Jumpstart Healthier Eating At Home with A Clean Pantry
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You?ve heard of spring cleaning around the house, but have you ever tackled the pantry as part of your spring cleaning routine? In recognition of March being National Nutrition Month, tackle the pantry this month and use it as a jumpstart to healthier eating at home.
Check the date
Look for the expiration (EXP) dates on everything in the pantry ? canned goods, pastas, salad dressings, condiments, sauces, etc. Discard anything out-of-date, then place everything in the pantry based on date order, so that items with dates approaching soon are used first.
Restock wisely
Chances are you have now discarded quite a bit of food. Before you restock, make a list of what you truly need and ask yourself, ?Do I really need to replace this item?? Chances are if it was past its expiration date and you didn?t use it, then you didn?t need it.
Limit convenience foods
| Let?s face it: most pantries contain lots of convenience foods. These convenience foods are usually high in preservatives because they are shelf stable enough to be stored without refrigeration. Instead of restocking the chips, cookies, microwaveable popcorn and gummy snacks, choose fresh foods for the fridge. Fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy items are great replacements for convenience foods when you need something crunchy or something sweet. |
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Choose whole grains
When you are planning out meals, like the family?s favorite spaghetti, look for items that contain whole grains. Whole grain pastas, breads and oatmeal, for example, can help meet the daily recommended amounts for balanced eating.
Read the Nutrition Facts Label
Plan for some extra time at the grocery store and read the Nutrition Facts Label on everything before it goes into your shopping cart. You?ll be surprised by the number of calories, fat grams, carbohydrates and hidden sodium in the foods you eat regularly. Choose no added sodium or low sodium canned goods, watch for hydrogenated oils and trans fats and check the dates on these packages too. If it cannot be consumed by the recommended date, wait on buying it.
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