Pantry Overhaul- Part One
We have been talking about food so much, because to be successful, you need to have the right things in your kitchen. The following two posts will be about the steps to set yourself up for success.
The first step is to clean out the stuff that is not good for you! While we want you to focus on whole foods, we also want you to know what harmful foods to remove from your pantry and shopping lists - for good. Simply getting rid of these foods from your eating life will make a tremendous difference in your health and eating habits
This means reading labels, checking expiration dates, and tossing the bad stuff, then we will refill your kitchen with healthy new items. Those jars of dried herbs that look like they have been around since the Dark Ages? Toss them. Same for old spices. Do this with your dry pantry, where you store canned goods, whole grains, and nonperishable items. While you are at it, go through your refrigerator and freezer too, and toss things that have harmful ingredients, freezer burn, or look a little sad.
While it is important to do this now, I have tried to get in the habit of doing this every month or two. It helps me declutter my refrigerator, freezer, and pantry to see what I actually have. That way, when I am planning my meals, I can shop my own kitchen and do not run the risk of buying duplicates. Here is where to start... (in addition to anything expired of course!)
The main foods and ingredients to avoid as a first step (if you get rid of nothing else eliminate the top three):
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
Trans fats, partially hydrogenated and hydrogenated fats
Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
Regular and diet sodas
Sports drinks and other sweetened beverages
Sodium and calcium caseinate
Phosphoric acid - causes osteoporosis
Artificial sweeteners (except stevia)
Artificial flavors
Artificial colors and dyes
Sulfites
Nitrites and nitrates
Carrageenan
Here are a few clean-out tips:
- Read labels and check for unhealthy ingredients.
- Say goodbye to the “white menaces,” as well as the things hiding in your pantry that are made with them (white flour and white sugar).
- Banish processed foods like sugary breakfast cereals, unhealthy cookies and crackers, fried chips, and junk food.
- Exile high-sugar (check the added sugar especially) or high-sodium condiments (read that ketchup bottle, you might be surprised). Shop for healthier versions, comparing labels for ingredients. Look for as little added sugar as possible and no high fructose corn syrup.
- Get rid of unhealthy oils, like standard mass-market “vegetable” oil. We’ll tell you what the good oils are in part 2.
- Aim for labels with five or fewer ingredients or at least ingredients you recognize as real food. If you don’t understand something and your great-grandmother would not know what it is, it is probably not something you want in your pantry.
Having good foods in your pantry will support healthy eating and save you time. With a well-stocked pantry, you will never be at a loss for something healthy to eat.
Choose a weekend to clean out the pantry and make it a group project. You could even choose a friend and help each other do a pantry clean-out.
Good luck. Make it fun! You will be so glad you have done this. Our next post will be on healthy replacements. Stay tuned!
All material was gathered and researched through my amazing fellowship program, The Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine.
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