My top 10 fave pantry foods…
Do you ever wonder if what you’re eating is actually healthy for you?
Or are you curious to know what other healthy people are eating?
Sometimes you can put yourself in a box when it comes to food choices because you just don’t know what else to eat, maybe you don’t feel creative in the kitchen or simply because you’ve become accustomed to your routine.
This can leave you feeling deprived and down right unsatisfied.
Many of my clients feel this way about food when we start working together, but over time as they learn what foods are right for their body and they start thinking outside of the box, trying new foods, they ultimately find their food freedom for life!
The truth is, there are hundreds and thousands of different healthy foods out there for you to try.
As my health journey started to evolve years ago, one of my favorite hobbies was going to Whole Foods at night so that I could leisurely walk through the aisles and find new healthy food goodies after the crowds had left and without any pressure.
I tried a lot of good tasting stuff, some not so good tasting stuff, and I learned more about what to look for.
Now with the rising popularity of online shopping with companies such as Thrive Market, it has become even easier to access healthy AND good tasting foods right at your doorstep.
But that doesn’t mean you know what to buy.
In this week’s video and blog I share with you what I look for in a “healthy” food and my top 10 favorite foods in my pantry.
When I first switched to eating an anti-inflammatory, more organic and whole foods based diet I remember feeling lost about what to eat and what to look for.
Food labeling and marketing isn’t exactly the easiest thing you’ll ever read.
When I look at food labels for any boxed, bag or canned food items, I’m primarily looking for 5 things in this priority of importance as it relates to my health…
- Gluten free
- Organic and NON-GMO
- Dairy free
- No added or artificial sugar
- Soy free
The tricky part is that these ingredients aren’t always listed in plain english. They can show up as whey (dairy), barley or rye (gluten), soy lecithin (soy) or as something such as sucralose (Splenda).
So I simply default to the list of allergens on the food label, where by law a food manufacturer at least has to list in plain english if a food contains any of the 8 major allergens.
If the allergens section of the food label says “contains” wheat, dairy or soy, I avoid it. If there sugar is listed in the nutrition facts or it’s a sweet treat, I look for fruit in the ingredients and if I can’t find them, that’s a pretty good sign there’s either added sugar or artificial sweeteners.
The shorter the list of ingredients, the better.
My next level of priority is food packaging to minimize my toxin exposure. If I can get foods in a glass jar, paper or cardboard packaging, that’s ideal. And canned goods that are BPA free will do if there are no other options.
For any meats, poultry, fish or eggs I want them to be grass fed, free range or wild caught and hormone free.
And, of course, I aim to get all of my fruits and vegetables organic and pesticide free as much as possible.
So where does that leave me? With a ton of options, actually.
But I get it, sometimes you just want someone to tell you want to eat or to give you some ideas to get started.
That’s why I’m sharing with you my top 10 favorite foods that are in my pantry right now.
These 10 foods include some of my favorite snacks and staples that are clean, wholesome, and packed with healthy fats and nutrients to keep you feeling satisfied.
- Pitted Botija Olives by Essential Living Foods from Thrive Market
- Homemade Taco Seasoning – recipe from Paleo Leap
- Matcha Collagen by Vital Proteins
- Ghee by 4th & Heart from Thrive Market
- 85% Dark Chocolate bars by Theo
- Paleo Protein bars by Julian Bakery
- Pork Rinds by 4505 and Epic from Thrive Market
- 100% Coconut Milk by Chaokoh
- Coconut Wraps (turmeric + original) by Nuco from Thrive Market
- Bison Bites from Roam Free
If you feel like you’ve been stuck in a rut when it comes to figuring out what to eat, then check out some of these Wholistic Health Boss approved foods and start thinking outside the box!
