Danger In Your Kitchen

Anytime is a good time to give your kitchen a healthy inspection. Remember health isn't about chance --its about choice.  Nasty foods and hidden pitfalls are just waiting to tempt you into reverting to bad habits. To have healthy habits and a healthier lifestyle your  environment must be surrounded by healthy choices

Face it: No matter how motivated you are to get healthy, temptation is going to happen. And when it happens, you’ll need healthy foods and snacks within arm’s reach to come to the rescue.

There’s no better time to take stock of what’s in your kitchen.

Focus on replacing sugary and high-calorie foods with whole grains and lower-calorie alternatives.

• Toss out: Thick dressings, white rice, creamers, white pasta, chips, dip, soda, mayonnaise, pudding and just say no to snack cakes!

• Keep: Vinaigrettes, spinach, nuts, sweet potatoes, whole wheat pasta, grain rice, tomatoes, oatmeal, carrots, salsa, yogurt, mustard, natural applesauce.

• A caution flag to these  (if they become a problem, get a substitute): High-fat cheese, whole milk, butter, ice cream, eggs, cooking oil, beef.

Then move on to the rest of the kitchen:

• Learn to read food labels

• Buy a sturdy cutting board for all the fresh veggies you’ll be cutting up

• Get plenty of plastic bags and containers for portioning out prepared foods and storing healthy leftovers

• Collect healthy, quick recipes

• Toss out all those pizza coupons

• Get a few drinking bottles for keeping cold water in the fridge

• Put a bowl of fruit and granola/breakfast bars by the back door

Nothing tastes as good as lean feels.