What your pantry should look like

Is your pantry stocked to keep your fitness journey on track, or will whatever is lurking behind the rice jar derail you? Whether you're aiming to lose weight, get fit and toned or build muscle, you need to get your kitchen in shape first.

Centr is packed with delicious recipes that encourage a balanced diet full of whole foods and natural ingredients. To make the most of your meal plan and make cooking enjoyable while you power toward your goals, take stock with these pantry essentials.

Things to avoid:

• Sugar (brown, white, caster)
• Candy or lollies
• Cookies
• Crackers
• Chips or crisps
• Processed sauces
• White bread
• Flavored yogurt
• Bleached, plain & white flour
• Margarine
• Soft drinks & juice
• Artificial sweeteners

Many of our recipes use the ingredients listed below, so make sure your pantry and fridge are stocked with these items so you’re ready to roll. Your initial shopping trip to get these essentials may be a little more costly than usual but trust us – it’s a great investment for your future. In time, you will be spending less by buying whole foods than you were buying processed foods.

You’ll find things on the list like natural sweeteners, good oils for cooking, tinned salmon and legumes (great sources of protein to have on hand) and other whole foods and superfoods like Greek yogurt and oats, which should become pantry staples for life.

Pantry essentials:

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Vinegars like apple cider or balsamic
• Brown rice syrup or rice malt syrup
• Honey or maple syrup
• Quinoa
• Brown rice
• Nuts & seeds
• Honey
• Raw cacao
• Tinned tuna/salmon
• Tinned beans like cannellini, kidney, black, chickpeas, lentils
• Greek or natural yogurt
• Eggs
• Oats
• Chia seeds
• Raw & unsalted nuts (cashews or almonds)
• Whole grain or gluten-free bread & wraps
• Nut butters like peanut or almond (raw or sugar-free)
• Wholemeal or gluten-free pasta
• Natural protein powder (either whey-based or vegan)
• Kitchen scales

Now that you have some essentials on hand, it’s important to keep your fridge and pantry in check.

Shopping Tips

Instead of going to the supermarket and loading your shopping cart each week with processed foods and snacks, you should be stocking up on just the items for your meal plan (e.g. good sources of protein like lean meat and eggs, fresh fruit, veggies and other whole foods). Use the Centr automated shopping list in advance and stick to it. It’s also advisable not to hit the shops when you’re hungry, as you’re more likely to give into temptation.

A structured meal plan like this is not only good for your health, it’s also good for the environment, as it minimizes food waste from your kitchen.

Bonus tip: Make sure the healthy snacks from your meal plan are prepped and ready to go in your fridge or pantry. That way if you’re heading out for the day they are ready to be thrown in your bag, and you won’t be tempted to buy an unhealthy snack when you’re on the go.