This time of year is known for spring cleaning and clearing out those spaces in our home that haven’t seen the light all winter. Decluttering your living spaces gives a boost to your mental and physical well-being by creating a clean, calm atmosphere and recognizing the rut you may have gotten into.
But do you ever spring clean your pantry? Can you say what ingredients and products have become staples in the cabinets? It’s okay if you’ve gotten a bit lax—use these tips to give your pantry shelves a good detox this spring!
Clean Ingredients
Although whole foods are always preferred when preparing meals, having some boxed, canned, or lightly processed goods can be very convenient. The key here is focusing on fewer ingredients—read the ingredient label to look for hidden sugar, preservatives, or food dyes. Choose organic to avoid most pesticides and GMOs, but remember that organic doesn’t mean an item can’t still be filled with processed sugar, white flour, and empty carbs. Even items like dried fruit, cereal, breads, salad dressings, chocolate, and canned soups can contain preservatives, sugar, and unhealthy fats like palm oil, which is highly inflammatory to the body.
Snack Foods
Snack foods such as crackers, protein bars, chips, and so on are some of the most-consumed types of processed foods. Switching out items for healthier alternatives can make a huge difference in cleaning up your pantry (and your diet!). Hu Grain Free Crackers, Ella’s Flats, and Simple Mills are great options for replacing the highly processed crackers in your cupboard. Apple or kale chips are a good swap for regular chips and still provide that coveted crunch. Protein bars can be a bit tricky, but looking for those with fewer ingredients (Rx Bars are amazing), no more than 8 grams sugar, at least 3 grams fiber, and no palm oil is best.
Storage Containers
Detoxing your pantry isn’t all about food but what might be contaminating the food as it sits. For instance, many plastic storage containers and canned foods contain BPA, which leaches into food products and increases if the product is heated or scratched. Single-use containers are the biggest source of BPA and should never be reused. Glass containers are a much safer option to avoid chemicals contaminating your food, as well as fresh or frozen organic vegetables or those canned in BPA-free cans.
Cookware
You may not have realized that your cookware can be a significant source of toxins depending on its coating and cooking limitations. For instance, Teflon has made some changes to make its coating safer for consumers, but only if not scratched or heated above 500 degrees (and they do still contain some chemicals under investigation for health effects). Ceramic, steel, and cast iron are the best choices on the market and the safest options for avoiding toxins while cooking.
So, while you’re spring cleaning this year and clearing out the cobwebs of those dark, forgotten places, add the pantry to your list—and remember it’s a vital part of your home that impacts your daily life in the kitchen.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the task, you may prefer to have a professional do it for you. Have a registered dietitian do a pantry clean-out service where everything is hand selected based on your diet and health preferences. I even have all the new food arrive at your location and put it away myself!
Betsy is a Licensed and Registered Dietitian, a Certified Diabetes Educator, Integrative & Functional Medicine Nutrition Therapist, and RYT200 yoga teacher. She specializes in nutrigenomics, gut health, food sensitivities, detoxing, inflammatory diseases, and longevity living. She also understands the importance of living a mindful life and incorporates her mindfulness and yoga teaching background into her practice. Betsy is a professional speaker and advocate for healthy living and is available for individual consultations, group programs, and speaking engagements. Betsy’s exclusive balcony yoga studio, called 4 Elements Yoga Naples, provides a luxury outdoor experience connecting you to the beautiful environment of Naples.
To learn more, visit: www.healthyconceptsconsulting.com and www.yoga4elements.com, or Contact Betsy at 239.297.8844 or betsy@healthyconceptsconsulting.com.