Spring Cleaning: For Your Pantry!

Why?- We are spending more time at home and in the kitchen!- Make it a place you love to be, and have control over 

• • To feel good about knowing exactly what is in you and your family’s food
  • Easy preparation for recipes that fit in with your diet 
  • Save money by buying only what you need!
  • To get organized- no more sneaky foods hiding on the backs of the shelves 

How? 

• • Identify guidelines
    • Are you eliminating added sugar, preservatives, artificial colors/flavors, gluten, dairy, soy, etc? Write a list down of all the foods you are going to eliminate so that you have a clear guideline of what you do NOT want hanging out in your kitchen 
  • Take everything out of your pantry and place them on the counter, so you can see everything all at one time- no food items should be left in the pantry!  
  • Start sorting!- Create 2 piles: a keep pile, and a donate pile 
    • The donate pile should consist of all of the foods you are eliminating from your diet based on your guidelines 
    • The keep pile is everything else that you want to stay for you and your family to use and enjoy 
  • Donate or put back in the pantry 
    • Put all the donate items in a bag to take and donate to your local food pantry
    • All the items left on your counter can now go neatly back in the pantry where they belong! 
  • Make a list of all the things you are now missing that you want to stock your pantry with when you go for your next shopping trip. Here are our favorite pantry staples:
    • Gluten free whole grains (millet, teff, quinoa, rice, amaranth, oats, fonio, sorghum, buckwheat, etc.) 
    • Healthy oils- avocado, olive, coconut, nut and seed based ones (besides peanut) 
    • Organic, simple ingredient crackers, cereals, granolas, tortillas, chips, pastas
    • Dried fruit
    • Organic maple syrup, honey, date sugar, coconut sugar, stevia, or monk fruit 
    • Clean protein or collagen powder
    • Canned salmon or sardines
    • Gluten free flours/baking mixes  
    • Canned vegetables
    • Canned coconut milk 
    • Nut or seed butters
    • Nuts and seeds 
    • Organic bone broths or stocks 
    • Teas
    • Condiments and spices 
    • Canned or dried beans, lentils, chickpeas