Beginning the year with a clean, organized and well-stocked pantry will go a long way in helping you meet your diet goals. Start by tossing anything that's past its expiration date. If there's unopened, nonperishable food that you know no one in your household will eat, then donate it to a local soup kitchen or food pantry. From there, start taking a look at labels, particularly at items that contain trans fat. Anything that contains it, or if you see the words "partially hydrogenated" in the ingredients list, should go in the trash. These fats raise "bad" LDL cholesterol levels and reduce levels of "good" HDL cholesterol, and the consumption of these fats raise coronary heart disease. Unlike other types of fats, they are not essential for health. Many snacks, such as cookies, chips, some types of microwave popcorn and snack cakes contain trans fats, so start there. Make healthy substitutions with baked chips, air-popped popcorn, whole-grain crackers and 100-calorie prepackaged snacks. Toss high-sugar sodas and replace with flavored seltzer water or diet sodas.
Having the right dry goods to make a nutritious meal can mean the difference between eating well and eating fast food. Concentrate on the basics: dry or canned beans, canned tomatoes, brown minute rice, oatmeal, whole-grain cereals, low-fat and low-sodium canned soups, whole-grain pastas, and low-sugar marinara sauce. Baking staples like white flour, sugar and shortening can be tossed, too. Replace them with alternatives such as whole-wheat flour, granulated sugar substitutes, salt-free seasoning blends like Mrs. Dash, flavored vinegars and flavored oil sprays. Keep things organized in baskets, lazy susans or whatever works for you. The key is to be able to see and find all the foods you need to succeed.
