Taking charge of your diet is all the rage these days—and one of the first steps that most diets will have you do is ditch the fast-food for healthier options you can make at home. If you’re ready to jump on this food bandwagon, you’ve probably already heard about the benefits of cooking and eating at home, including lower sodium content, fewer hidden sugars, cost savings, and the satisfaction of doing it yourself. But before you start home-cooking, you may need to visit your favorite grocery store in Newton for some ingredients. Are you stocked up on pantry essentials? Check out our list to make sure you have it all!
Spices, seasonings, and oils. Many people complain that their homemade food lacks the flavor they find in a restaurant, or the nostalgic flavor of mom’s cooking. Where are you missing out? Usually, the answer is in the spices, seasonings, and oils that you use to cook! These background ingredients might not be the main component of the dish, but without them, your food will be a little bland. For the everyday cook, good quality vegetable and olive oil, garlic and onion powder, salt, and pepper will get you started, but specialty dishes may have you searching for more.
Baking and cooking ingredients. Some baking basics include baking powder and baking soda, cornstarch, flour, sugar, and oil. These will show up in dessert dishes as well as entrees and are easy to overlook when shopping!
Decorations and condiments. Even if you are a healthy, responsible adult who is eating salads and sushi bowls for dinner, you know the toppings make the meal! Just like you drowned ice cream sundaes with sprinkles as a child, the “extras” you add to your meal can be the difference between “leftovers from the fridge” and “delicious and attractive meal.” If your favorite part of your local steakhouse burger is the caramelized onions, learning how to make these yourself will step up your meal a notch, and “splurging” on toppings can still bring your bottom line down.
Once you’ve purchased the pantry essentials from your favorite grocer in Newton, making a meal is a no-brainer. Just grab a protein, vegetable, and fiber option, adding your core ingredients, and find a great recipe for success today! Need inspiration? Check out our recipes at http://recipes.hayeksmarket.com/.
