I have seen you pop into the grocery to buy two things and come out with twenty. I have also seen you open a bag of chips with the intention to eat a small handful and finish the whole bag. Yup you have been busted! But hey it’s not your fault. There is a reason why you mindlessly shop and eat this way.
You see food manufacturers and supermarkets have been hijacking our food choices for years. They are designed by very clever people who want you to spend more money, so they arrange the aisles and displays in such a way to seduce you to want more. Every display is geared towards getting you to spend more money – usually on processed foods.
They also employ a tactic to making you want to eat more of their product. With promises on the packaging and a cocktail of salt, sugar and additives in the ingredients they lure us into a false sense of security and quite frankly have stolen our taste buds and our connection with our food choices.
Don’t be hijacked by their tricks!
Avoid ‘packets and promises’ and just eat real food! When it comes to shopping I tell my clients to keep things simple. If it’s got a barcode or a ‘promise’, don’t buy it. Healthy, real, whole food don’t need to sell itself. Avocados don’t have ‘heart healthy’ on the packet, do they? If it has a long list of ingredients, don’t buy it. Freshly made pesto, which has around 3-4 ingredientsis fine. A stir-fry sauce containing 20 ingredients isn’t it. Buy your own fresh ingredients and assemble them together yourself. Don’t let health and your common sense be taken hostage by convenience food.
Here is how you should be stocking your pantry!
How to stock your pantry with real food:
Pantry:
Pasta – brown rice or quinoa spaghetti, penne, elbows
Rice – brown, jasmine
Couscous
Quinoa
Beans – canned with no salt nor sugar or dried – black beans, cannellini, kidney, and or pinto
Lentils
Onions
Garlic
Sweet Potatoes, Cassava, Breadfruit
Canned tuna
Vinegars – apple cider, red wine, white wine, balsamic Oils- extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil
Soy Sauce (or Tamari Sauce or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos)
Fish Sauce or Oyster Sauce
Ground Flax Seeds
Unsweetened
Coconut Flakes
Peanut butter/almond butter/sunflower butter ( no hydrogenated oils nor sugar added)
Diced Tomatoes (canned)
Tomato Paste (matouks)
Jarred Pasta Sauce ( no added sugar or hydrogenated oils)
Olives – green and black Snacking:
Fruit- Pineapples, Apples, Bananas, Oranges when in season, grapes, strawberries
Dried Fruits – dates, raisins, cranberries, blueberries (no added sugars)
Nuts & Seeds
Popcorn
Baking:
Aluminum free
baking powder
Aluminum free
baking soda
Cornstarch
Cocoa Powder
Coconut Sugar
Local Honey
Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
Old Fashioned Whole Oats
Molasses
Honey
Coconut Sugar 100%
Maple Syrup Liquid
Stevia
Pure Vanilla Extract
Refrigerator:
Unsalted Butter Kerrigold
Grapes (for snacking & lunches)
Strawberries
Whole carrots or Baby Carrots (for snacking, lunches & cooking)
Salad Greens – spinach, kale, broccoli, arugula, watercress
Almond Milk (Silk) or Oat milk
Free Range Eggs (buy fresh/local if you can)
Condiments:
Home made Salsa
Organic Ketchup
Dijon Mustard
Mayonnaise (not low fat)
Pepper Hot Sauce Freezer:
Frozen Fruit – pineapple, mangoes, blueberries
Veggies – broccoli, corn, green beans, spinach
Chicken – boneless, skinless breasts and thighs Whole Chicken
Grass Fed Ground Beef* Beef for stir fries, kebabs, stews Beef
Roast Pork Loin Chops/Roasts Ground Turkey
Spices:
Basil
Oregano
Parsley
Rosemary
Cumin
Chili Powder
Cinnamon
Ginger
Paprika
Turmeric
Nutmeg
Cayenne Pepper
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder