Peeking Into a Dietitian’s Pantry

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — After teaching students about human nutrition all day, Marjorie Fitch-Hilgenberg, associate professor of dietetics at the University of Arkansas, goes home at night to put her lessons into practice. To make it easy to serve a nutritious meal after a long day at work, Fitch-Hilgenberg keeps her pantry and freezer stocked with some versatile staples.

“I don’t worry about dinner when I know I can open my cupboard and freezer and find everything I need for a quick, healthy, home-cooked meal,” Fitch-Hilgenberg said.

Fitch-Hilgenberg keeps on hand a variety of fruits and vegetables, grain products, sources of protein, dairy products, and seasonings and condiments.

Fruits and vegetables

A variety of fruits and vegetables — either canned or frozen — make it easy to get the daily veggie quota. Fitch-Hilgenberg also keeps canned tomatoes and a good pasta sauce on hand as a basis for hearty stove-top stews and casseroles. A good variety of canned beans can make a quick three-bean salad or baked beans.

Rice and pasta cook quickly and mix well with other staples. In a nod to her Southern farm roots, Fitch-Hilgenberg always has a quick cornbread mix on hand to complete a meal of beans and vegetables.

Canned tuna and salmon can make a quick sandwich or round out a salad. The choice of seasonings determines whether the meal is the traditional tuna salad sandwich or a more contemporary salmon with dill and yogurt over greens.

Fitch-Hilgenberg always keeps a hunk of her favorite cheese in the refrigerator. It can make pasta into a main dish or just provide a quick snack to tide her over while she cooks. Low-fat cottage cheese and plain yogurt are versatile and healthy additions to many dishes, from salads to dessert. There is always a package of powdered milk on her shelf as a back-up when the refrigerator is empty or if a quick addition is needed for soups and casseroles.

Seasonings and Condiments

With a variety of seasonings on hand, left-over chicken can be chicken curry one night and chicken enchiladas the next. Different kinds of pickles, including pickled beets, hold well in the refrigerator and can complete a meal. Having a variety of mustards and sauces on hand allows Fitch-Hilgenberg to spruce up the plainest ingredients.

“Although most seasonings and condiments never appear on a food pyramid,” Fitch-Hilgenberg said, “they can be crucial in transforming healthy food into a delicious meal.”