Health and Wellness Tips for Busy Families with Kids

By Sharon E. Wilkerson-Gilpin 

How can you stock your pantry and fridge full of healthy foods that you and your kids will enjoy  that won’t bust your budget?  By following a few simple steps, you can stock your pantry and fridge with delicious, healthy foods that’ll be budget friendly too.

Eating a heart-healthy diet is important to help manage your blood pressure and to reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke and other health threats, according to the American Heart Association.

Get the Facts:  What is a Heart-Healthy Diet?

A heart-healthy diet is a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, skinless poultry and fish, nuts and beans and non-tropical vegetable oils.  For a heart-healthy diet, limit saturated and trans fats, sodium or salt, fatty and processed meats, alcoholic beverages and items with added sugar like sugar-sweetened beverages, the American Heart Association recommends.  The American Heart Association also recommends:

• Try heart-healthy recipes when cooking at home.  Look for healthy choices when dining out.
• Read food labels before you buy.  Avoid foods high in sodium or salt and saturated fats.
• Look for the Heart Check Mark on foods in the store.  (These foods meet the American Heart Association criteria for a single serving for healthy people over age 2 for quantities of saturated fat, trans fat, sodium or salt and other nutritional requirements.)

Get a Fresh Start

The first step for stocking your pantry and fridge with healthy foods is to clean them out.  Open your pantry and fridge, and toss out the following:

• Processed foods
• Foods with expired dates
• Spoiled foods

After tossing out those items from your pantry and fridge, clean them out. Reorganize any remaining items.  Allow space for new, healthy items you’ll purchase at the grocery store.

Set up Your Food Budget

Look at your budget.  What is your monthly income?  Start with your monthly income.  Prioritize where your money needs to be spent:  rent or mortgage, utilities, food, clothing and gas.  After paying your shelter expenses, designate affordable monthly amounts  you can pay for food, clothing and gas.  Look at the amount in your budget for food, and stay within that amount each month.

Make a List of Healthy Pantry Staples

What are some of the most affordable, healthy pantry staples?  You’ll find many of these healthy choices on the dried goods and canned foods aisles.  Make a list that includes:

• Beans (lima, pinto, navy beans)
• Pasta (spaghetti, macaroni, noodles)
• Pasta Sauce
• Rice (white and brown rice)
• Oatmeal
• Canned tomatoes(diced or stewed)
• Canned fruits and vegetables
• Vegetable stock or broth
• Canned tuna and chicken
• Peanut Butter
• Jelly
• Tea
• Coffee

Add basic herbs and spices including salt, black pepper, garlic powder, oregano, basil, onion salt, chili powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Most main dishes, like spaghetti, can be cooked deliciously with basic herbs and spices.

Add basic baking items including sugar (white and brown), honey, maple syrup, vanilla extract, flour (all-purpose and self -rising), chocolate chips and coconut.  Also, include vegetable oil and vegetable spray.

Finally, add healthy snacks like crackers, fruit and granola bars, popcorn, tortilla chips, dried fruits and nuts.

Make a List of Healthy Foods for Your Fridge

When shopping at the grocery store, stock up on fresh and frozen vegetables and fruits and low-fat dairy products.  Also, add skinless chicken and fish.  

Those healthy choices are a part of the DASH eating plan:  Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.  The DASH plan focuses on healthy food sources and limits red meat, sodium or salt, sweets, added sugars and sugary beverages.  The DASH plan is proven to help lower blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association. The DASH plan was also named the “Best Heart-Healthy Diet” and “Best Diet for High Blood Pressure” by U.S. News & World Report in 2025.

If you set your priorities toward healthy choices and take steps to organize your pantry, fridge and budget, you’ll be on the road for a healthier lifestyle for you and your family!