The Pant-Pantry Connection

My Pantry

I believe I have discovered a truth.  The contents of my pantry have a direct correlation to my pant size. Don't believe me?  Think about this. I am "hungry" and go to the kitchen to check out what might be hiding out just waiting for me to devour.  Surely, something yummy has made its way to my kitchen. I know I last checked out the situation about 10 mins ago but something must have appeared while I wasn't there. I go to the fridge. Milk, eggs, butter, cheese, yogurt, several salad dressings and all the veggies tucked neatly in their compartments. Oh sure, there are some nuts and lunchmeat. Some leftover fruit salad next to the jars of pickles and olives. But that's about it. So I move on. There must be something in the freezer. Fruit for smoothies, more veggies, more meat and ice. On to the next stop. THE PANTRY.  The place where food can sit forever and a snack can always be found even if I haven't darkened a grocery store's door in weeks.  Cereal, chips, crackers, cookies and to round out the "C" words, Carbs. They lure me in and before I know it I have consumed a mile's worth of calories in minutes. Happened to anyone else? 
Now I am not saying everything in a fridge is worthy of consumption. Lord knows, a pizza box fits nicely into both a fridge and freezer. You know the spot, right next to the box of microwavable stuff and ice cream purchased "for the kids". Because kids will only eat processed, breaded stuff and ice cream.(sarcasm) Have I gone a little too far? Hit a nerve, no apologies, but you get my point. Unhealthy food makes its way into our homes. And part of it isn't completely our fault. I mean sure, we buy the stuff and bring it home but the grocery store is about 25% whole, unprocessed foods while the other 75% is filled with processed stuff just waiting to take its place in innocent pantries. Not to mention all the TV ads and the media bombardment filled with temptations for the junk. Preservative, dye and chemical filled junk. Junk to fill my pants and junk to fill your pants. (bad pun, I know, but sometimes I just can't stop myself) But think, when is the last time you saw an ad for fast food? You probably even have the jingle memorized. And now think of the last time you saw one for an apple? No jingle, huh?
Any of this sounding familiar? So you may wonder how you can revamp your pantry and in turn, your pants. While I am no pantry guru, I have figured out when my pants get a little snug it isn't from all the meat, cheese and eggs I have around. It is from the gluten-free crackers I just had to try or the Organic Tortilla Chips that I know can't be all that bad for me. Corn, salt, lime and oil. And Organic, hello. But the truth is painfully obvious and the more I fill my pantry with beans, quinoa, brown rice, steel-cut oats, sweet potatoes, onions, spices and tuna; the less space I have for the foods that shrink my pants.
I have come up with a list of staples I keep on-hand so that eating at home is easier. Maybe "easier" isn't the correct word, as no one comes in and cooks the meal for me (now that would be easy)  but at least I have all the stuff I need to whip up a quick meal without much thought. These items keep my pantry full of good, healthy choices and keep me on track. I hope this gives you a starting point if you need one or maybe a new item to add to your grocery list.

Pantry Staples:
Dry Beans- Red, white, black, lentils, garbanzo, pinto,etc. Whatever they have, I buy.
Canned Beans- I use these in a time crunch. Cans are lined with BPA and can be loaded with other added stuff. So when I use them I make sure I rinse them first.
Canned Tomatoes- look for organic, BPA-free and low sodium and sugar ones. I buy stewed, sauce, diced and Mexican varieties.
Fresh Tomatoes- Cherubs are my fav but I buy seasonal varieties as well. And yes, fresh tomatoes should be kept at room temp.
Condiments- Mustards, vinegars, pickles, olives, peppers, hearts of palm, all fruit preserves, sauerkraut, etc.
Pasta- We eat pasta on occasion and have grown to like the taste of corn, rice and quinoa based pastas. If gluten is not an issue for you try a whole wheat version of the white stuff.
Rice- Brown, wild, short grain, long grain. Again, look for organic.
Quinoa- Love this grain! Planning a week of blogs dedicated to the stuff. Costco sells organic for the best price I have found.
*Again, if gluten is not an issue, try barley, couscous and other grains.
Onions- purple, sweet yellow and white
Potatoes-fingerling, sweet and various others
Broth- Chicken, veg, beef. Look for organic, low-sodium and no MSG or yeast extract.
Snacks- Popcorn, peanut butter, raw unsalted nuts, fresh fruits, dried fruits and if you choose crackers and chips- look for ones with ingredients you can pronounce, low sodium and sugar content like the ones by Food Should Taste Good.
Canned fish- salmon, tuna, sardines and anything else you can stomach. (not my favorite foods)
Cereal- Kashi has great ones without much sugar and lots of protein, Nature's Path has several gluten-free varieties. Steel-cut oats, way better than rolled but keep some rolled on-hand too. Bob's Red Mill makes some great varieties of gluten-free hot cereals.
Baking supplies- organic sugar, agave nectar, organic flour or gluten-free substitutes, cornmeal, Smart Balance oil and Pam, baking soda, salt, baking powder and cocoa powder.
Misc.- Extra virgin olive oil, every variety of Mrs. Dash, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, assorted pepper grinders, smoked paprika, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, various extracts, Cajun seasoning, Old Bay, poultry seasoning and anything else that looks interesting.
Tea- I have a variety on-hand all the time. I read a study once that found people with a cup of something warm to drink in their hands immediately felt happier and relaxed.  I believe it. My fav right now is Stash's Lemon Ginger but I fit in a cup of Green Tea any chance I get.
Coffee- I order organic, free-trade, whole bean coffee from Back Country Coffee Roasters by the case on Amazon.com. Their No-Trace Decaf and Coyote Blends are AMAZING. Check them out.

So there you have it. My pantry in a nutshell. I hope you consider adding something new to your pantry and giving yourself some healthy options when eating at home.  If you have a chance to add something today, pick up some quinoa for tomorrow's Cajun Quinoa recipe. As always, please feel free to share your ideas, site suggestions and comments. And remember, it's all about the PANTry the next time you grocery shop.