How to Stock a Healthy Pantry
By: Elyse Prince
Published: February 16, 2011

How do you define "healthy" food?
To some people, “healthy”  means vegetarian or vegan. Then there’s also  the kind of “healthy” that  emphasizes low-calorie, low-fat or  macrobiotic diets.
As part of my website Creative Delites, I have worked with some of New  York’s best chefs, including Chef Bill Telepan of Telepan restaurant,  Chef Louis Lanza of Josie’s and Chef Michael  Psilakis of Kefi to highlight their restaurant’s healthiest dishes. In  interviewing the chefs, I discovered how many competing definitions  there are for “healthy” food.
I'm also learning at The Natural Gourmet Institute that there is a  broad spectrum of approaches to healthy eating. Because everyone is so different, what works for one person may not work for someone else!
That being  said, there is a general consensus that using whole, natural foods and ingredients is a step in the right direction towards living a healthier life.
So, get started today with these simple tips:



Limit Your Whites: I realize that it's not realistic to get rid of all processed "white" ingredients from your pantry, so try substituting "whole" staples for "whites" where you can. For example, instead of using white sugar in your coffee, try buying sugar in the raw pictured above. When baking bread, just replace half of the white flour with whole wheat. If you do buy white flour, make sure to buy good-quality unbleached flour!
 




Spice Things Up: Stock your pantry with whole roasted spices and dried herbs. It's a  great way to add a lot of flavor to your dishes for zero calories. To roast spices, cook them in  a dry skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Shake the pan occasionally, until the spices are fragrant (your kitchen will smell amazing, especially if you try some whole cloves pictured above!). Then, grind them into powder in a spice or coffee grinder. Turn your soup into a flavor powerhouse!







 




Stock-with-Stock: Bring on the flavor with virtually no fat or calories! I like to buy single servings of the organic vegetable broth pictured above for making soups and for boiling pasta and rice (also, comes low in sodium). I store the package in my pantry and pull out one container whenever I'm making a single-serving dinner or lunch. Even better— Make your own homemade vegetable stock. Just start with a flavorful base, with onion, carrots and celery— and add the best veggies and herbs you have on hand.


Shop in the Bulk Bins: Next time you go food shopping, make the first stop the bulk aisle. The bins are packed with nutritional nuts, seeds, dried fruit, whole grains, organic sweets, etc...And, it's extremely affordable!  Also, shopping in bulk is perfect when it comes to taste testing new foods because you can weigh out as much as you need, and you don’t have to commit to an entire box of any one ingredient.


Get to Know a Farmer: Shop at a local farmers market, or sign-up for a local C.S.A., and try asking the farmers about how they grow their food. Your best choice is food that that is both local and organic! And, pick up a homemade apple pie or a fresh jar of honey while you're at it!


Check Labels: Check the label on your produce to make sure it's organic. There should be an SKU # (shelf packing number) on fruits and veggies...If the # starts with a 4, that means it's "conventional"; If the # starts with an 9 that means it's "organic"; if the # starts with an 8 that means it's "GMO"!  Shop 9's when you can.
Get shopping! And, enjoy!
Other Pantry Must-Haves: old-fashioned oats, dried beans, lentils, peanut butter, extra virgin olive oil, and vinegars.