1 February 2008 -  Jacksonville, Florida USA                                        

 

What's in your Kitchen?

I was told by a nutritionist that one of the essential keys to live a healthy lifestyle is first and foremost, set up a healthy kitchen by tossing all junk foods that are too tempting to grab especially when you’re too tired and hungry. Instead, stock up your fridge and cupboard with lots of healthy choices--- food items that suit to the taste buds of each family member. You have to do this for the same reason that you cannot impose a healthy diet that your love ones are going to reject as foreign to their tastes because it will surely fail.

So I'll let you take a peek of the stockpile of good-eats that we keep in our kitchen. The foods you see are precisely what we strictly ate on a daily basis when DH lost an incredible 75 lbs. last year!  Now, I don't buy all of them together at the same time but I try to stick to the list as much as possible. I sometimes buy those frozen vegetables too but it can get soggy after you cook them so we'd rather pay a little bit more for fresh vegetables and fruits.

Mayo Clinic says that a balance diet should be composed of 40% healthy carbohydrates (whole grains, fruits and vegetables), 30% lean protein (chicken, fish) and 30% healthy fat (olive oil, nuts).

Carbohydrates: Grains, cereals , breads and pasta
Whole grains: oatmeal and multi-grain bread (make sure it says 100% whole wheat or 7 to 17 grains; and look for the ones that's 45 to 90 calories per slice.
Instant Brown Rice
Whole Grain Rice
Whole wheat Pasta
Tam-x-ico's Corn Tortilla 25 calories a piece
Tortillas (La Factory 50 calories a piece)
WASA crackers (pick the one with highest fiber)
All Bran Cereals (50% Fiber; 0 Sugar)
Whole Grain Pancakes
Quaker Oats

Fresh Vegetables
Bell Peppers (green, red, yellow or orange)
Celery, Zucchini, Cauliflower, Squash
Broccoli, Green beans, Lettuce, Radish
Tomatoes, Cabbage, Carrots, Peas
Lemons, Scallion, Bean Spouts

Frozen Vegetables
Gumbo
Mix vegetables

Fresh Fruits
Blackberry
Grape Fruit
Strawberry
Blueberry
Apple
Mango
Orange, Pineapple
Banana, Cherry, Grapes

Protein:  Meat, poultry and fish & seafood
Tilapia
Salmon
Shrimp
Turkey & Chicken breast (you can broil/grill it with skin but don’t eat the skin)

Ground Turkey/Chicken/Beef (Lean 93% fat free.  Makes good Chili)
Sirloin Steak (up to 6 oz. once a week only)
Lamb, Veal
Smoked Turkey Sausage/Patties

Nuts: Make sure they are unsalted
Almonds, Cashews and Walnuts
A little fat provides satiety. Foods with omega-3 fatty acids—found in walnuts and soybeans, among others—are healthy sources of unsaturated fat.

Canned/bottled foods and oils
Black beans
Pinto beans
Red beans
(beans in can are quicker to cook but make sure you rinse it off to reduce the sodium contents)
Classico Fire Roasted Tomatoes in a bottle
Salsa
Organic PAM spray
Olive Oil
Canola oil
I can’t believe it’s not butter

Dairy, juice, eggs, beverages
Hard Cheese
Chipotle cheese
Low Fat Mexican Cheese
Low Fat Mozzarella cheese
Low Fat Cheddar cheese
Low Fat Yogurt
Soy Milk (we like Vanilla flavor; you can get the one with added Omega or Fiber)
Milk 1% or Low fat Milk
100% Liquid Egg Whites - 75mg sodium

Teavana Green Tea
Diet V8 Splash Berry Blend (only 10 calories per 8 oz)
Any high protein drinks as long as it is sugar free or up to max of 2 grams of sugar

Salad Dressings:
Walden Farms' Salad Dressings;
* Calorie Free
* Fat Free
* Sugar Free
* Cholesterol Free

* Delicious – Flavorful
There are tons of selections that are 0 to 70 calories per serving. Check their website.

Condiments, Spice & Seasoning:
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Sea salt
Cinnamon powder
Black Pepper
Red Pepper
Mrs Dash has tons of selections that are salt-free

I also have a stash of healthy "convenient foods" on hand for times when there is NO time to cook. I usually stock them up when it’s 50% off the regular price) You see, busy schedules create a need for quick and easy meals and once you have your Healthful PANTRY set up, it's just as easy to "mix & match" and whip up a healthy meal or you can turn to this food without much thought rather than do fast food drive-through.

Kashi (12g to 17g of Protein which is very good. I prefer Black Bean Mango, Sweet & Sour Chicken & Southwest Style Chicken)
Lean Cuisine
Weight Watchers
Healthy Choice

Shopping tips:
Reading food Labels is very IMPORTANT! One thing to bear in mind regarding frozen or pre-pack foods in cans and bottles is to AVOID processed foods made with High Fructose Corn Syrup  or partially hydrogenated oils/fat as part of the ingredients.  Sugar contains empty calories and can cause spikes in blood sugar that leave you feeling hungrier. Most processed foods also contain excessive amounts of sodium, which can lead to high blood pressure. Bottom line is cut down on processed foods as much as possible.

Why cook?

Think of it this way: When you cook, you have complete control of the ingredients thus you can alter or substitute ingredients to make it lower in fat and calorie meal especially if you are consciously counting your calorie intake plus if you are watching your budget, you’ll save hefty amount every month by cooking rather than dining out or getting a drive-thru fast food or Chinese take out. 

That being said, what's in your kitchen Ate G, Geri,  Mel, & Sandy?

Here's the rest of the photos in my kitchen    
I promise to share some of my very own simple recipes next issue :-)

P.S. Total weight lost for the month of January 2008 was: 6 lbs for DH and 3 lbs for me.   We are doing it slowly but surely this time ;-)