11 Foods That Should ALWAYS Be In Your Fridge

Keep a few extra ingredients alongside your cupboard staples and you'll be able to whip up a healthy meal in no time

When you’re tired, hungry and have to knock up a meal in less than 20 minutes it can be easy to reach for easy options, like frozen pizzas or ready meals.

But if you make sure your fridge is always stocked with these foods, alongside your staples – like pasta, eggs and milk – you should be able to create fantastically delicious and nutritious meals in no time. 

Tomato paste

Health benefits: When you need to make a meal quickly, a smoky tomato paste can be a cooking-saviour. It adds a lot of flavour to your meals, but is low in fat and calories. It ‘s also relatively cheap and could help to protect your skin against harmful UV damage.

How? Tomato paste contains lycopene, which is an antioxidant that can help defend against the sun’s UV rays. The BBC Science and Nature team conducted a study and found that when women ate tomato paste every day for 12 weeks they had a 30 per cent increase in skin protection.

Serving suggestion: To make sure your tomato paste is healthy try to make your own. Then add it to pizzas, chicken, pasta, meatballs or ratatouille.

Shiitake mushrooms

Health benefits: In Asia shiitake mushrooms are a symbol of longevity and it’s easy to see why. Not only are shiitake mushrooms a great source of iron they are also packed with antioxidants and contain vitamin B2, B6 and B3.

Plus, studies have found that shiitake mushrooms can lower cholesterol, enhance our immune system and, according to WH Foods, shiitake mushrooms could also have anti-cancer benefits.

Serving suggestion: Shiitake mushrooms are delicious when added to miso soup. Or you could sauté your mushrooms with garlic, adding this combo to noodle or pasta dishes.   

Yogurt

Health benefits: If you’ve had a stressful day and are feeling worried, then have some yogurt for dessert. A study conducted by researchers at Toronto University found that a probiotic bacteria found in some yogurts could help decrease anxiety.

Serving suggestion: Add honey, chopped apples and cinnamon to yogurt. To help reduce your anxiety even further, add a handful of chopped walnuts to your dessert. Walnuts contain tryptophan, which can also help calm your mind.

Watermelon

Health benefits: Watermelon contains vitamin C, vitamin A, iron and zinc. If you exercise regularly and are fed up of getting aching muscles you’ll also be pleased to hear that a study published in theJournal of Agricultural Food and Chemistry found that watermelon juice could help ease muscle soreness.

Serving suggestion: Why not make a watermelon smoothie for breakfast? Or you could always create a light lunch or healthy starter by serving your watermelon with crumbled feta, black olives, mint, olive oil and onions.Immune-boosting foods: Ginger [Rex]

Ginger

Health benefits: There are a ton of health benefits associated with ginger, which is why it’s such a great food to have in your fridge. Ginger can help ease bloating, reduce gas and it can also help boost your immune system.

Serving suggestion: Ginger is a hugely versatile ingredient and you can use it to flavour curries, salads or you could simply add some grated ginger to hot water for a stomach-soothing tea. Popping in a little honey and lemon juice can help sweeten the tea if you find the ginger too overpowering.

Prune puree

Health benefits: When baking, prune puree can be used as a healthy alternative to butter and, because of its high fibre content, prune puree will help you feel fuller for longer.  

Serving suggestion: Add prune puree to certain cake recipes so that you can stick to eating healthily whilst still indulging your sweet tooth. Prune puree works particularly well in a chocolate cake recipe because of its rich taste.

Soy miso paste

Health benefits: Soy miso paste is made from fermented soya beans and when eaten it will boost your levels of protein and fibre. It also contains important antioxidants that we all need, like manganese, copper and zinc.

Serving suggestion: You can create a marinade for your fish dish out of miso paste or add miso paste to soup or stir frys.

Tzatziki

Health benefits: Not only is tzatziki packed with protein, which will help keep you fuller for longer, it’s a great substitute for lots of unhealthy foods too, like sour cream and mayonnaise.

Serving suggestion: Use tzatziki as an accompaniment to chicken, veg or turkey kebabs. Tztatiki also tastes great with white fish, falafel and as a mayo replacement on burgers.

Pineapple

Health benefits: Within just one cup of pineapple you get 78.87mg of vitamin C, which is a huge amount. Especially if you consider the fact that the NHS recommends adults need 40mg of vitamin C per day. 

Vitamin C is great for your immune system, so if you want to ward off colds and bugs, make sure you’ve got pineapple on your shopping list.

Serving suggestion: Chop pineapple and add to prawn kebabs. Pineapple can also be used to make a delicious sweet and sour sauce for a stir fry.

Beetroot

Health benefits: Beetroot juice has been celebrated in recent years as a superfood. Research has also found that drinking the purple stuff can reduce high blood pressure, boost athlete’s stamina and potentially help ward off dementia.

However, when eaten beetroot can also help protect against some types of cancer and can help reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks.

Serving suggestion: Serve beetroot with goat’s cheese or as part of a salad. You could also create beetroot chutney or incorporate beetroot into your baking by adding it to the next batch of brownies you whip up.Bone, heart and brain health: Sardines

Sardines

Health benefits: Sardines promote bone health, heart health and also contain high levels of protein and iodine. Iodine is an especially important nutrient if you are pregnant, as a deficiency of iodine can affect the brain development of unborn babies.

The NHS recommends that pregnant women try to eat two portions of oily fish each week, but no more than two portions.

Serving suggestion: Sardines are a versatile fish that can be added to pasta dishes, pies or served grilled with a simple dressing, such as mustard, olive oil and lemon.   For an extra hit of iodine serve your sardines with kale.

Ref:  https://sg.sports.yahoo.com/news/11-foods-fridge-080017699.html