11 HEALTHY FOODS YOU MUST HAVE IN YOUR REFRIGERATOR

Whenever we feel hungry, we intend to opt for quick solutions like biscuits, cookies, ice-creams, chocolates, pizzas and burgers! Instant noodles like Maggi also seems to be a quick option to satisfy our hunger. But these foods lack nutritive value and can only add to your calorie intake! You can afford to make healthy food choices provided you take care to stock plenty of healthy food items in your refrigerator.

When you keep healthy food items stocked in your refrigerator, there are more chances that you would actually bother to give a second thought before ordering food from outside or before munching on cookies, biscuits or chocolates. Your key to good health depends on what's there in store inside the refrigerator.

Here is a list of some healthy food items which you should always have in your refrigerator:


1.Milk: Skimmed milk or skimmed milk powder is always a better choice than regular milk if you consider the fat content. Milk can be used for making shakes, tea, coffee and smoothies. Drinking a glass of plain milk is also a good idea. You can also add it to your cereals or oats. Milk, low in calorie and high in protein content, is a healthy food choice.

2.Eggs: This protein-packed food is a "must-have" in the refrigerator. You can make several tasty breakfast items like omelette, poached eggs and scrambled eggs. You can also have this nutrient-rich food in the boiled form.
3.Yogurt: Yogurt, a probiotic food, is high in nutrient content. It contains protein, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, vitamin B12, zinc, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, iodine and molybdenum. It is a food item meant for every member of a family.

4.Lemon: Full of vitamin C, lemon helps in de-stressing and rejuvenation. It boosts the immune system, and is a must for good hair and skin. It has multiple uses. It can be used as a salad dressing or in various other preparations. It is required for better absorption of nutrients (like iron) in the gut. Lemon, squeezed in ice water with a dash of salt, can be an instant refreshment.


5.Green Leafy Vegetables: These vegetables provide plentiful amounts of fiber, iron, calcium and several other minerals. Green leafy vegetables are a must for everyone in the family - children require them for better development, and women need it for their iron and calcium requirement.


6.Peanut Butter: This is a better choice when compared with plain butter. It does not contain only fat like the regular butter, but it also has protein and dietary fiber. It can be applied on brown breads or even rotis to make a mid-time snack.


7.Tomatoes: Full of lycopene, tomato has ample antioxidants to flush out the free radicals from the body. Apart from being used for gravy in various vegetable preparations, it can be used for making juices, salads, and pasta and pizza sauces. Tomatoes form a perfect combination of taste and health.

8.Fresh Fruits/Juices: You must give due importance to the intake of fresh fruits and juices if your priority is health. Keeping fruit juices and fruits handy is the best way to prevent unhealthy binging on chips, namkeen and other fried items. Fruits like blackberries, kiwi, apple, oranges, pineapple, grapes and papaya have multiple health benefits. These fruits not only contain fiber but are also rich in antioxidants.

9.Cabbage and Carrots: Both these vegetables have high fiber content, and they are rich in vitamins as well. You can either eat them raw or use them in preparing various dishes as per Chinese and Indian cuisines.

10.Nuts: Storing nuts in a refrigerator is a very good idea. Refrigerating nuts helps in preventing the oxidation of its oils. Nuts are rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and thus play a significant role in preventing various heart problems.


11.Lean Meats and Fish: Both are excellent sources of protein. Refrigerating these items for a few hours followed by cleaning and removing the top layer helps in the removal of a fair amount of saturated fat from these items. Thus, meat becomes lean for consumption.

It is a good idea to cover these food items or store them in a separate refrigerator pouch in order to preserve the nutrients. This also helps to preserve the flavor of the foods. Maintaining a fresh stock of foods in your refrigerator would not only allow you to satisfy your hunger quickly with healthy foods, but would also control your cravings for unhealthy jun