four or fewer servings a day) cut their risk of type 2 diabetes by up to 20 percent. The takeaway: If you want to bump up your protein, grab  those extra grams from plant sources or even fish (both of which offer additional beneficial nutrients on top of protein) rather than red meat.

Eat Early, Eat Often

Folks who ate 35 grams of protein at breakfast consumed 400 fewer calories throughout the day and lost more body fat than those who ate a breakfast with 13 grams or skipped an a.m. meal entirely. I’ve seen many women who, after shifting more of their daily protein to breakfast and lunch, stay more satiated, preventing overeating in the late afternoon and evening. A sample high-protein breakfast: 6 ounces of nonfat Greek yogurt (17 grams of protein) with ¼ cup of almonds (8 grams), 2 tablespoons of sunflower seeds (4 grams) and ½ cup of mixed berries (1 gram).

More incentive to add protein earlier in the day: Other research suggests that it does the best job of keeping your muscles in rebuilding mode if you spread your intake over the day’s meals and snacks rather than cramming in most of it at dinner. Eating all your protein at one sitting also backfires because your system can process only so much at once—about 25 to 40 grams, for most people. “If you can’t use the extra protein, your body just turns it into carbs,” explains Dr. Rifai.

Go Complete

“Complete protein” is a term often used for foods that contain, in the right proportion for our dietary needs, all nine of the essential amino acids our bodies can’t manufacture themselves. (We can make the 11 other amino acids from scratch.) Think of your amino acid requirements like a Scrabble game: Some letters you need over and over again, like E, and some you don’t need as many of, like Z. Animal products, such as chicken, fish and eggs, provide the right letters (amino acids) in close to the right proportion that we need to spell words (build proteins in the body). Certain plant-based foods (quinoa, soybeans, amaranth, buckwheat) also provide roughly the proper proportion of amino acids.

Other plants contain all the essential amino acids, but not in the optimal proportion—usually there’s not enough of one or more of them, which is why the classic advice for vegetarians and vegans has been to pair complementary foods, like rice and beans, in order to make a complete protein. The good news is, it doesn’t need to be that complicated. As long as your weekly diet includes a reasonable variety and amount of beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds (for example, lentils, chickpeas, oats, brown rice, walnuts, almonds and sunflower seeds), it’s likely that you’re getting what you need.

Workout Wisdom

Ideally, you should get 20 grams of protein within 30 to 40 minutes post-workout for optimal muscle recovery and growth. That said, you can’t chug a protein shake after spin class and skimp on protein the rest of the time. You still need a healthy total amount spread out through your day. 

Power Trip

Here are the steps protein takes in your body, from first bite to final exit.

Step 1: You eat some grilled chicken or a plate of beans.

Step 2: Stomach acids and gut enzymes break down the proteins in the chicken or beans into amino acids, the building blocks of protein.

Step 3: Amino acids are absorbed through the walls of your small intestine and enter the bloodstream. In addition to helping build muscle, these amino acids help produce, maintain and repair numerous proteins throughout your body, including antibodies, hormones and neurotransmitters.

Step 4: Extra amino acids aren’t stored for much longer than 24 hours (that’s why you have to eat protein every day), so once the body has used what it needs, the leftovers go to the liver. There, some are converted into glucose and used as a fuel source. Nitrogen by-products from amino acid breakdown are excreted in urine.

10 Real-Food Boosts

Powders have their place (assuming you’re picking one with superclean ingredients), but they’re not the only way to amp up your intake. Try these easy hacks to add whole-food protein to a meal or snack.

1. Prepare ½ cup oatmeal with 1 cup milk (8g) instead of water.

2. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons chia seeds (6g) onto 2 slices avocado toast.

3. Blend ½ cup silken tofu (6g) into soup or a smoothie.

4. Toss ¼ cup cashews (5g) into a stir-fry.

5. Blend 3 tablespoons hemp seeds (9g) into salad dressing (try one made with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and herbs).

6. Add 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds (5g) to granola.

7. Scatter 1 cup green peas (8g) over pasta.

8. Top pancakes or waffles with 2 tablespoons almond butter (7g) instead of maple syrup.

9. Add ½ cup canned black beans (7g), drained and rinsed, to salsa.

10. Trade cream cheese for ¼ cup cottage cheese (6g) on a toasted bagel.

From plant-based proteins to lean meats, these healthy superfoods are loaded with good-for-you nutrients that help increase energy, build stronger muscles and ease workout ailments.

Eggs

Eggs are a high-protein choice with versatility for every meal. Whether for breakfast in a frittata or mixed into a dinner salad, they can help build and maintain muscle. One large egg contains several B vitamins, which have been shown to be critically important for energy production. Eggs also contain large amounts of the amino acid leucine, which aids muscle growth. However, the majority of the nutrients can be found in the yolk; the egg white contains only protein. Additionally, eggs can help you feel satiated for longer, women who ate eggs for breakfast felt fuller longer and ate fewer calories throughout the day, which could contribute to fat loss.

Salmon

Salmon is one of the most plentiful sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which could improve muscular  health and muscle gain. One 3-ounce portion of salmon, for example, contains 2 grams of omega3s, almost twice the recommended daily value for adults. That same portion also contains 17 grams of protein and half of the recommended daily value of selenium, a metabolism-boosting mineral that comes from food. Additionally, salmon is rich in energy-producing B vitamins, similar to eggs. These nutrients all help repair muscles, so a piece of salmon at dinner could keep muscles healthy after a tough workout.

Greek Yogurt

Dairy products that are packed with protein could have an impact on building lasting lean muscle. People who consume a combination of fast- and slow-digesting dairy proteins might experience increases in lean mass. However, star probiotic Greek yogurt stands out among other dairy proteins. Greek yogurt contains nearly double the amount of protein as regular yogurt. This high level could help boost metabolism and keep you satiated longer than regular yogurt can.  College-age men who consumed nonfat Greek yogurt after resistance training “increased most measures of strength, biceps muscle thickness and fat-free mass.” 

Quinoa

The popular grain is a good high-protein choice—24 grams per cup—for a post-workout side dish. This superfood is also rich in magnesium, with one cup providing nearly one third of the recommended daily value, which helps promote protein synthesis. The same serving of quinoa is also packed with all nine amino acids that can be found in food, which is essential for building muscle. Because quinoa is high in carbohydrates, containing more than 39 grams per cooked cup, eat it right after a workout to aid muscle recovery.

Milk

While milk is often associated with building healthy bones, science shows that it can also be a strong choice for muscle building. According to the American College of Sports Medicine in 2016, “milkbased protein after resistance exercise is effective in increasing muscle strength and favorable changes in body composition. Drinking milk promotes greater lean muscle gains  of the amino acid leucine, which aids in muscle protein synthesis. Dairy milk is also a strong source of calcium, and that assists muscle contraction, which helps build muscle during exercise.

Bison

A lean alternative to other red meats, bison contains several essential nutrients that aid in muscle health. One 4-ounce serving contains 68 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin B6, as well as 19 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin B₆, which can aid energy production. It also contains nearly one third of the daily recommended value of selenium, which can boost metabolism. This low-calorie choice—just 124 calories per 4-ounce serving—also has a mild taste, which makes it a lean swap for beef or other red meats.

Avocados

Touted as an all-encompassing superfood, avocados are packed with 20 essential vitamins and minerals that can help keep muscles healthy. Avocados are rich in vitamins B₅, B₆, C, E and K, as well as potassium and folate. They contain about 20 percent of the recommended daily value of folate, a B vitamin that helps convert carbohydrates into energy, which makes them an essential pre- and post-workout pick. They also contain about 14 percent of the daily recommended value of potassium, a mineral that helps regulate fluid balance and muscle contractions. Additionally, avocados are rich in fiber, which helps the body stay satiated for longer, supporting weight loss.

Bananas

Bananas are an easy and convenient snack. Because they are rich in water and carbs—27 grams in one medium banana— they can improve exercise performance and recovery. While they don’t contain as much potassium as avocados, they still have about 10 to 14 percent of the recommended daily value. Consuming potassium helps to avoid muscle cramps while exercising, so eating a banana before a workout. Additionally, since potassium is excreted through sweat, consuming bananas can help replete electrolytes to further boost workouts. However, eating bananas after a workout can also prove beneficial, for example, a combination of water and a banana is likely more effective for exercise recovery than sports drinks.

Nuts

Many types of nuts can be used in a variety of satiating snacks and meals, and many varieties strongly benefit muscle health. One serving of pistachios, for example, provides as much protein as one egg. Pistachios also have a higher ratio of essential amino acids than most other kinds of nuts. Additionally, peanuts are a prominent source of biotin, a vitamin that helps convert food into energy, which can help with overall workout performance and muscle building. For a lowcarb, workout-friendly option, almonds contain just 2.5 grams of digestible carbs and only 161 calories in a small handful.

Chickpeas

Whether tossed in a salad or blended into hummus, chickpeas are a versatile legume that can act as a meat replacement in any meal. They’re also high in plant-based protein, with 14.5 grams per 1-cup cooked serving. The same serving contains 71 percent of the recommended daily value of folate, which helps convert carbohydrates into energy. Chickpeas contain nearly every essential amino acid that can be obtained from food, minus methionine. Pairing it with a grain that contains methionine, such as quinoa, can help you get a complete protein–based meal. 

It’s no secret that interest in plant-based diets is booming. More than half of Americans are looking to curb their meat and dairy consumption and eat more produce, according to a survey from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Yet many active people are concerned that going meatless (or almost meatless) won’t give them enough of the complete protein they need to build muscle and recover from their workouts.

The good news: Research suggests that plant-forward diets can be as eff ective—if not more so—at building strength and helping you get the best results from your eff orts. Follow these tips to ensure you fuel your body right.

MIX UP YOUR PROTEIN SOURCES

Our bodies need protein to help repair and build muscle. And it’s true that animal proteins are the most effi cient sources—they have more protein per gram and contain all nine essential amino acids in adequate amounts. But you can still meet your needs with plant-based proteins. The key is variety, because plant proteins vary in their amino acid content, Asche recommends including lots of diff erent nutritious sources—such as nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains—in your diet for the best recovery.

This doesn’t mean you need more protein than meat eaters, though, notes Rizzo. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that active people aim for at least half a gram of protein per pound of body weight a day but sets the top of the range at 0.8 grams per pound. That’s 75 to 120 grams if you weigh 150 pounds, which adds up quickly, considering that ½ cup chickpeas and 2 tablespoons of peanut butter each contain about 7 grams of protein.

BALANCE YOUR RECOVERY WITH CARBS

After a tough workout, your body goes into recuperation mode for around 24 hours, replenishing stored carbohydrates and rebuilding muscles so you’re ready for your next session. Since your body can only use so much carbohydrate and protein at a time, the goal is to eat modest amounts of both at each meal and snack to aid in recovery. That could mean a post-run nibble of a piece of fruit with some nut butter or a grain bowl filled with protein-rich bulgur wheat and veggies for lunch.

MIND THE GAPS

As you swap animal food sources for plants, there are a few important nutrients to be aware of. Regular workouts can deplete your stores of  iron and lead to fatigue. Many plants contain non-heme iron, but it’s not absorbed as well as the heme variety found in animals. Adding vitamin-C-rich foods such as bell peppers and broccoli to your meals can improve iron uptake. Other nutrients you may fall short on include vitamin B12—it’s only found in animal foods, so you may consider taking a supplement—and calcium, which is in plants like soy, fortifi ed cereals and green vegetables (think kale, bok choy and spinach). Your muscles—heck, your whole body—will thank you.

The No.1thing you can do to help reach your weight-loss goals? Keep an eye on how much you eat.

You had an hour plus, sweat-inducing, hardcore workout this morning, which more than justifies that large stack of protein pancakes for breakfast or the extra helping of pasta at dinner, right? After all, you earned it!

Not so fast. Portion control is one of the most important factors when it comes to dropping a few pounds and keeping them off. You have to consider energy output versus energy intake. “You might be doing a greatjob increasing your calorie burn atthe gym, butthat doesn’t mean you can overindulge when the workoutis over.”

That goes not only for cheat foods like fries and sweets, but also for otherwise healthy fare like fish, Greek yogurt, and nuts. “Too much of almost anything (with the exception of water) can interfere with your ability to maintain a healthy weight”. Overdoing it with one macronutrient, be it protein, carbs, or fat, can also sabotage your efforts.

Of course, it’s nice to reward yourself after you’ve worked hard. It just means you need to balance these added calories with the rest of your diet. “If you really need that mocha latte postworkout, then be more mindful of what you’re eating throughout the rest of the day”.

Use the following guidelines when plating a meal to keep your portion sizes realistic: a palm-size amount of lean protein like chicken or fish; a fist-size amount of carbs such as rice, pasta, potato, or corn; two fists of fruits or veggies; one to two thumb-size amounts of fat like salad dressing, peanut butter, or mayo and a thumbnail-size pour of oil.

Stick with these guidelines and you’ll be way ahead of the curves when it comes to successful long-term weight control. “If you can control portions, you will inevitably be controlling calories, too, and ultimately that’s what will make the difference”.

THE ADULT PORTION PLATE 

The Portion Plate is an interactive tool for teaching consumers appropriate food portions. It’s an actual plate that offers a tangible demonstration of how much food we should eat. Not only are the plate’s illustrated portion areas a good guide to follow, but the makeup of a good meal is also presented. This means 1/2 of your plate should be fruits and vegetables, 1/4 of your plate whole grains and the remaining 1/4 lean protein.

COOKING STAR DIGITAL SPOON SCALE

Some of your favourite foods can pack a calorie punch in small doses, for example, your nut butters and healthy oils. A digital spoon scale is perfect for measuring smaller amounts of foods so that you don’t increase your calorie intake unnecessarily.

PASTA PORTION CONTROL CONTAINERS 

Portion control is one of the most important functions of this cooking gadget. Measuring cooked pasta is the solution to weight control and still being able to eat fun food. From being a pasta maker, spaghetti spoon, pasta spoon and a pasta portion control basket it has its place in the line of the cool kitchen gadgets which are fun for kids as well. Cooking the desired pasta amount for your diet.

CALORIES APP

Download an app that can recognize 200 calories through photography. Why 200 calories? Because it’s a nice portion size and makes it easy to recognise how many calories you are eating without needing to check the labels. Well it turns out it’s a whole lot of spinach but only half a spoon of peanut butter! 

Set yourself up for a week of healthy, easy meals with a bit of weekend prep that won’t require hours in the kitchen.

Scroll through your social media feed and you may come across an image of someone’s countertop lined with a week’s worth of meals and snacks, all perfectly portioned into single-serving containers. That is meal prep to the extreme— and go you, if you have the time to do it!

But do you know what also counts as meal prep? Cooking a batch of brown rice for the week. Or grilling extra chicken breasts to top lunch salads. Or chopping up an onion and bell pepper for tomorrow’s chili. Meal prep is not just for a certain type of person—it’s for everyone—and can include anything that cuts down on time and energy spent during the week preparing meals.

Whether you’ve got 15 minutes or an hour to spend in the kitchen on Sunday, any meal-prep will set you up for a more productive and delicious week ahead. 

Make a batch of grains

Having cooked grains like brown rice, quinoa and whole-wheat couscous in the fridge reduces time spent preparing meals later in the week. These cooked grains reheat well or can be eaten cold and are very versatile. Top cooked quinoa with canned beans and vegetables for a quick lunch grain bowl or sauté cooked brown rice with frozen vegetables and seasoning for an easy dinner. You can even prep oatmeal in advance and simply warm it up at breakfast. And because cooking grains requires very little hands-on time, you can have them going while you prep other things. Consider doubling the batch and freezing half for another week.

Cook a versatile protein

Cooked chicken, hard-boiled eggs and roasted tofu all have two things in common—they keep well for a few days in the fridge and can be used in many ways. Pick a protein that can multitask, then build a few meals around it. Cooked chicken breast or thighs can be shredded and tossed with BBQ sauce for quick sandwiches, baked into a healthy casserole or used to bulk up a main-dish salad. Recipe-ready vegan proteins like tofu or cooked lentils can be used in many of the same ways. And hard-boiled eggs make for heartier avocado toast, a quick snack or an easy salad topper.

Get dinner ingredients prepped and ready for cooking

If you’re not up for preparing entire dinners in advance, consider getting a jump start by prepping some of a meal’s ingredients. If a recipe calls for vegetables like carrots, celery and onion, these can be chopped and refrigerated for a few days until you’re ready to cook. Fresh herbs, lettuces and hearty greens like kale will hold up well when washed, dried and properly stored in the fridge. You can even measure out dried herbs and spices and  store in a container to save yourself a dinner-prep step later in the week.

Prep breakfasts or lunches for the week

Easy-to-grab breakfast or lunch options will come in handy whether you’re eating at home or packing food for work—imagine all the time you’ll save on those busy mornings! Stock your freezer with a breakfast option or two, like freezer burritos you can quickly reheat when you’re craving something warm and comforting, or smoothie packs, to cut down on the time it takes to blend up your favorite fruity combo. Or stock the fridge with a week’s worth of satisfying lunches.

Mix up a vinaigrette or sauce

Picking up a bottle of salad dressing is convenient, but whisking your own is easier than you think. Plus, preparing your own dressings means you can control what goes in and what stays out, like excess sodium. And it will take you about five minutes using ingredients you likely have on hand. A classic vinaigrette is perfect for topping green salads throughout the week, but don’t forget about sauces like tahini or peanut dressing, which can be used on grain bowls, in wraps or as dips to make meals more exciting.

Plan out a snack or two 

Grabbing a snack is a lot quicker than making a meal, so you might be wondering why you would bother with the meal prep outlined here. It boils down to convenience and mindful portions. When hunger strikes between meals, you may be tempted to graze on anything in sight, sometimes reaching for foods that actually leave you craving more. Prepping a couple of snacks that contain fiber and protein will provide lasting energy to keep you fueled until your next meal. Be sure to plan for satisfying snacks that you actually enjoy eating!

The bottom line

No matter how much or how little you do, your future self will thank you for doing these prep steps to make for an easier week. Plus, when healthy food is prepped and ready, it makes it so much easier to follow a healthy, balanced diet. Read on for easy-tofollow plans and recipes that maximize prep, plus some healthy-eating inspiration.

Stock up on healthy foods such as whole-wheat pizza dough, frozen fish and frozen fruits and vegetables—keys to meals in any good plan.

When I’m looking for ways to maximize ingredients for meal planning, I turn to my freezer for help. I like to keep it well stocked with a few essential ingredients that have numerous applications for a variety of plans. Plus, filling my freezer with healthy options makes it less enticing to abandon a meal plan in favor of a takeout run. Here are a few of my favorite foods to have on hand.

Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough

With all the topping combos out there, pizza is one of the easiest healthy dinners to make from the pantry. With the dough on hand, plus some forward planning to make sure it’s thawed in time for dinner, you can have a healthy dinner on the table in no time. (Pizza dough typically needs 24 hours in your fridge to thaw fully.)

Fish Fillets

I’m a huge fan of frozen fish, especially when you can buy fillets in individual, vacuum-sealed packages, which helps to keep them from getting freezer burn. I like to stock up on wild Alaskan salmon and farmed U.S. tilapia. If you buy a big bag of fillets, just pull out what you need the night before you’re going to cook them and put them in the refrigerator. A 5-ounce fillet takes 8 to 10 hours to thaw in the fridge.

Fruits and Vegetables

There are many advantages to having bags of frozen fruit and vegetables on hand. For starters, many of them come already chopped, so that cuts down on prep time. And depending on the season, they can actually be healthier for you. Frozen fruits and vegetables are picked at their prime, which means they have more flavor and nutrients than their outof-season counterparts. And most don’t have added sugar or sodium, like canned fruits and veggies do.

If you thaw frozen fruit and vegetables, drain off any water that has collected in the bag or thaw in a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl. Depending on the recipe, you may not have to thaw them at all. You can find almost any vegetable and fruit frozen, but I especially like to keep peas, spinach and a vegetable medley or two on hand. For fruit, I like blueberries and strawberries. They’re great for blending into a healthy smoothie for breakfast.

Whole-Grain Bread

Bread spoils easily, especially if it’s kept on the counter in plastic. For a while I avoided buying big loaves of bread because of this, until I discovered that bread and bread products, like wraps and hamburger buns, freeze beautifully. They don’t take much time at all to thaw. If fact, slices of bread go from freezer to toaster without a problem. Or just pull out what you need and let it thaw on the counter or in your fridge. It should only need an hour or two (depending on the temperature) to be ready to use.

Precooked Chicken

Chicken is versatile, packed with protein and easy to make—the ultimate dinner saver. Having some precooked chicken stashed away in the freezer is essential when you need to get a healthy dinner on the table in a pinch. You can use grilled chicken breasts to top salads or roasted chicken to stir into soups, or toss shredded chicken into a quick casserole.

Nuts

Nuts are full of heart-healthy fats (especially walnuts, which have omega-3s), so I try to have them around as much as possible. They are great for baking, topping a salad or just plain snacking. And as it turns out, storing nuts in the freezer is actually better than storing them in your pantry: it prevents the oils from going rancid. They don’t take long to thaw—just 10 minutes or so on the counter and you’re ready to go.

Shredded Cheese

Even though I use cheese a lot in cooking, I used to inevitably end up with loose ends of forgotten blocks getting moldy in my fridge. Now I shred what I don’t use and freeze it. This works best with solid cheeses like Cheddar and Monterey Jack. When I need just a little bit (to top a salad or make quesadillas, for example), it’s there. It thaws almost instantly, and the texture and flavor remain unchanged.

Keep these ingredients on hand so you can make a delicious, nutritious meal every night of the week. Life is busy, but dinner doesn’t have to be. A well-stocked pantry is the best way to ensure you’ll have everything you need to make a healthy and flavorful dinner every night, even during the busiest weeks, when stopping at the grocery store just isn’t realistic. A combination of classic pantry staples (such as canned tomatoes, chicken broth and canned beans) and flavor-boosting convenience items (such as herb mixes, soy sauce and jarred pesto) is key to keeping your kitchen dinner-ready. No need for expensive takeout when you have what you need to make a healthy dinner at home.

This list includes many of the items you need to prepare healthy recipes, plus a few other ingredients that will make impromptu meals easier and more delicious. If you’re building a healthy pantry from scratch, start with the basics, and slowly expand your pantry as you try new recipes and experiment with new cooking techniques.

Don’t have a large kitchen to stock? You can hone this list to go-to foods, the ones you are most likely to use again and again in meals. This way, you can stock a smaller kitchen pantry cabinet without overwhelming your limited space.

Oils, Vinegars and Condiments

Oils, vinegars and condiments are the backbone of many recipes. They’re necessary for quick marinades, salad dressings, pan sauces and more. For a cook with an eye toward healthy ingredients, this collection of pantry staples helps you swap out convenience foods that are often filled with too much sodium, added sugar, and other unnecessary ingredients. (Bottled salad dressing, we mean you.)

A collection of oils is particularly important for home cooks. Some oils, like extra-virgin olive oil, are best used in uncooked dishes, such as salad dressings, or brushed on chicken and fish after cooking. (Olive oil has a low smoke point and can burn in a hot pan or grill.) Meanwhile, canola oil is a high-quality oil that can tolerate high temps. Flavorful nut and seed oils are next on the list, for when you’re expanding your pantry; they add unique flavor to salad dressings and stir-fries.

PANTRY BASICS

• Extra-virgin olive oil

• Canola or grapeseed oil

• Unsalted butter

• Mayonnaise (olive-oil mayo has less saturated fat)

• White, red-wine, white-wine and cider vinegars

• Hot sauce

• Dijon mustard

• Ketchup

• Flavorful nut and seed oils, such as toasted sesame oil and walnut oil

• Balsamic and rice-wine vinegars

• Reduced-sodium soy sauce

• Fish sauce

• Hoisin sauce

• Chile-garlic sauce

• Curry paste

• Kalamata olives and green olives

• Capers

• Barbecue sauce

• Worcestershire sauce

Seasonings

A seasoning cabinet or drawer can quickly begin to burst at the seams. Unique spice mixes you used just once sit stale beside the cumin and coriander, which do get a fair share of use in a variety of recipes, from Mexican and Southeast Asian dishes to beef stews and more. Paring down to the basics will help you save space and make sure you’re utilizing everything before the flavors fade.

This seasonings list also includes foods that make up the foundations of many recipes: the aromatics. These are the first things you throw in the pot (with canola oil) to start simmering— onions and garlic, for example. They add a depth of flavor and heft to many dishes, even fast ones, so keeping them on hand can help you turn basic tomato soup into a deeply-flavored tomato soup that’s good enough to serve to guests!

PANTRY BASICS

•Salt, including kosher salt, coarse sea salt and fine salt

•Black peppercorns

•Onions

•Fresh garlic

•Dried herbs: bay leaves, dried thyme leaves, dried oregano, dried herb seasoning blends

•Spices: chili powder, ground cinnamon, ground cumin, curry powder, dry mustard, paprika, cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper, turmeric, garlic powder

•Citrus: lemons, limes, oranges (The zest is as valuable as the juice.)

•Granulated sugar

•Brown sugar 

•Honey

•Fresh ginger (store in the freezer for longer life)

•Anchovies or anchovy paste for flavoring pasta sauces and salad dressings

•Dried herbs: dill, crumbled dried sage, tarragon

•Spices: allspice (whole berries or ground), caraway seeds, cinnamon sticks, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, ground ginger, nutmeg, za’atar

•Pure maple syrup

•Unsweetened cocoa powder, natural and/or Dutch-processed

•Bittersweet chocolate, semisweet chocolate chips

Canned and Bottled Goods

While your first inclination may be otherwise, using canned foods can be essential to some  healthy-cooking recipes. Canned tomatoes, for example, can be used in soups and stews, but they’re also a boon to many quick and healthy skillet meals and one-pot pastas. Cooking dried beans takes time and effort (though it’s worth it if you can manage it), but canned beans make black bean tacos or a tomato-bean shakshuka happen in a hurry.

PANTRY BASICS

•Canned tomatoes, tomato paste

•No-salt-added diced tomatoes

•Unsalted chicken broth, beef broth and/or vegetable broth

•Canned beans: cannellini beans, great northern beans, chickpeas, black beans, red kidney beans

•Clam juice

•Light coconut milk

•Canned tuna (chunk light) and salmon

Grains and Legumes

Beans, rice, whole grains and lentils can be added to a plethora of dishes for instant protein and filling fiber. They also store well, so you can keep them on hand for a considerable time, and they go from season to season—in soups and stews in the winter and in light grain sides in spring and summer. You can use some of these pantry staples to turn basic chicken breasts into crispy oven-fried pieces or leftover steak into a hearty burrito bowl or to make black-bean patties in a pinch.

PANTRY BASICS

•Whole-wheat flour and whole-wheat pastry flour

•All-purpose flour

•Assorted whole-wheat pastas

•Brown rice and instant brown rice

•Rolled oats

•Whole-wheat breadcrumbs

•panko breadcrumbs, preferably whole-wheat

•Pearl barley, quick-cooking barley

•Whole-wheat couscous

•Bulgur

•Dried lentils

•Yellow cornmeal

•Dried beans (black, cannellini, chickpeas)

•Polenta

Nuts, Seeds and Fruits

You may think these kitchen pantry staples are best suited for snacks and trail mixes, but a cook with an eye toward healthy eating knows they can be used in everything from salads and grain bowls to muffins, quick breads and quick coatings for proteins. Most fresh nuts and seeds should be stored in the fridge or freezer to keep their oils from turning rancid.

PANTRY BASICS

•Walnuts

•Pecans

•Almonds

•Dry-roasted unsalted peanuts

•Natural peanut butter

•Hazelnuts

•Pine nuts

•Sesame seeds

•Tahini

•Natural almond butter

•Assorted dried fruits, such as apricots, prunes, cherries, cranberries, dates, figs and raisins

Refrigerator Basics

We use the term kitchen pantry to refer to your cold storage, as well as dry storage. These ingredients should be kept stocked in your fridge, as they can quickly and easily be used for many fast dinners. Yogurt, for example, is a great snack, but it can be a dipping sauce for fish or pork or turned into a dressing for falafel or shawarma. Eggs are staples for many dishes, but they can star in fast omelets and frittatas too.

PANTRY BASICS

•Milk or soy milk

•Unsweetened coconut or oat milk beverage

•Plain strained yogurt, such as Greek-style

•Sour cream

•Parmesan cheese and/or Romano cheese

•Sharp Cheddar cheese

•Eggs (large)

•Orange juice

•Blue cheese

•Dry white wine

•Water-packed tofu

How to Organize a Pantry 

These tips will help you cut down on food waste, save money and keep your kitchen well organized.

START WITH A CLEAN SLATE

First clean out the space you intend to use for your kitchen pantry, whether it is a stand-alone closet or a smaller kitchen pantry cabinet. The same goes for your fridge and freezer. Toss outdated items and anything you know you’ll never use again.

REMEMBER THAT EXPIRATION DATES AREN’T EVERYTHING

Sell-by, expiration and best-by dates aren’t actually useful for the purposes of knowing whether a food item is good or not. Each means something entirely different, and relying solely on them can lead to some serious food waste. Instead, use your intuition: if the food looks and smells fresh, keep it if you’ll use it.

TAKE STOCK OF WHAT YOU HAVE & ORGANIZE AS YOU GO

What’s left? As you take stock of what you have,  organize ingredients in a system that feels intuitive to you, whether that’s grouping grains in one bin and oils and vinegars in another, or giving areas a “theme,” such as proteins, grains or baking. You’re not married to this system forever, but it’s a good way to help you assess what you have and what you need to buy.

FILL IN YOUR STORES & ADD MORE OVER TIME

A food pantry is only as useful as the items you have on hand. Replace items as you use them so your pantry stays stocked. As you cook new recipes that require 

beyond-the-basic ingredients, you’ll naturally expand your pantry to help you get to that well-stocked state.

USE THE OLDER ITEMS FIRST

When you add new staples, be sure to place them behind or below the old ones. This way, you can use up what remains before opening a new bag, bottle or box.

MAKE THINGS VISIBLE

If your pantry or cabinet shelves are deep, consider putting tall items in the back so they are visible over the shorter items. Unfortunately, foods  that are shoved into the back of the pantry tend to be lost—and forgotten. Revolving trays can help with this issue as well. Put a few on deep shelves so you can rotate your stock and see everything at once.

THE BOTTOM LINE

You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars filling out your kitchen pantry during one trip to the grocery store. Start with the basics and expand your pantry as you expand your cooking skill set. Over time, you’ll find it easier to make meals from scratch using what you have on hand.

When you find yourself looking for a little relief, read this first to see if these buzzy bottles are worth a shot. You’re likely familiar with the feeling of rushing to unbutton your pants after a big dinner or at the end of a long day of period puffiness. Bloating—a pretty universal conundrum, let’s be real—is why anti-bloat supplements from brands like HUM, Arrae, and The NueCo. entered the wellness ring. While the ingredients vary from productto product,these oral supps are generally packed with a blend of digestive enzymes and herbal ingredients (dandelion root, ginger,to name a couple)that are said to aid digestion and promote a healthy gut and, in turn, reduce the swell. Sounds attractive, but can they really deliver on the promises? What experts say aboutthese offerings...

They can nix painful gas and bloating.

TRUE!

Your gut is like a long hose lined with smooth muscle, which becomes stretched when your intestines expand from excess gas, says NYC gastroenterologist and WH advisor Samantha Nazareth, MD.Some ingredients, such as fennel and peppermint, can relax muscles and aid in moving food and air along, easing discomfort. So they may help after a meal or a night out, for example, and are generally safe if used as directed. These remedies aren’t must-haves, though—sometimes a lifestyle tweak (like slowing down when you eat) does the trick.

They help calm heartburn

POSSIBLE.

Ananti-bloat supp might work if the burn is a result of food not being digested properly, says Dr. Nazareth. If you ate a lot and the foodis taking a long time to break down, that can prevent the valve connecting the esophagus and the stomach from closing properly—allowing acid and contents to flow back. In these cases, digestive enzymes and herbs can help the issue. But there are other possible causes of heartburn unrelated to digestion, such as a hiatal hernia and pregnancy.Consu your MD first to rule out other reasons.

They give your gut a boost.

FOR SOME, YES.

These supplements cankeepyour system running smoothly if you tend tohave trouble digesting certain eats.Choose a tablet with enzymes that specifically target the culprit. For example, if fats are the source of your woes, you’ll want one with lipase. One note: It’s hard to tell if you’re getting the therapeutic dose because de-bloat supps (or any) are not FDA regulated. “I encourage people to do their own research into a company,” says Marvin Singh, MD, a California-based integrative gastroenterologist. Look at their track record online and research the manufacturer, product, and ingredients.

FYI: If you have a blood disorder, you’ll want to avoid a formula that includes bromelain. It works on proteins but can also interfere with platelets and clotting. Ultimately,for awell-functioning gut, go back to basics: eating a well-balanced diet, managing stress, and prioritizing sleep. “Those are fundamentals for everybody, ”Dr. Nazareth says .Good reminder!

Don’t turn your back on pasta, potatoes, or peas just yet—new research shows they may actually be the key to improving your health while shedding fat. 

Feeling pretty good about cutting out pasta, potatoes, and other starchy fare from your diet? Not so fast: Research shows you may actually be missing out on a slow of health benefits including a sleeker physique. 

That’s because all high-carb foods are not created equal. Some are rich in resistant starch, which actually promotes weight loss, plus a whole lot more.

Resistant starch is a type of fiber found in certain plant foods, including beans, corn, and bread. As the name implies, this starch “resists” digestion in the small intestine, which prevents your body from absorbing the calories it contains. By the time resistant starch makes its way to the colon, specific types of good bacteria feed on it to produce short-chain fatty acids, including butyrate (more on that below).

IT TORCHES FAT: Studies done with both humans and animals show that a diet rich in resistant starch decreases body fat. Here’s how: While most of the butyrate produced from resistant starch remains in the colon to support gut health, some of the short-chain fatty acids also travel to the liver, where they prevent the organ from releasing stored carbohydrates into the bloodstream, prompting the body to burn body fat for energy instead.

IT STEADIES ENERGY LEVELS: Foods with resistant starch help slow the rise of blood glucose levels after eating, providing long-lasting energy. Other carb-rich foods like crackers, chips, and cookies are quickly digested, resulting in sharp spikes in blood glucose that must be reduced with insulin. Keeping blood glucose within normal limits is important in the long run because it reduces wear and tear on your body. The more often the pancreas is called upon to produce insulin, the greater the risk of type-2 diabetes over time.

IT’S HEART-HEALTHY: Reduced blood glucose levels also contribute to stronger arteries that allow greater blood flow to the heart and the extremities.

Resistant starch helps lower levels of artery-clogging cholesterol and triglyceride (fat) levels in the blood, which maximises the flow of blood and nutrients to your heart, brain, and working muscles.

IT TAMES HUNGER: Animal studies suggest that resistant starch prompts  the production of certain hormones that shut off hunger, so you feel satisfied while eating less. In addition, resistant starch takes longer to digest than other types of carbohydrates, and it promotes feelings of fullness for hours after eating. Just make sure to keep your meals balanced: One study in particular found that women  who combined protein with resistant starch at the same meal felt fuller, had greater eating satisfaction, and burned more body fat than women who ate either protein or  resistant starch.

IT’S GOOD FOR YOUR GUT: Butyrate produced from resistant starch provides energy for the cells in the colon that keep the lining of the gut in shape and help the body to dodge ailments like colon cancer and irritable bowel disease (also known as IBD). But yrate is also a food source for the trillions of healthy bacteria that live in your gut. Higher levels of good gut bacteria are linked to a stronger immune system, reducing risk for infection.

EAT THIS: Legumes (black beans, garbanzo beans, pinto beans), white and sweet potatoes, underripe bananas, pasta, and all kinds of rice are among the top whole-food sources of resistant starch. Some packaged foods contain Hi-maize, a commercial, corn-based resistant starch powder. Check the ingredient list for foods with constarch, resistant cornstarch, or Hi-maize, which is also packaged as a flour replacer. The starch is useful when making baked goods; you can swap as much as one-third of the flour in recipes for the brand.

Be aware: Too much suplemental resistant starch may interfere with the absorption of other nutrients, and it could make you gassy, which is almost never a good thing. Instead, focus on whole foods, which also include plenty of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.

PREP NOTES: How you prepare these foods can also have an effect on how much of the starch you’re consuming. Cooked and cooled versions of grains, as well as vegetables like legumes and potatoes, provide significantly more resistant starch than when these foods are cooked and still warm. That's because cooling will transform digestible starch to resistance starch—a process called retrogradation. Your body is unable to fully digest the resistant starch or use it for energy, so the calorie count naturally decreases, which is a similar principle to net carbs. When researchers from the College of Chemical Sciences in Sri Lanka cooked white rice with a hit of coconut oil and chilled it for 12 hours, it increased the amount of resistant starch tenfold while cutting calories by about half. But there’s no need to eat your dinner cold: Reheating rice doesn’t change the resistant starch concentrations.

Do you know how important nutrition is to a long life? Read the following article to learn some of the keys to nutrition that you might not be aware of yet.

Consume non-meat sources of protein as well as meats. There are a great number of options available for you to choose from. You can find plenty of protein in fish, as well as vegetarian foods like tofu, beans, and nuts. A lot of these can be added to your favorite recipes or be made into stand-alone dishes. Include many different kinds of protein in your diet to prevent you from being bored with the same kinds of foods.

Moderation is key to looking and feeling your best. When you consume too much fat or calories, it does cumulative damage to your overall health. This can be detrimental to your health as well as reducing your body’s ability to process nutrients.

Whenever your cooking options are between numerous types of nuts, select almonds. Almonds offer many nutritional benefits. They are rich in protein, help to reduce cholesterol and also encourage the production of blood cells. Also, they tend to be lower in price than most of the other nuts.

It is essential to use your daily caloric allotment to feed your body wholesome fuel. An 1800-calorie diet that is packed with nutritious foods will serve you much better than consuming an 1800-calorie cake and calling it a day. The amount of food you eat is important, but so is the kind of food you eat.


TIP! A simple rule of thumb for choosing nutritious foods is to focus on those that are eaten with only slight changes from their original form. Fresh foods that have not been processed offer the best nutritional content and contain fewer chemicals and fats.


Drink plenty of water during the course of your day and make sure your family does the same. Aim to make milk or juice a treat with just a meal or two, and focus more on drinking water the rest of the day. Constant consumption of milk or juice all day long will spoil their appetite.

When you make food, the best cooking methods are grilling, roasting, baking, and broiling. Also, you should use a cooking spray, rather than butter, for food preparation. When browning beef, always remember to strain the beef and rinse it with hot water. This removes excess fat.

Calcium is very important during pregnancy. If you don’t take in enough calcium, you’ll wind up with a calcium deficiency.


TIP! Nutrition information labels on prepared food packages should be read carefully. Even when something is labeled “reduced-fat”, it might be high in sugar, salt, or other unhealthy ingredients.


Keep your freezer well-stocked with a wide variety of frozen vegetables. These vegetables make for easy preparation and then they’re ready to eat. Freezing them keeps them from spoiling before you get to use them.

It is important to get enough cobalt in your diet because it is required for metabolism of the B vitamins, in particular, B12 (also known as cobalamin). The best place to get this naturally is in green vegetables such as kale or spinach. The best foods for this are organ meats like hearts, kidneys, and livers.


TIP! Foods with trans fat in them should be avoided. Foods that are high in trans fats have been linked to heart disease and should only be consumed in moderation.


Don’t salt your pot of water. Adding salt adds extra sodium to what you’re cooking, and that’s not good. You do not need the salt, so just leave it out of the pot.

While canned beets aren’t the healthiest of foods, fresh beats are very good for you. Fresh beets are high in fiber and minerals, but the canned variety is often loaded with salt. You can steam fresh beet greens and add them to salads.


TIP! When eating a restaurant, share your meal with your partner. Entree portions are usually more than sufficient for two and eating this way will cut down on calories.


Raw Vegetables

Don’t forget to eat plenty of fresh, raw vegetables. Eat them as a snack. These help to curtail your hunger while providing you with great nutrients. They are as easy to prepare as buying junk food. This does not even have to be as messy as convenience foods. Raw vegetables can serve as an important link for a healthier diet.

Be sure that you are eating enough meat. Your muscles need protein for optimal growth. Whether you choose beef, pork or chicken is up to you; it is just important to get the nutrients that are needed by your muscles. It is recommended to eat about 10 ounces of meat a day.

Natural foods are your best bet when starting a diet. Processed foods will add to the fat content in your body. You need to have some focus on eating just lean meats and fresh produce. If you have a problem with buying processed foods, stay away from those aisles in the store.


TIP! Regardless of whether you eat meat or not, try to go vegetarian at least a couple of times each week. It will cut down on your fat consumption and may cost less than a meal involving meat products.


Nutrition Involves

As you have read, getting proper nutrition involves more than old wive’s tales. The right kind of nutrition involves a lot of information. You will have to earn it. Use what you’ve just read to form a great diet, and stay in good health from here on out.


TIP! A general belief, advocated by certified nutritionists, says beef, pork and chicken should be replaced with fish. Omega 3 fatty acids are present in fish in high levels.

Reach for one of these hunger-busting picks, and you won’t find yourself reaching for a cookie an hour later

1. ARTIHOKES

Artichokes are super filling—in fact, they are one of the highest-fiber vegetables. A single boiled artichoke has 10.3 grams of fiber—almost half the recommended daily amount for women.

2. DARK CHOCOLATE

Dark chocolate contains monounsaturated fatty acids that could help speed up your metabolism, says Cynthia Sass, RD. “I love to chop dark chocolate into squares and add them into a smoothie.”

3. AVOCADOS

This heart-smart superfood is oh so satisfying: One study found that women who eat half an avocado at lunch might experience reduced food cravings later in the day. Sass recommends whipping avocado into a smoothie or mixing it with citrus to make a creamy salad dressing

4. BROCCOLI

A mighty source of calcium and important cancerfighting compounds, broccoli also has loads of filling fiber and has only 30 calories per serving. If this cruciferous veggie makes you bloat, steam it first to make it easier to digest.

5. EGGS

You might not think of them as a weight-loss food, but eggs are packed with protein, which helps curb your appetite. One study found that overweight women who ate eggs for breakfast lost twice as much weight as women who started their days with bagels.

6. QUINOA

Quinoa contains hearty doses of iron and magnesium, which help give your body energy. And a one-cup serving of quinoa boasts 8 grams of filling protein and 5 grams of fiber. Want more ways to use this grain? It’s delicious in a salad, in burger patties or pancakes, or baked into muffins.

7. ALMONDS

In one study, people who added a daily serving of them to a low-cal diet lost more weight than those who ate a carb-rich snack such as crackers.

8. GREEK YOGURT

Greek yogurt is an extremely satiating snack, with 17 grams of protein. Per a study in Appetite , people who ate a high-protein yogurt snack three hours after lunch felt fuller and ate dinner later than the other participants.

9. LENTILS

There’s a reason lentils are considered one of the world’s healthiest foods. With 13 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber per serving, this legume will keep you feeling full for hours in between meals. They’re a great source of fat-burning resistant starch, too, with 3.4 grams in a half-cup serving. Lentils also boast twice as much iron as other legumes and are especially good sources of vitamin B and folate. 

10. POPCORN

Skip the buttery toppings, and popcorn is a healthy, filling snack. "In addition to all of the benefits of being a member of the whole-grain family, popcorn is light and airy, so you can eat a large portion0" says Sass

11. BANANAS

Bananas are a top source of resistant starch, which the body digests slowly. This helps you feel full, while encouraging the liver to switch to fat-burning mode.

12. CHIA SEEDS

Small-but-mighty chia seeds pack a serious fiber punch—4 grams per tablespoon—so when you add them to your favorite healthy foods, they’ll help ward off hunger

13. APPLES

Apples have pectin, which slows digestion and makes you feel full. Research shows eating a whole apple with your meal (versus drinking apple juice) is a naturally satiating choice.

14. OATMEAL

Oats are another great source of resistant starch. In one study, people who ate hot oatmeal for breakfast felt less hunger later in the day than those who ate more processed cold oat cereal.