I’ve always been a pretty busy person, but ever since I became a mom that busy lifestyle tripled. This has never left a huge amount of time for me to really cook the dishes and meal prep like I would truly love to do — hello 2 second peanut butter sandwiches for lunch and scrambled eggs for dinner. But I have learned over the last couple of years some essential healthier foods to always have on hand in my house for meals and quick snacks (where I’m not feeling bad about them afterwards too).

These are the items that are always on our grocery list because we know we can turn to them for either a mid-afternoon pick me up, or can contribute to a full meal — guilt free:

Oats: good source of fiber and can be thrown into multiple dishes and snacks (oatmeal [duh], smoothies, fruit bowls, etc.)
Eggs: high-protein and packed with vitamins yes, but the uses for them are endless! You can never go wrong with some scrambled eggs for any meal of the day…
Plain yogurt: another great source of protein and an item that can be used in multiple ways — alone, with fruit, in power bowls, in your smoothies, etc. It’s a great option for my little guy too, he loves some yogurt and fruit!
Cottage cheese: not my personal fave, but speaking of food to have on hand for my son, this is on top of the list. It’s full of nutrients and is ready to go as is or mixed with some fruit
Milk: I mean, speaks for itself right?
Nuts: good fatty acids, protein and vitamins in an insanely easy snack? Yes
Potatoes: my fave on the list probably! Specifically sweet potatoes, but having any on hand are great — they are full of potassium and there are so many easy recipes you can whip up with them (that are delicious)
Frozen berries: you need to make sure you’re not getting some full of added sugars and what not, but having these in your freezer is a life saver when you need to make a quick snack, smoothie, etc. - and the fact they last a whooooole lot longer than fresh fruit really helps on those days where you don’t have time to run out to the store
Dark chocolate: should be obvious because yum, but also dark chocolate is actually considered a superfood, so you can appease your sweet tooth with no guilt here!

Grabbing these items when I’m at the store has really helped my busy lifestyle with having good food choices available to me at home, and allows me to whip some stuff up that is not only fast but also on the healthier side. These are also items you should easily be able to find at your local stores, and at affordable prices (win-win). I hope this is a helpful list for you when you're at the store next too!