October 23, 2010 in Blog by Dr.Ola

Keep Your Refrigerator Stocked!

Hopefully you are on the 40 day challenge program or about to start! Either way, I would like to offer some tips to prepare you and support you during the next few weeks – and beyond.  These recommendations are part of creating new habits and supporting a healthy lifestyle.

You may find the title of this post odd. “Keeping Your Refrigerator Stocked”.  You may be thinking that being on a healthy lifestyle program means deprivation and an empty refrigerator! Absolutely not!  The question you should be asking is, “stocked with what?”  If your refrigerator is stocked with the right food, you will be less likely to grab junk or deviate from the program.

1. Keep a pitcher full of ice water – add lemons or cucumbers.  This taste better than tap water and is better for you than bottled.
2. Keep apples, pear, oranges and berries washed and ready to grab.  As you run out the door, you can simple snag a piece of fruit, a napkin (and I always take a plastic bag that I used when I purchased my fruit to store the core or peel after I am done).  I know, I am a little anal, you can blame my aunt!
3. Stock your freezer with organic free range chicken breasts. If you have access to a Costco, they sell them in bulk packages and a reasonable price.
4. Cook a couple of chicken breasts at a time (more than what you will eat for that meal).  Store the leftovers in the refrigerator to dice for salads or warm up for a quick lunch served with a veggie and brown rice.
5. Stock your freezer with wild caught fish, like salmon.  Again, Costco sells a package of frozen wild caught fish, but each fillet is individually sealed for freshness and ease to defrost only what you need.  Pull out a  couple of pieces the night before and thaw in your refrigerator to ensure freshness.
6. Buy fresh and/or frozen vegetables (without any sauce!!!) in small amounts.  Fresh must be eaten within a couple of days.  Again, go ahead and cook an entire head of broccoli, for example, and store the leftovers in a sealed container (I prefer glass) in the refrigerator .  The next day, chop it up and add it to your egg whites for a quick and healthy meal.
7. Cook brown rice in a larger amount than you need for a meal and store the extras for another day.  Or, if you have a Trader Joe’s you can stock up on their pre-cooked frozen brown rice and simply heat it through – ready in 3 minutes!  Either way, it will make eating the brown rice more convenient since it usually takes longer to cook than regular white.

Look for more healthy eating tips and cooking ideas from The Wheatgrass Gal! If you haven’t yet signed up for the 40 day challenge, be sure to do so.  You will then also receive the monthly newsletter with great tasting recipes that are simple and easy to prepare and support Dr. Ola’s program!

Andrea Olguin AKA The Wheatgrass Gal is a guest author at Ola’s Challenge.  She is a cookbook author and wheatgrass lover.  She completed Ola’s Challenge in the summer of 2010. If a gourmet food lover can complete this challenge, so can you!