It's Here! Pantry Staples for Runners and Recipe Idea #2

Prior to launching my private practice, one of my jobs was with a local grocery store. Here I am sharing some better for you tips on how to select a good cereal.

Alright here it is! My pantry list for runners! These are things we have all the time in our pantry. They make meal prep, batch cooking and recipe making that much easier. Some of the items have specific benefits for runners which I’ve tried to include, whereas other items are just good old-fashioned staple foods to always make sure you have in stock in the event of something like the current state of affairs happens. I’ve also tried to include specific brands that I enjoy. None of these companies have reached out to me – these are just foods I enjoy and that I think are great and worth sharing with you!

See something I missed? Let me know!

I’ve also included a yummy snack recipe that utilizes many of the items on this list. The only fresh ingredient you need are carrots. In my next post, I’ll focus on how to make the most of your refrigerated/fresh foods and what you shouldn’t miss in the freezer section.

Grains/Carbohydrates:

• A variety of whole grains including (but not limited to):

  • Farro (recipe idea here)

  • Bulgur

  • Barley

  • Brown Rice

  • Quinoa (recipe idea here)

  • Oats — whether quick cooking, steel cut, old-fashioned, nutritionally they are all pretty similar and all types are good sources of quality carbohydrates. Get the one that appeals to you most and that you’ll actually eat. I prefer quick cooking for when I need an easy hot breakfast and old-fashioned for when I make overnight oats and/or have more time.

• Pasta – including whole wheat and regular white pasta

  • Yes, I’m a dietitian. And yes, I eat white pasta from time to time. I actually think it’s a great #runnerfuel as it’s easy on the stomach – especially the night before a long run. That doesn’t mean I solely eat white pasta. I like both and, on a weeknight, I’ll make the whole wheat variety for the additional fiber, protein and B-vitamins it provides.

• Quick cooking polenta (usually found in the Italian foods section of the store)

  • Such an easy side dish! Just follow cooking instructions on the package – but use stock or broth in place of water for cooking and stir in a generous portion of parmesan cheese once it is just about finished cooking. On nights where we want something on the table fast to tame the hangry monster, I’ll make this and top with some store-bought tomato sauce as well as heat up some chicken sausages in the oven and roast up a quick vegetable to serve along with it.

• *Lentils and Beans (canned or dried; if canned, rinse before use to remove most of the added sodium)

• Sweet and white potatoes

• Whole Grain Pancake/waffle mix – I love Kodiak Cakes

• Pretzels (easy energy source if you’re hungry but need to workout in <60 min)

• Triscuits (or other whole grain crackers)

• Popcorn kernels: when I crave popcorn, I make it myself. From scratch. A lot easier than you might think and it’s a great whole grain snack that’s affordable and easy to store in the pantry. How do I make it? Heat a couple tsp of canola oil in a large sauce pan with a tight fitting lid. Add a couple kernels of popcorn, cover and shake pan back and forth over the heat until the kernels pop. Add the rest of the kernels (I usually make 3 Tbsp to ¼ cup depending on how hungry I am or if I’m sharing 😊), put the lid back on, and shake vigorously until there’s a noticeable slow down of popping occurring. Turn the heat off and let the pan rest until there is no more popping at all. Remove the lid and season with salt and pepper. Or if you are feeling fancy, you can add Parmesan cheese and/or whatever other seasonings sound good to you. Much healthier (and cheaper) than the microwave kind and it’s a whole grain!

• A box (or two) of cookies (because let’s face it, we all could use a sweet treat right now)

• A couple different whole grain cereal or granola options

  • Cereal tips: Boxed cereal is great and a wonderful snack or breakfast. Just watch out for a lot of added sugar. I try to keep it at 10 grams or less added sugar. Why? Then you can still enjoy the cereal you want without having to take the plain variety home and cover it in sugar to make it edible. Better yet – you can mix cereal varieties together to create your own favorite. I like taking a less sweet cereal and mixing it with my favorite granola or sweetened cereal. The result: a more satisfying bowl with the flavors I want.

  • I also recommend looking for whole grain whenever possible and watching your potion size. See yesterday’s blog post about why a whole grain is better for you than a refined or processed one.

  • Also remember, a portion of cereal is not half the box. Read the label and understand what you are buying.

  • Some of my favorites include: Bear Naked Fit Granola and the Kashi Go line of cereals.

• A couple different protein or granola bars: stick to the same rule of thumb for added sugar in bars as you would cereal. I look at a bar as a snack and a snack as a mini meal. So make sure it combines all the same components: a quality carbohydrate, at least 10 grams of protein, same fat for satiety and some fiber (aka a fruit or veggie).

  • Favorites: RxBars, Kind Bars, Luna Bars, and Larabars

*these items also provide a good amount of protein/serving

Proteins:

• Canned tuna, chicken or salmon

• Protein powder

  • Unflavored whey is my preference

  • If you are plant based, look for an option that has a variety of plant based protein sources instead of just one source to ensure you get a variety of essential amino acids)

  • Add to smoothies, oatmeal or baked goods like my pumpkin protein cookies

• A variety of nuts (walnuts, almonds, pistachios, etc.)

• Seeds (chia, hemp, pumpkin – store in the fridge once opened to prevent them from going rancid)

• Nut or seed-butters

  • Make sure the only ingredient are the nuts/seeds and salt and avoid ones with added sugar, hydrogenated or palm oils

  • Favorites: Costco sells a mixed nut and seed butter that I can not get enough of; I also like good old Smucker’s Natural (crunchy – always crunchy!)

Fats:

• Olive oil

• Canola oil

• Avocado oil

• Tahini (sesame seed paste - great for making homemade hummus or adding creaminess to salad dressings)

• Jarred pesto

Seasonings/Flavor Enhancers:

• Stock/broth – chicken, beef or vegetable

  • If you don’t have space to store cans of stock, you can purchase bouillon or the powder stock that you just have to reconstitute with water when you are ready to cook

  • We use stock/broth to season almost everything that requires cooking in water. We cook all our grains (with the exception of maybe pasta) in stock to add flavor.

• A variety of herbs and spices – we can not live without onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric and oregano

  • DYK: dried herbs/spices have a shelf life. If you’ve had that cinnamon for over a year, it’s time to throw it out! You aren’t getting as high a quality flavor from that herb/spice if it’s past it’s sell by date.

• Real deal maple syrup – no imposters!

• Honey

• All the vinegars (a great way to add flavor without adding extra salt and for making your own vinaigrettes) including: apple cider, balsamic, red, white wine and distilled white (helps with cleaning too!)

• Your favorite hot sauce (we always have Cholula and Frank’s)

• Soy sauce

Beverages:

• LOTS of coffee (my husband is a little bit obsessed and you don’t really want to be around me until I’ve had at least 1 cup)

• A variety of herbal teas

• Sparkling water

• Plenty of Nuun tablets (because electrolytes!)

Vegetables:

• A variety of canned vegetables, low sodium or no salt added when possible. We can’t live without:

  • Canned tomatoes (diced, chopped, whole and especially like the San Marzano canned tomatoes – a bit pricier but super flavorful in Italian dishes)

  • A variety of beans (e.g., black beans, garbanzo beans/chickpeas, cannellini beans, etc.)

  • Canned pumpkin

• Your favorite tomato and/or pizza sauce

• Tomato paste

• Jarred salsa

Fruits:

• A variety of dried fruit to add to oatmeal, overnight oats, baked goods, snack or trail mixes. I especially like:

  • Tart cherries

  • Raisins

  • Dates

  • Apricots

• Unsweetened applesauce

• Other canned fruits as desired – just stick with those packed in their own juice/water and avoid the heavy syrups

Baking Supplies (for When you Run out of Cookies :-)):

• A variety of different flours like whole wheat, almond, and/or AP flour

• Granulated, Brown and Powdered Sugar

• Salt (kosher and plain old iodized)

• Vanilla extract

• Mini chocolate chips

• Baking soda/powder

• Unsweetened cocoa powder

Pantry Recipe Inspiration: Carrot Pecan Energy Bites

Makes about 12 bites

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cups oats

• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped

• 1/2 Tbsp ground flax seed

• 1/3 cup almond butter

• 1 1/2 Tbsp honey or maple syrup

• 1/8 tsp cinnamon

• 1/3 cup grated carrot

• 1/3 cup dried tart cherries

• 1/4 cup ground pecans

Directions:

1. Blend together in a food processor: oats, pecans, cherries, grated carrots, and flax seed.

2. Pulse in the almond butter, agave or honey, and cinnamon until combined

3. Spray hands with cooking spray and roll mixture into balls – about 1 Tbsp/bite.

4. Role bites in ground pecans then place in air tight container. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Bites keep in the refrigerator for about 1 week. Makes about 20-30 bites.

Nutrition Info per Bite: 110 calories, 7 g total fat, 11 g carbohydrate, 3 g protein