By: Shannon Flanagan
Shannon Flanagan is a certified personal trainer. Follow her on Instagram (@shanagan9) for a sneak peek at her workouts and inspirational quotes. Ahead, she shares her pantry makeover tips.
It’s officially spring, which aside from experiencing warmer weather, means it is time to refresh your living situation. And no, I don’t mean using the KonMari method to tidy up. Instead, we’re focusing on a healthier pantry. To start, I think it’s a good idea to look at what you have in your freezer and pantry every six months since we tend to stock up on items and forget about them over time.
In an attempt to make spring cleaning a little easier, I’ve listed a few action items for you to get started on, along with healthier pantry options.
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4 Tips for a Pantry Makeover
Start with pulling out one product at a time. Seeing individual items, rather than a group of them, can offer perspective on where the majority of your calories come from.
Read the labels carefully. I suggest sticking to products with five or fewer ingredients on the label. I would also recommend only buying products with recognizable ingredients.
After gathering all the pantry items, see if there is a trend. Are there a lot of salty foods? Sweet foods? From there, I like to sit down with my clients and talk about healthier versions of those foods we tend to crave. For example, if someone has cookies or candy bars, I would suggest trying dark chocolate and maybe adding some almond butter to a square or two. I know that little snack helps me tame my sweet tooth.
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Make sure most of the calories you consume are whole foods. Stock up your refrigerator with lots of fruits and veggies. When it comes to buying these items, choose local and organic whenever you can. I love shopping at Whole Foods or local farmers markets in the summer time. This is a great place to get organic vegetables, seasonal fruits and berries, local raw honey, and sometimes flours and baked goods.
Healthier Pantry Options to Add to Your Shopping List
Flours
- Einkorn Flour
- Coconut Flour
- Almond Flour
Oils & Fats
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (not recommended cooking on high heat)
- Avocado Oil
- Grass-Fed, Organic Butter
- Ghee
Grains, Pasta, Rice & Legumes
- Quinoa
- Whole Grain Oats
- Chickpeas
- Lentils
- Gluten-Free Pasta (zoodles, brown rice pasta, spinach pasta)
- Wild Blend Rice
Seasoning & Spices
- Celtic Sea Salt
- Himalayan Salt
- Cinnamon
- Cumin
- Organic Black Peppercorn
- Thyme
- Turmeric
Seeds, Nuts, Nut Butters
- Almonds
- Cashews
- Macadamia Nuts
- Pecans
- Pistachios
- Walnuts
- Almond Butter
- Cashew Butter
- Keto Butter
Sweeteners
- Local, Raw honey
- Dates
- Pure Maple Syrup
- Natural Vanilla and Pure Almond Extract
- Coconut Sugar
Broths & Stocks
- Organic Vegetable Stock
- Bone Broths
- Free-Range Chicken Broth
