What's In Your Pantry?

Does your kitchen pantry work with or against your healthy eating habits? By having a pantry stocked with healthy items, planning and cooking meals and preparing snacks will be easier, making eating wholesome food a breeze. Buy bags and containers that allow you to store food in serving-size portions. Stock up on snack, sandwich and quart-size storage bags, airtight containers, twist ties, and measuring cups of varying sizes.

Breakfast

Oatmeal is a must-have, but move away from the instant variety unless you can find a brand that has no added salt or sugar. Try Quaker Oats’ Old Fashioned Rolled Oats which takes no more than 5 minutes to cook. If oatmeal is not your thing, purchase a whole grain cereal with no added sugar. Shredded wheat is an option, but you can also try Kashi’s Cereal. Adding fresh fruit to oatmeal or cereal is the best way to get a kick of energy-boosting natural sugar. 

Lunch

Store canned tomato products including whole, crushed, diced, or pureed tomatoes. Make your own salsa, pizza sauce and spaghetti sauce instead of buying them prepackaged, which are loaded with sodium. Another item to add to your pantry is low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock for homemade soup. By making your own soups and sauces, you’ll skip the added salt and preservatives, and gain a cleaner, fresher taste in exchange. Also, keep beans of different varieties including black, red kidney, and black eyed peas. If you go canned, be sure to get those with no salt added. You might also add lentils and lima beans into your legume experience. Add these to rice cooked in vegetable stock with a variety of vegetables for a hearty lunch. For a great source of protein, keep salmon and tuna pouches handy as well.

Dinner

Kick the instant rice out of your cupboard and pick the boil-in-a-bag brown rice or quick-cooking barley instead. Some additional whole grains to have are quinoa and bulgur, both of which can be used instead of rice in most recipes. When cooking with oils, extra virgin olive oil and olive oil cooking spray are mainstays. Spray a pastry brush and coat a frying pan to grill vegetables or cook fish or chicken. Use the oil in salad dressings or toss with whole wheat pasta. You can also add canola oil to your pantry for cooking at higher temperatures as olive oil burns at a lower temperature. Fresh garlic is best stored in a cool, dry place in an airtight container or storage bag. Jars of minced garlic and ground ginger are fine before opening in the pantry, but need to be refrigerated after opening. Regarding spices, check to make sure they are not expired. A good stash includes garlic and onion powder, cumin, turmeric, pepper, cayenne pepper, oregano, basil, thyme, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, sage, poultry seasoning, and chili powder.

Snacks

You can keep nuts, seeds, and dried fruits around for eating in between meals, but keep the serving size in mind! Just a third of a cup of dried raisins is 143 calories and almost 38 grams of carbs. Nuts like almonds, walnuts, and sunflower seeds are also high in calories and fat if overdone, so use small storage bags to divide them into single serve packets. Frozen fruits are also a great way to enjoy a sweet treat if the fresh variety is not available. 

Starbucks Healthy Menu Additions…Are They Really Healthy?

While at a photo shoot in Chicago last month, I walked into a Starbucks early in the morning to get some much needed energy for my early call time and discovered that Starbucks now offers oatmeal. Imagine my surprise and delight because I hadn't yet eaten.

For $2.45 I can pick two "mix-ins" for my oatmeal: dried fruit, nuts or brown sugar. Well, I know that dried fruit is loaded with sugar and of course, brown sugar would negate any health benefits of a great bowl of oatmeal, so I opt for the nuts and add my own Splenda and cinnamon. After adding just the right amount, I sit down and dig in.

Much to my disappointment I discovered that the oats are actually instant oats made with skim milk. Not only are instant oats less tasty than whole oats but they are much less nutritious. Not to mention the fact that no one behind the counter could tell me if this variety of instant oats was made with sugar. Also, most skim milk varieties have a fair amount of sugar as well. This was nothing short of a bowl of mushy oats and sugar with a few nuts to top it off.

My advice, skip the Starbucks "healthy" menu items, just order your tall black coffee with Splenda, and go. 

A closer look at the new menu:

Oatmeal:

Cost: $2.45

Calories: 140 with no toppings, 390 with all three toppings

This whole-grain oatmeal will be served hot in a cardboard to-go bowl. The oatmeal comes with three   "mix-ins" - dried fruit, nuts, or brown sugar. Remember it is instant oatmeal made with skim milk. Although it may be a healthier option, it is not better than the whole oatmeal you make at home with water.

Apple Bran Muffin:

 Cost: $1.75

Calories: 330

Made with whole-wheat flour, oats, wheat bran, apples, cherries, and honey. Too calorie dense and too much sugar.

Multi-Grain Roll:

Cost: $1.60

Calories: 280

Made with seven seeds and grains, served with a side of almond butter or strawberry preserves. Slightly better than the apple bran muffin but skip the sides.

Chewy Fruit & Nut Bar:

Cost: $1.75

Calories: 250

This energy bar is made with oats, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, and honey. I'd like to see the nutrition break down of these. If you are a marathon runner, it may actually be a decent option.

Power Protein Plate:

Cost: $4.95

Calories: 330

This "healthy" smorgasbord consists of a hard-boiled egg, a small whole-wheat bagel, a 70-calorie pack of peanut butter, a cheddar cheese wedge, apple slices, and grapes. Healthier than some breakfastoptions if you skip the bagel.

Baked Berry Stella:

Cost: $1.75

 Calories: 280

A whole-grain pastry featuring seasonal fruits. Pastry. Enough said!

Article by Jessy Hamawi, Club Fitness Nutritionist and Personal Trainer