Clean Kitchen 101

One of the best ways to set yourself up for success with your health and wellness goals is to undertake a kitchen clean out and then restock your pantry and refrigerator only with foods that support your health and wellness goals.

FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

Toss: Over-processed, low-nutrient fruits and vegetables . Think canned mixed vegetables, canned fruit, fruit juices, and fruit cocktails.

Choose: Fresh, local, and organic whenever possible. If buying everything organic is not in your budget, refer to the Environmental Working Group’s list of Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen and do your best to avoid buying the Dirty Dozen as non-organic. Always try to choose fruit and vegetable that is local and in season.

GRAINS

Toss: All products that contain gluten—white flour, whole wheat, spelt, rye, barley.

Choose: A variety of whole grain, gluten-free products such as amaranth, rice (white, red, black, brown), quinoa, buckweat, millet.

BEANS AND LEGUMES

Toss: Low-quality canned beans that contain table salt, preservatives, and have BPA in the can lining. 

Choose: Dried peas and beans. Whenever possible, cook from scratch. Occasionally we must give way to convenience. In those instances choose organic frozen or BPA-free canned beans and peas. Great choices: lentils, black beans, adzuki beans, chickpeas.

MEAT, FISH, EGGS

Toss: Factory-farmed meats, meats raised with antibiotics and hormones, grain-fed meats, lunch meats preserved with nitrates, meat products with additional processed ingredients, farmed fish and seafood, factory-farmed eggs. 

Choose: Naturally raised and/or organic meats (grass-fed, antibiotic/hormone-free), meat products that are 100% meat with no added ingredients (spices are okay), lunch meats preserved without nitrates, wild-caught fish and seafood.

NUTS/SEEDS/FATS/OILS

Toss: Conventional nut butters made with hydrogenated oils and sugar, roasted nuts and seeds (some are okay; make sure they are dry roasted or roasted in a high-quality oil such as coconut oil), highly refined oils such as canola, sunflower, safflower, cottonseed.

Choose: Nut and seed butter made without added sugar or hydrogenated fats (e.g. there should be one ingredient on the label—almond butter should contain almonds). Choose high-quality oils that are organic, first or cold-pressed.

DAIRY

Toss: Dairy products produced from factory-farmed dairy. Note: Dairy is a highly inflammatory food and significant food intolerance that shows on the majority of clients’ Food Sensitivity Test.

Choose: Should you choose to eat dairy, choose organic, raw sheep or goat dairy. Alternatives include almond/macadamia/oat milk preferably unsweetened.

HERBS/SPICES/CONDIMENTS/MISCELLANEOUS

Toss: Highly processed condiments and seasonings that contain white sugar, preservatives, table salt, and low-quality oils, as well as spices and seasonings that contain MSG. 

Choose: Minimally processed condiments and seasonings with better quality ingredients, fresh and dried herbs and spices, vinegar.

SWEETENERS

Toss: White sugar and anything that contains white sugar, anything that contains high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners (Aspartame, Splenda, Equal, Sweet n Low) and anything that contains them.

Choose : Natural sweeteners in limited amounts. My top picks are organic, raw honey, maple syrup, stevia, molasses or coconut sugar.