5 Foods To Always Have In Your Fridge

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Mango Cubes on a white dish

A fridge filled with health-promoting ingredients is an amazing thing. Next time you stand there scanning the shelves, make sure these foods are within reach.

1: Homemade Salad Dressing

Think that bottled dressings are just as good as homemade? Check the ingredient list and it might change your mind. Most store-bought bottles are high in sodium, added sugars and other highly processed ingredients. The best bet is to whip up your own batch.

2: Sliced Fruit

People who put prepped and sliced fruit front-and-center tend to reach for it more often. Instead of letting fresh fruit get buried and rot in the crisper drawer before you get a chance to eat it, keep seasonal goodies in your line of sight so you can always grab a nutritious snack.

3: Mustard

Hot, mild, Dijon or grainy, this low-calorie condiment is a good shortcut to make multiple sauces, marinades and salad dressings. Use Dijon to make a basic sauce for a 20-minute roasted salmon dinner or work it into a vinaigrette to drizzle over veggies for a simple side dish.

4: Yogurt

Yogurt's reputation has gotten a significant upgrade in recent years, with many people gaining a better appreciation for the dairy product's easy adaptability in smoothies, sauces, dressings and marinades. Along with its creamy texture and tangy flavor, yogurt gives a boost of calcium, vitamin D and protein to sweet and savory recipes alike. (See the results of our Nonfat Greek Yogurt Taste Test.)

5: Hot Sauce

A fridge should always be stocked with a little excitement. Whatever your preference -- Asian-inspired Sriracha or Mexican- and Louisiana-style pepper sauces -- a few dashes of hot sauce can brighten dishes instantly.

Dana Angelo White, MS, RD, ATC, is a registered dietitian, certified athletic trainer and owner of Dana White Nutrition, Inc., which specializes in culinary and sports nutrition. See Dana's full bio

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