Wouldnt it be great to have a personal nutrition assistant? An expert who stocked the fridge regularly with appetizing plates of fruit for snacks and vegetables ready to be tossed into meals? Shed keep the kitchen tidy and have at hand the best tools for making quick work of meal preparation.
With this kind of help, it would be so much simpler to focus on healthy eating.
But lets re-enter the real world. Since the vast majority of us dont have access to kitchen staff, if were seriously committed to weight loss or maintaining a healthy weight we have to be our own kitchen assistant. For permanent success, its an absolute requirement to get the area in order. So roll up your sleeves and refresh your own kitchen.
Put particular emphasis on five areas:
1. The fridge. This is vitally important. To ensure fresh vegetables and fruit comprise half the plate in most meals and snacks, they have to be easily accessible. Clean your fridge. Get rid of items you wont eat. Then start shopping for fresh produce at least twice each week. Put it away in an organized fashion. Keep a crisper of washed and cut up carrots and celery. Stock at least three additional vegetables and three kinds of fruit for use each week. Keep a shopping list handy to add items as you start to run low.
2. Canned goods. There are several canned goods worth having on hand for use in healthy recipes. Particularly good choices are salmon, tuna and sardines, canned tomatoes, chickpeas, black beans, lentils and other legumes, and canned fruit packed in its own juice. There are also poor choices: clear out anything thats of low quality and unworthy of your improved eating habits, including salty canned pastas and soups.
3. Grain products. Take time to sort through your pasta, rice, bread, cereals and crackers. Ensure most are whole grain and supply at least two grams of fibre per serving. For cereal, check that the sugar is below eight grams per serving and fat is less than two grams. If crackers, cookies and chips are too easily relied on for snacks, stop buying them. These foods often supply excess sodium, and the more salt you eat, the more you want. Replace these snacks with more nutritious ones like novel tropical fruits, fresh vegetables with a tasty low-fat dip, toasted almonds or pecans.
4. The freezer. Whether its massive or just the one in your fridge, the freezer is a vital tool in a healthy eating plan. Keep frozen blueberries, peaches and other fruit for adding to smoothies and healthy desserts, a variety of whole grain bread products such as sliced bread, English muffins or tortillas, lean meats like chicken and fish, and a selection of frozen vegetables with no added sauces. If you havent discovered Brussels sprouts, theyre one of the best frozen veggie options.
5. The tools. Its tough to eat the requisite quantity of vegetables and fruit if your preparation equipment is lousy. Invest in a new, rustproof vegetable peeler, a clean cutting board and a sharp paring knife or two. A decent non-stick pan, a couple of saucepans and roasting pans are also required tools for healthy eating. Parchment paper is worth using for simple clean up after roasting. Storage supplies are other key tools. Items like plastic containers with lids and plastic or foil wrap make it easy to store leftovers or pack along to fuel a busy day.
- Patricia Chuey, author, speaker and nutrition consultant can be reached through patriciachuey.com. Find her on Twitter @patriciachuey
Excerpt from:
Kitchen refresh crucial for weight loss success
