When was the last time you checked your pantry for outdated food? If yours is anything like mine, it's filled with boxes, bags, jars, oils, wine, and more. As Americans, we like to stock up (just in case)! You never know when you might need almond flour instead of regular flour right? What happens to that almond flour six or eight months later. Is it good indefinitely? Most REAL food isn't good six to eight months later sitting in your pantry unless we're talking canned food.
So let's dive in and learn what you should know about choosing the most nutrient dense options and letting go of the rest. As most of you know, I offer a Pantry Makeover to those who are ready for a fresh start. This isn't about throwing out all your junk food. I'm not a fan of wasting or guilting, or punishing anyone for their food choices! It's not an overhaul of your pantry either.
A Pantry Makeover is about learning how to make better choices from today on-ward. Many of us go to the grocery store on auto pilot. We purchase the same things week after week because that's what our family will eat. Let's face it; with the mental load that we carry, grocery shopping is something I can put on set-it and forget-it mode. What if you could have a list of good, better, best food options that you could set and forget? That's exactly what the Pantry Makeover will show you.
One thing you learn with my Makeover is how to read a food label. This is a key component to choosing the best food for your pantry. Most people already know we should be eating plenty of fruits and veggies. Fruits and veg live in the fridge. When it comes to the pantry, we're talking about foods that are stored, packaged, prepared, and not necessarily the freshest or most nutrient dense. But like everything else, there are BETTER options. Let's cover three things you should know when choosing better options for your pantry.
Three Tips for Decluttering Your Pantry
1. Read your food labels. Just because it's got a cow on the cover or says "natural" with beautiful rolling hills in the background doesn't mean it's natural! Marketing is meant to fool you. While we may know this intellectually, we eat and buy with our eyes. It's SO easy to get pulled into package labels instead of ingredient labels.
2. Can you read the food ingredient list? If you don't know what the words mean or can't pronounce them, put it back on the shelf. While some ingredients here in the U.S. are labeled as generally safe for consumption, if you can't read it, don't buy it. At the very least, google it! We are all walking around with little computers in our hands. When was the last time you googled an ingredient on the back of your cereal box? While it may be generally safe--I want to know: What are the side effects of consuming this over the long haul? Remember, we tend to eat the same foods over and over again.
3. Choose an ingredient list of ten or less. This can be tricky but it's key to getting as close to the best possible choice you can. The less ingredients the the less processed. Foods with ten or less ingredients go into my "best" category.
4. Bonus Tip: The first ingredient listed means that's the MOST of whatever is in your food. If sugar or some derivative of sugar is listed first, put it back on the shelf. Remember, using your phone means--you'll always know what's in your food with a quick search. Check the first ingredient and make sure you're making a good choice.
These tips are a great place to start when it comes to getting into your pantry! These are just a few topics discussed in the Pantry Makeover. We also cover:
Traffic Light Eating
Reading Food Labels in detail
Healthy Substitutions you can make
Food Additives to avoid and how they are harmful to the body
In just thirty minutes, you'll get into some of the food in my pantry as I walk you through some good, better, best options for your own pantry. Learn more HERE.
Comment below and tell me: What are your BEST options when it comes to food in your pantry?