One of the most important tasks when choosing a clean eating lifestyle, is creating a home environment that supports your new way of living. When it comes to the food that you keep in your kitchen, being well-prepared with a variety of healthy foods is one way to ensure that you won’t slip up and binge on junk foods. Here are some essentials to keep in your clean-eating pantry.
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
The clean-eating lifestyle is built around the consumption of life-giving fresh fruits and vegetables. By keeping these on hand, you will be more likely to choose them instead of packaged and processed foods.
Keep them in the special bins in your fridge, and keep a smaller amount in a fruit bowl on the table. You can wash a few pieces of fruit at a time so that it is easy and convenient to pick up a piece and eat it when hunger strikes. Vegetables can be cut up in advance, and small amounts put into bowls to snack on all day long.
Cooking and Baking Essentials
It is frustrating to be excited about trying a new, clean recipe, and then realizing you have to buy most of the ingredients. Stock up and keep your cupboards full of items that you will use regularly, such as a variety of herbs and spices. Keep various milk substitutes such as cashew, almond, rice and hemp. These can stay unopened for much longer than conventional milk, and can be kept in the cupboard until needed.
Gluten-free foods and substitutes for the original foods can be found in almost every grocery store in abundance nowadays. For example, wheat pasta can be replaced by items such as rice noodles and black bean pasta. These help make tasty meals that are just as convenient as other less healthy items that you may be used to eating regularly.
Keep bulky foods and flours around, such as oats, millet and quinoa that you can eat as is, or use in your baking. Choose organic as often as possible.
Healthy “Convenience” Foods
Eating clean doesn’t have to be difficult or time consuming. Many canned foods can be a part of your new lifestyle and can save you a lot of time.
Stock up on low-sodium and organic canned beans, tomato sauce, vegetables, soups and salmon. These will give you options when you are hungry but short on time, and will help prevent any dietary relapses due to a wrong food choice made in a state of panic.
Nuts and seeds keep well and a handful can be a great, filling snack. Sprouted, organic bread is delicious, or you can make your own. Protein powder made from a trustworthy source is great to have on hand, and can be mixed for a quick meal.
When you decide to eat clean, begin changing your pantry into one that supports you and your health goals. By storing foods that are delicious and keep well, you will be less likely to fall off the wagon, so to speak. Make a list of these foods that support your lifestyle and keep them in your home, and eating clean will be easy to do.
