Holistic Pantry Flip

Who else opens their pantry and thinks to themselves that they wish they had one of those “picturesque pinterest pantries” with everything labelled in beautiful matching jars? 

While minimalist jar life might not be for everyone, there are so many ways to have a healthy pantry to help you live more holistically.

No matter where you are in your health journey, It is so important to look at your food in your life and assess if it is best for you and your loved ones.

First thing: If you fail to prepare, you are preparing to fail.
Might sound super obvious, but a really good place to start is to understand that healthy eating is easier when you have healthy food in your house.

Sabji market - Jaipur, The Pink City

Tips for making a healthier pantry: 

REMOVE 

1. Packaged foods // JERF - Just Eat Real Food.
Nuff said. Say NO to packaged foods.
Anything in a packet usually has other rubbish things in it. Who wants to eat something that is a “food-like product”? 

2. Preservatives and numbers
Again - the majority of these additives are not real food. Side effects of reactions to preservatives and numbers can be things like: brain fog, fatigue, hyperactivity, headaches, asthma, rashes, digestive upsets, insomnia. 

A quick run down on the numbering system is that numbers between 100-180 are colours; 200-290 are preservatives; 300-320 are antioxidants; 322 to 494 are emulsifiers; and 905 to 907 are mineral hydrocarbons. 

Colourings are only used for cosmetic and appearance of the food and serve no purpose for taste or preservation. 

Many organisations such as The Hyperactive Children’s Support Group and National Asthma Council Australia have put out warnings to parents to avoid many numbers all across the board due to the effects on various different conditions
.
A great way to know what you are eating is to check out The Chemical Maze book or app is really handy resource. 

Most additives do serve a purpose in the packaged foods but if you choose to eat a natural wholefoods diet you will be able to remove any exposure to those numbers.

3. Plastics
Plastics have been shown to disrupt hormones, are neurotoxic and disrupt good bacteria in our gut.
A few of my favourite and easy swaps to begin with include:
Beeswax wraps instead of cling wrap
Jars and glass containers instead of plastic storage items
Wooden stirring spoons instead of plastic ones
Loose leaf tea instead of tea bags (tea bags contain plastic)
Especially do not heat plastic as this just speeds up the process of the plastic chemicals leaching into the food.


4. Remove the non stick pans.
The best cookware is stainless steel or specific brands like Neoflam for example.
Do you notice how after a little white the non stick bits starts to scratch off the pan? Where do you think that goes - yep in your food that you’ve eaten. 

5. De clutter!
Detach from random bobs and bibs in the kitchen. Do you really need 5 different ladles  or 10 different sized mixing bowls? Donate some to charity or a friend in need to decrease clutter. A clear pantry = a clear mind! 
Also if you haven’t used something in your pantry or fridge within the last 4 weeks - get rid of it, you probably won’t use it in the next 4 weeks or 4 months. Old jars of pesto and off pickles at the back of the fridge I’m looking at you….

Colourful Hanoi, Vietnam

Things TO DO: 

1. Buy in Bulk - Save money + save the earth.
Buying your flour, nuts and seeds, muesli, cacao powder, rice and pasta from a Bulk Food store will save you money and also save packaging and plastic going to landfill.
PSA: No waste life is game changing. Try The Source Bulk Foods - they have everything you could need and you can even take your own jars or containers with you to just fill up right then and there! 

2. Spices
Include lots of herbs and spices for flavouring dishes. Think turmeric, basil, himalayan salt, ginger, garlic, thyme, coriander, cumin, black pepper etc. Spice racks can be a great idea for storage and look super cute in the kitchen too. Including herbs and spices in your diet adds a lot of phytonutrients and of course brings your food to life in flavour and colour.


3. Fresh Produce
Fill your fridge and pantry with lots of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, fermented foods and berries!
Shopping at farmers markets is a great way to save money, get fresh produce and connect with the growers. Did you know that some vegetables in big supermarkets have actually be frozen & sprayed and some vegetables like pumpkins, potato and sweet potato have been tested to be over 1 year old.
Prepping foods in your fridge can be handy. For example you can cut things up like carrot and celery sticks, pineapple, strawberries, melons, prep a basic salad and pop them in glass containers in the fridge for easy access and snacks. 

4. Store your fruits and vegetables correctly to ensure they last.
Did you know the average Australian family throws away 1/3 of their weekly shopping? Storing your produce better is a great way to make it last longer. for example, beeswax wrap to cover open avocados and citrus fruit, wrap cauli and broccoli with a damp cloth to store for longer. Cut up carrots and celery and place in a jar with water (keep them crunchy and easier to eat)

5. Buy seasonally with fruits and vegetables.
Pesticides are used to make non-seasonal fruit grow better so you want to avoid this as much as possible.
Farmer’s markets are a great way to source organic fruits and vegetables and not spend your months wage on it.  

Indian Masala box