Healthy Foods for Families: What You Need in Your Pantry and Refrigerator

Everybody knows that eating healthy is important if you want to live a productive, long and happy life. However, eating healthy is particularly important for children who are still growing and developing eating habits that they’ll carry with them throughout their adult lives.

When it comes time to go grocery shopping though it can be a little bit difficult to find new and interesting things when your browse the shelves. Luckily we’ve put together a great list for you. Use it the next time you’re shopping to stock your pantry and refrigerator.

Black Beans

Black beans aren’t exactly a new food on the health scene. You’ve probably been eating them for years, and they’ve been around since ancient times. However, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t still a great source of protein, fiber and all sorts of healthy vitamins and minerals.

The best and simplest way to cook black beans for your family is simply to soak and boil them. You can add sautéed onions and garlic, as well as spice like cumin, oregano and cilantro for a bit of extra flavor without adding fat.

Serve black beans with brown rice and homemade salsa for a healthy meal that’s nutritious and delicious for the whole family.

Tempeh

Tempeh is one of those foods that a lot of people aren’t too familiar with, and some people might even find it to be a little bit strange at first, much like tofu. Unlike tofu though, tempeh is a vegetable-based protein-rich food that’s made from rice, often with ingredients like flax added to the mixture.

Usually sold in block form, tempeh is a wonderful addition to stir-fry dishes, but it can be substituted pretty much anywhere you would use chicken or beef. It needs to be cooked before adding it to dishes, but like tofu it takes on the flavor of whatever you’re cooking.

Salmon

You’ve heard that you should be eating more fish a ton of times by now if you’re like most people. Well, unless you’ve added at least one or two servings of fish to your diet per week, you still need to heed that advice!

When it comes to fish, wild Atlantic salmon is your best bet because it is high in omega-3 fatty acids and rich in protein. It’s also natural and healthy so you can feel good feeding it to your family.