Pantry Purge

Your pantry, home to a wide variety and massive volume of food; good and not so good.

Do you know what’s in your panty?

Is it currently stocked to knock you off track as you shift towards healthy natural whole food eating?

One way to find out…

Purge your pantry and start FRESH

 

Good healthy eating comes when you make conscious choices, first and foremost. That does not always happen. We’re creatures of habit. Eating is sometimes influenced by underlying, unconscious emotional triggers. Snacking and grazing often happens automatically without your even realizing it. Your pantry is a convenient storage spot that plays directly into this. Change what’s in your pantry and change the impact of such an unconscious act.

Here’s How To Purge Your Pantry Today

First, remove everything from your pantry. I mean EVERYTHING!

 

Target #1: Sweets,Treats, & Snacks

We tend to gather so much of this in the pantry. It could include any of the following and more.

• Sugary treats like cookies and candies.
• Salty snacks like potato chips.
• High fat snacks like most crackers.
• Kids snacks. Don’t kid yourself – pun intended 🙂 – if it’s there it’s a temptation.
• Old Halloween, Christmas, or Easter treats or baking.
• Speaking of baking, what about that bag of chocolate chips in the baking bin?

What are the things you tend to reach for when you snack or graze in the pantry?

All of these gotta go! Throw them out, give them away. Whatever you need to do. If you think placing them high and at the back of the shelf will work, guess again. If you think storing them in the basement, garage, or freezer will work, nice try. A big part of overcoming unconscious eating is placing items out of sight. When you are in the midst of shifting old habits and developing a new healthy eating lifestyle even that is likely too much of a temptation to overcome. Get rid of them.

IMPORTANT CAVEAT. This does not mean restrict yourself from ever enjoying any of these items. Occasionally, when you really want them, go out and buy just enough to satisfy you. Enjoy it fully. Frame it as a positive part of your healthy eating lifestyle but do not punish yourself for doing so.

 

Target #2: Processed Foods

This one is a part of your transition towards whole natural food eating. Many overly processed foods can be replaced by alternatives that are much healthier choices. Two key areas to assess, purge, and make a fresh start are…

Refined Grains

Pastas, rices, cereals, flour for baking – watch for refined choices such as white bread, pasta, rice, and all purpose flour. Aim for 100% whole grain choices. In cereals watch for a significant amount of added sugar too.

Canned Goods

Watch for canned whole meals that are high in fat and sugar. Become good at reading and comparing soup labels. High fat, high sodium, added sugar are all culprits here. Choose fresh or frozen vegetables rather than canned versions.

 

Now What?

Of course there might be more for you to assess, purge, and start fresh with. This is meant to be a start with 2 common targets that are problematic for most people.

Okay, now that you’ve done your purge it’s time to start fresh. Put all that remains back into your pantry in a manner that works for you. Label, use containers, choose locations that support daily use, occasional use, and any other factors relevant to you.

Your pantry is now designed with items that can support your Thriving Health. Restock it consciously. Become aware of your unconscious habits and take care to NOT fall into old ways.

 

Your Thriving Health depends on it!