Preparation!

Preparation...Sometimes this is my middle name, out with the Marie and in with the preparation! That's right, at this moment I am Saralynn Preparation Downing!

It has taken me about a day and a half to create what I believe to be the healthiest pantry and refrigerator that I have had in a long time, if not ever! I am going to break down the items, by category, that I believe will play an important part in my nutrition, some of which I already had, and those of which I just purchased:

Lean Proteins:
Frozen Chicken Breasts
Lean Ground Turkey
Egg/Egg Whites
Tilapia Fish
Lean Pork Tenderloin

Complex Carbs:
Whole Grains:
Wheat Germ
Whole Grain Bread
Flaxseed
Whole Wheat Flour
Oatmeal
Brown Rice
Whole Wheat Pasta
Rice Pasta
Puffed Red Wheat Cereal (looks bland but with berries, it hopefully will be great.)

Fruits: (Both fresh and frozen, frozen will be great for smoothies!!)
Strawberries
Apples
Blueberries
Oranges
Lemons
Limes

Veggies: (Also, bought some frozen)
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Zucchini
Yellow Squash
Green Beans
Sweet Potatoes
Carrots
Tomatoes ( I know, I know, supposedly a fruit, but I can't bring myself to say it!)
Green Leaf Lettuce

Legumes:
Black Beans (also a protein, BONUS!)
Garlic Hummus (simply ground chick peas with some garlic)

EFA's:
Olive Oil

Misc:
Vanilla
Lots of spices!
Fresh Herbs including basil and parsley
Sea Salt
Vinegars
Low Sodium Chicken Broth

And Almond Milk...I am only putting this here because it has a bit of protein and complex carbs, so it's more of an I Dunno category! Almond Milk doesn't have any sugars, and that is a humongous plus for me!

I consider myself a bit of a picky eater, and if you really know me you will know this is a huge understatement, but nonetheless, how can I be discouraged when I look at this rather large list of foods? Keep in mind, this is what I have on hand now, as time goes by, I will, of course, buy different fruits and veggies.

So now that I feel prepared, I am ready to make my meal plans, only because I know it will help me stay on track. The other advantage to at least having an idea of what my meals for the rest of the week will look like is that I will know what I will need from the store. I will make my meal list out ahead of time and if I don't already have the food I need I will be prepared. (There's that word again, prepared!) Plus, there will not be an excuse as to why I don't have anything to eat! :)