Healthy Meals With What You Have On Hand

Cooking tasty healthy meals doesn’t require a trip to the store. With a few kitchen staples and a little creativity, you can whip up some nourishing dishes.

Are you ready to go digging into the dark recesses of your pantry and dust off long-forgotten canned goods? Now is the time to use the non-perishables in your pantry.

Here are two simple recipes that will fill you up with what you have on hand:

Tuna Pasta Marinara

This delicious dish features tuna fish, a protein powerhouse. Low in calories and fat, tuna is nearly a pure-protein food. It makes a great nutritional base for this easy-to-follow recipe.

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Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 can of tuna
• 8 oz. of whole-grain pasta (regular pasta works too)
• 15 oz. of crushed or diced tomatoes
• Salt and pepper
• Marinara sauce
• 2 TB of olive oil

Optional ingredients:

• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 TB of Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
• ¼ medium onion, chopped

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta according to instructions on the package—typically boil for about 15 minutes. 
2. Over medium heat, cook the olive oil, garlic, and onion for 1 minute. 
3. Add in the tuna. Break the tuna up and stir as the mixture cooks for 2 minutes. 
4. Add your olives and tomatoes and continue cooking for 2-3 more minutes.
5. Season with salt and pepper. 
6. Mix your marinara sauce with your pasta. 

And voila! You have a wholesome meal for four that only took 30 minutes to make.

Lemon Quinoa with Peas 

Here’s an even simpler healthy recipe.

The star of this recipe is nutrient-rich quinoa. The seed, classified as a whole grain, has become increasingly popular over the past ten years. One cup of cooked quinoa yields 6 g. of protein, 4 g. of fiber, and a host of vitamins and minerals. These days, you’ll find quinoa in many American pantries. 

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 2 c. of quinoa
• 2 c. of any stock (chicken, beef, vegetables)
• 1 c. of water
• 2 c. frozen or canned peas

Optional ingredients:

• 1 c. pine nuts
• 1 c. of lemon juice

Directions:

1. Put the quinoa in a small saucepan. 
2. Add the stock, lemon juice, and water to the pan. 
3. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn the heat to low and place a lid on the pan. 
4. Allow the quinoa to simmer for 15 minutes.
5. While the quinoa simmers, toast the pine nuts. Toasted almonds or walnuts work well as substitutes.
6. Once the quinoa is done, remove from the heat, add your frozen peas, and wait 2 minutes for the peas to defrost. If you’re using canned peas, there’s no need to wait. 
7. Top your finished dish with your toasted nuts and you’ve got a delightful, healthy meal to serve your quarantined crew.

The addition of green peas and toasted pine nuts to this recipe adds even more protein and fiber, plus heart-protecting monounsaturated fats—you can also adapt the recipe for oats, brown rice, and nutritious pinto or black beans to make sure the dish packs a nutritious punch. You’ll be ready to serve this pantry-practical dish for four in just 20 minutes.

With limited ingredient options, it’s tempting to resign to eating PB&J sandwiches and canned soup. But you can still make great meals! Using only what you have on hand, you can bring nutritious, flavorful dishes to the tabl