How To Convert Your Pantry To Clean Eating
by THE GRACIOUS PANTRY
I thought this would be a great article to share, from The Gracious Pantry. Many of you might be asking "What is Clean Eating?" and "How do you do it?" Well.. Here it is! :)
One of the problems I had when I started eating clean was my incredibly, junk-food-filled pantry. There was just nothing I didn’t have in there! From candy bars, to white rice and pasta, I had it! Far from the modeling “diet” I followed in my teens.
Now I admit, I didn’t go through and toss everything so I could start from scratch in one day. Switching my pantry contents to 100% clean foods was a challenge, and I just didn’t have the money to start from scratch all at once. So what did I do?
Every week, I chose one food to replace. Out went the candy bars and in came the protein bars. In a few months, my pantry was…. perfect!
So what clean foods should you buy to replace what’s in your pantry now?
Whole What?
Whole Wheat Pastry Flour is easily substituted in most recipes calling for white flour. It’s cheapest to purchase it in bulk at your local health food store. (You’ll need to find another alternative if you are gluten sensitive). As far as I know, this is the finest “grind” of whole wheat flour you can buy.
Beans, beans the magical fruit. The more you eat the more you…
Whether you like them canned or cooked from scratch at home, be sure you have plenty of these on hand in a broad variety. They are nutrition powerhouses and are very easy on the wallet. Just be sure to read labels if you are buying canned beans. Many will have added sugar. Avoid these. The sugar is not necessary or part of a clean eating lifestyle. Some beans to try:
- Garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
- Black beans
- Kidney beans
- Pinto beans
- Adzuki beans
- Navy beans
The Wonderful World of Grains
If you’ve only ever heard of wheat, oats and rice, you’re not alone. Many people don’t even realize the incredible list of healthy grains available to them. Long gone are the days when we had to make due with a few simple and well known grains. Today we have a veritable cornucopia of nutritious grains at our disposal. Here are just a few to get you started:
- Quinoa
- Brown Rice
- Barley
- Millet
- Farro
- Amaranth
- Buckwheat
- Kamut
- Oats – Steel cut is best
* I wanted to add to this* When Choosing meats....
- Look for lean cuts. Certain cuts of meat and poultry are lower in fat. Lean cuts of beef include round, chuck, sirloin and tenderloin. Lean pork or lamb includes tenderloin, loin chops and leg. The leanest poultry is white meat from the breast with no skin.
- Check percentages. When buying ground beef, look for packages with the highest percentage of lean meat — 90 percent or higher.
- Watch the ground. Ground poultry can have as much fat as ground beef has, or more, because it often includes dark meat and skin. To make the leanest choice, choose ground breast meat, or look for low-fat ground chicken or turkey.
- Be selective. Choose beef that is labeled "Choice" or "Select" instead of "Prime," which usually has more fat. If you can't resist the higher fat choices, use them as an occasional indulgence rather than a regular option.
The Protein Channel?
No, TVP is not the latest cable channel. The letters stand for Textured Vegetable Protein. It’s a soy product that acts much like ground meat in a recipe. It comes in bulk or in packages at most health food stores. It’s a really nice change in your diet, even if you’re not vegetarian. Foods to use TVP in:
- Chili
- Tacos
- Burritos
- Casseroles
- Stews
- Soups
Moooooove Over Dairy!
If you are sensitive to dairy like I am, you have some fantastic alternatives available to you!
- Soy milk (Unsweetened)
- Almond milk (Unsweetened)
- Rice milk (Unsweetened)
- Hemp milk (Unsweetened)
- Hazelnut milk (Unsweetened)
Maybe The Squirrels Have It Right!
Nuts are wondrous little doo-dads and are a great addition to your eating plan in small amounts. The nutrients found in nuts are unequaled, and they really add a flavorful punch to anything you add them to. Some nuts to get you started are:
- Almonds – nothing added.
- Hazelnuts
- Walnuts
- Pecans
Do You Have A Sweet Tooth?
There are actually quite a few sweeteners allowed on a clean eating plan. In moderation, you can enjoy some sweet treats on a semi-regular basis!
- Agave
- Honey
- Rapadura
- Maple syrup
- Brown rice syrup
- Stevia
Extras - Some extras you should always have on hand are:
- Chia Seeds
- Flax Seed Meal
- Oat bran
- Wheat germ
- Bee pollen
So there you have it. It’s by no means a complete list, but it’s a place to start. When you go grocery shopping, just add fresh fruits and veggies to this list and you’ll be well on your way to better health!
