By Leta Shy for POPSUGAR Fitness
When it comes to eating well, you need to set yourself up for success. A kitchen filled with cookies and chips, for example, won't help you learn to snack on fruit instead. Be smart by stocking up on healthy items that keep for a while and enable you to whip up healthy meals–even when you're pressed for time. Read on for 10 of our favorite healthy foods every kitchen should have.
Apple Cider Vinegar
While the merits of drinking apple cider vinegar to lose weight may be debatable, what is true is that the unfiltered vinegar can help relieve digestion or congestion-related woes and is a popular ingredient in energy-boosting detoxes. Keep a bottle in your cupboard to whip up tasty, health-boosting recipes, like this honey apple cider vinegar dressing or this apple cider vinegar and cayenne pepper tea, which is great for stuffy noses.
Baby Spinach
You can toss a handful or two of nutrient-rich leaves into almost any meal, from smoothies to soups to pastas. You won't really notice the taste, but since the leafy green is packed with iron, magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin K, and more, your body will thank you.
MORE: Which Is Healthier: Spinach or Kale?
Chia Seeds
Add a tablespoon of these tiny black seeds to your breakfast smoothie or bowl of oatmeal for an energizing start to your day. When mixed with liquid, the tiny black seeds swell up, which helps you feel fuller longer, as does the fact that chia seeds are an excellent source of fiber and protein.
MORE: Creative Ways to Eat More Chia Seeds
Fruit
Easy-to-eat fruits make for a convenient snack when you're ravenous and ready to reach for anything. Keep fruits like apples, bananas, pears, and oranges stocked in your kitchen so you can reach for a healthy and portable snack whenever hunger strikes.
Greek Yogurt
Whether you're enjoying it with a few fresh toppings or using it as a cooking substitute to cut calories (try it instead of sour cream, butter, mayonnaise, and more), nonfat or low-fat Greek yogurt is a healthy fridge essential (unless, of course, you are vegan or lactose intolerant).
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