When thinking about food, a good motto to keep in mind is, "Simple foods, simply prepared." You can't cook healthfully if your kitchen isn't stocked with the basic building blocks of nutritious meals. Here are some suggestions for a well-stocked "fast food" pantry.

• Lots of fresh fruit
• Lots of fresh vegetables (such as carrots, green peppers, cucumbers, onions, celery, lettuce, as well as seasonal vegetables such as winter squash, sweet potatoes, broccoli, asparagus, zucchini, green beans, snow peas and tomatoes)
• Low-fat cheeses
• Yogurt (plain and flavored)
• Canned beans -- stock up on chick peas, black beans, refried beans
• Milk or soymilk
• Tofu, tempeh and frozen edamame
• Eggs (hard-boil some on the weekend to have handy for lunches or breakfast during the week)
• Peanut butter
• Pasta and pasta sauce
• Seasonings like mustard, soy sauce, garlic and herbs
• Whole-grain bread (keeps well in the freezer)
• Tortillas and hummus
• Tuna and salmon (canned)
• A variety of ready-to-eat whole-grain cereals, including oatmeal
• Dried fruit and nuts (cinnamon almonds make a great snack)
• Honey
• Soups (low-fat)
• Granola bars, graham crackers, fig bars, rice cakes
• Frozen vegetables
• 100 percent juices, in bottles or juice packs
• Chicken (buy on sale and freeze)
• Potatoes, white as well as sweet potatoes and yams