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Staying healthy is all about maintaining a balanced diet. The best way to do this is to start with the basics: load your pantry up with a ton of healthy ingredients that are known to help you stay in shape. Then all you have to do is find the right recipes that call for these nutritious ingredients. If you don’t know where to shop for some healthy pantry staples, start with these five common items:
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar has proven to have a ton of health benefits, ranging from lowering blood sugar levels and boosting weight loss to killing harmful bacteria. This ingredient is even used for a handful of home remedies in skincare and detoxes.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil contains a high amount of helpful fatty acids, and it can help your body to burn fat and curb the appetite. This versatile oil can be used in place of any cooking fat, and has shown to have more health benefits that alternatives like canola oil or butter.
Almonds
Chock-full of important nutrients like protein, fiber, magnesium and vitamin E, almonds are an essential to every pantry. The can make for an excellent snack, plus they work very well in a ton of recipes for salads, breakfasts and desserts. Almonds are an easy way to add nutriitonal value to just about any recipe.
Tomato Paste
You can add a touch of tomato paste to just about any recipe to add a dose of flavor and a ton of health benefits. This ingredient is rich in antioxidants that can improve heart health, as well as iron, potassium and B vitamins. This is because tomato paste is really just a concentrated form of tomatoes, so it carries a lot of the same benefits as fresh tomatoes.
Lentils
Lentils are an excellent source of protein, with high levels of iron and folate. They are easy to cook and can be found in a variety of dinner or lunch recipes, like soups and salads. You can also use lentils in place of higher-carb foods like pasta or rice.
