And get rid of those nasty foods that might be causing some of the health issues a lot of us face on a daily basis.
It is time for a new you, a fresh start, and you want to start in the kitchen.
This is as easy as getting a garbage can, opening your cabinets, and unloading!
Let’s start this year off right with a little refresher on why certain ingredients and products are not good for our health goals.
What lurks in our pantry can range from high-calorie, high-sodium foods to chemical-laden food substitutes that have no right to be there. And, as we all know, if it is there, we will eat it! So, the first step is always to get rid of those tempting, empty, harmful, and tasteless things we’ve collected and simply…toss them.
I know for me, and for most people, we tend to buy things at the grocery store out of habit or ignorance.
Time to break the habit and shed some light on why these things are no good for you or your family.
It is easy, rewarding, and actually fun! Do it at your pace. Ready for a complete overhaul? Great—otherwise, start slow—let’s identify the biggest problem—the worst ingredients—and move from there.
Kick out:
All foods that contain these ingredients—be mindful they can be in your dressings, peanut butters and other surprising places
Artificial sweeteners
corn syrup
hydrogenated oil or partially hydrogenated oil
dyes (especially red #3 and #40 and yellow #5)
enriched flours
bleached flours
canned vegetables (except tomatoes and beans)
sugary cereals
potatoes in a box
instant rice
lowfat mayo
fake butter
soda, diet and regular
processed lunch meats
American cheese
candy bars
sugary fruit
Bring in:
cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil
lentils
beans (black, kidney, garbanzo, these can be in a can)
quinoa
organic chicken broth
vinegars (balsamic, rice, apple cider)
tamari
dried spices (garlic, cinnamon, cumin, curry powder, hot pepper)
kefir (plain)
organic yogurt
hummus
fresh cut-up veggies to dip in hummus (cucumbers, carrots, radishes, etc)
fresh herbs (dill, parlsy, basil, mint)
Braggs liquid aminos
grain mustard
miso
tofu
sparkling water
So.. are you ready??
Living Smart Girl ~ A Healthy Way to an Organic You ~
Sheila
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Hi Sheila,
Great post reminding people to clear out their cupboards for the new year. I already eat pretty healthy but I still found some items I no longer eat sitting in my pantry and cleared ‘em out! I agree with most of your list except for the tofu…I don’t believe this is healthy for women or anyone actually to eat since tofu is soy and soy is estrogenic in the body. And actually most soy is GMO and highly processed with harmful chemicals. I believe the only safe soy to consume is fermented. I am also Paleo, so I don’t do the beans either…although I do miss my hummus! I would also add organic unrefined coconut oil to you list. The benefits are endless!