Want to feel really good. Sweep your kitchen clean for 2008 by getting rid of the bad stuff and bringing in the good. Here are some tips to get you going …
1. First, sift through your fridge and freezer and get rid of all items that are out-dated … then, do the same for your cupboard. If you can’t find a date but you know it is old or looks old, get rid of it.
2. Now, go back through the items and set aside all foods containing artificial colors (Red #40, Yellow #5 …), artificial flavors (label will say “artificial flavors”) as well as trans-fats (aka hydrogenated oils). If you want to go a step further, look at my “Label Lookout” (which you can download), and set aside foods containing the ingredients listed here. Write down the foods that you set aside — the things you’ll need to replace like soy sauce, cereals … — so you know what type of item to look for when you go shopping to re-stock your pantry.
VERY IMPORTANT:
Foods that have not been opened can be donated to a local food pantry (search the web for information in your locale). Although I prefer that everyone stay away from unhealthy ingredients, there are those whose need for food outweighs the concern for ingredients.
3. Take a look at “Healthier Alternatives” and “How to Stock a Whole Foods Kitchen” (both downloadable documents) and create a shopping list of what you will need to re-stock.
4. Go to the nearest Whole Foods or Whole Foods-like market (or even some of the larger mainstream supermarkets) and shop ’til you drop.
HAVE A HEALTHY 2008! Any questions, let me know.
Stefanie
