Spring Cleaning for Your Pantry

Have you started your spring cleaning yet? The beginning of spring is the perfect time to tidy up your house and even for some, other aspects in your life may need some cleaning. It’s the feeling of a fresh start that you may enjoy after tackling a chore or task you have been pushing down your “to-do list” for quite some time.

Cleaning can be a form of meditation and offer you an opportunity to relax and focus on your overall wellbeing. This year, when cleaning, remember to focus on your wellbeing including your health and nutrition. A perfect way to do this is to explore your kitchen and pantry and consider doing some spring cleaning in there.

Eating healthy can be a challenge for some seeking to lead a healthier lifestyle. It takes self-discipline to continue to choose healthy options to eat. One of the biggest challenges of eating healthy is having unhealthy food items in your home and not having access to healthy options to keep you on track for your health goals. A good look over your kitchen and pantry will help you figure out what needs to be thrown away and what you need to start and stop buying.

Rosetta Danigole, our lead dietitian, shared these tips for creating a healthier pantry and a convenient grocery list to get you started on keeping healthy items in your home:

Beverages

• Springwater instead of soda
• Herbal teas instead of sweet tea
• Coffee instead of energy drinks (limit coffee to 1-2 cups per day or try decaf if needed)

Protein Choices

Use instead of processed meats and deli meats/ conventional beef/pork and fish

• Grass-Fed Beef
• Wild-Caught Fish
• Poultry (no growth hormones/antibiotics)
• Cage-free Omega 3 eggs
• Hummus
• Fresh Seafood
• Beans and Lentils

Fruits and Vegetables

Any fresh or frozen preferably organic instead of canned sugar-sweetened fruit or canned vegetables which are high in sugar and salt:

• Carrots
• Greens
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Greens
• Squash
• Root Vegetables
• Lettuce
• Peppers
• Tomatoes
• Bananas
• Oranges
• Grapes
• Cantaloupe
• Watermelon
• Any Berries

Cheese

Switch to these items instead of sliced processed cheese

• Feta Cheese
• Goat Cheese
• Cottage Cheese
• Provolone
• Mozzarella
• Ricotta
• Parmesan
• Cheddar & Swiss (aged)

Dairy

Switch to this instead of Conventional Dairy milk

• Organic Milk
• Greek Yogurt
• Organic Cream
• Kefir
• Low sugar milk alternatives such as: Soy, almond, cashew, hemp, rice and coconut

Breads and Grains

Make the switch from white rice, white bread, processed crackers and snacks to:

• Sprouted Grains of all kinds including bread/rice and quinoa
• Gluten free grains as needed
• NON-GMO items such as cornmeal
• Basmati/Jasmine Rice
• Brown rice
• Barley
• Spelt
• Teff
• Amaranth
• Brown rice pasta & Wild rice
• Quinoa pasta
• Millet
• Kamut

Anti-inflammatory Oils

• Make the switch from corn oil and soybean oil to these better oils:
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Canola oil
• Avocado oil
• Spreads made with palm oil/olive oil *earth balance
• Flaxseed oil (do not heat)
• Organic butter (in moderation)

Nuts and Seeds (including nut butter unsweetened)

Switch from salted nuts and hydrogenated peanut butter to these items:

• Walnuts-raw
• Almonds-raw
• Peanuts- raw
• Cashews- raw
• Pistachio-raw
• Macadamia
• Pumpkin seeds-raw
• Sunflower seeds-raw
• Chia seeds
• Flaxseeds
• Pine nuts
• Natural peanut butters and almond butters (grind it yourself)

Spices and Condiments

Switch from salt, salty seasonings such as Cajun seasoning and season all to these better choices

• Turmeric
• All Vinegars
• Fresh or dried herbs
• Soy Sauce-Pure gluten free *Bragg Aminos
• Cacao powder
• Sea Salt in moderation
• Tamari Sauce
• Pepper
• Lemon and Lime
• Ginger
• Garlic Powder+
• Onion Powder
• Mint