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Health & Fitness

Overhaul Your Pantry

You can't eat what you don't have.....how to set up your pantry.

New Year’s may have come and gone, but it’s never too late to make resolutions when it comes to health and weight loss. So what’s slowing you down? Could it be your kitchen cabinets that are stocked with processed junk food and sugary snacks? Do you hear them calling your name all day, tempting you to come eat them? If you’re like most people, when yummy foods are within reach, you’ll eat it. After all, it’s hard to resist when it’s staring you in the face.

Here are some tips to purge the junk from your pantry and fill it with healthy alternatives. Please note that this may not be easy, but it will be worth it.

Look at the Big Picture

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The health of your body is determined in a large part by what you put into your body. Fill it with unhealthy foods and that’s what you’ll be: unhealthy. Do you need to lose weight? Lower your cholesterol? Control your blood sugar? What you eat can help you do just that.

While those cookies may satisfy your sweet tooth in the moment, it’s only temporary. Think of the long-term health implications and then set reasonable, attainable goals. Keep a food journal and find an accountability partner to help keep your diet on track. Now, it’s time to head to the kitchen.

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Toss the Obvious

Candies, cookies, chips, sodas, and sugary fruit drinks. They’re in the pantry somewhere, and they’re probably staring you in the face. It’s time to purge the obviously unhealthy food. No more artery-clogging, high-calorie snacks. Toss them in the trash, or if you don’t want to wasted food-even extremely unhealthy food-box them up to donate to your local community kitchen or food bank.

This may be difficult, but don’t worry. Your taste buds will adjust and your cravings will change. Yes, in time, your body will learn to crave what’s good for it.

Evaluate the Rest

Now that you’ve eliminated the obviously bad-for-you food, the real work begins. If you don’t know how to read a nutrition label, here’s what you need to know. Each food package should list the following nutritional value per serving:

  • number of calories
  • grams of fat
  • carbohydrates
  • fiber
  • sugar
  • protein
  • sodium
  • potassium
  • vitamins
  • minerals

Additionally, the label should list all ingredients. Pay attention to the ingredients, as they’re listed in order from greatest amount to least amount. So if high-fructose corn syrup is the first ingredient listed, that means there is more sugar in that food than anything else.

What do all these grams, milligrams, and percentages mean for you? Do your research to see what your government’s dietary guidelines and recommended daily amounts of calories, sodium, fats, protein, fiber, and carbohydrates are for someone of your age and gender.

If you see that a single serving contains half of your day’s total recommended amount of sodium or if one of the first ingredients listed is a fat or sugar, grab that food and get rid of it for good! No, you don’t have to. No one is forcing you to purge your pantry. But if you’re serious about improving your health, it must be done.

 

Make a Plan and Stick With It

Now that the junk food is gone, restock your pantry with healthy alternatives to the food you had before. Whether sweet treats, salty snacks, pastas, soups, canned goods, sauces, or oils, there are better options available to satisfy your cravings. Head to the grocery store with one goal in mind: finding healthy food that will give you the energy you need to thrive!

Looking to Get Fresh?

Since fresh foods are some of the best of the best, go fresh whenever possible. Where can you get fresh foods? Shop along the outer edge of your store to find the freshest foods!

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