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Pantry Power
Stocking a Healthy Kitchen
By Donna Smith
Most parents will admit to having fed their children something that has left them feeling a bit guilty. But what choices were available? When stomachs growled, all that stared back from the pantry were salty chips, sugary pastries and other processed convenience foods.
Jyl Steinback, dubbed "America's Healthiest Mom" and author of Busy Mom's Make It Quick Cookbook (Meredith Publishing, 2004), says half the battle to healthy eating is having nutritious and tasty choices on hand. "Make your kitchen a safe haven for healthy eating by making healthier choices while including small quantities of your favorite treats," Steinback says. When the "urge to splurge" strikes, a healthy stocked pantry and refrigerator can help families make choices they feel good about.
"We do our best to maintain a healthy stocked kitchen," says Jeanie Perrotta Ruban, a mother of two from Mountainside, N.J. "Fresh vegetables and fruits are the key to our kids healthy eating habits. We avoid buying any candy at all and we try and limit the salty snacks to special occasions only."
Julie Meyer, a nutritionist based in Brooklyn, N.Y., says by maintaining a healthy kitchen, families are able to have all the "tools" they need for a high-fiber, low-fat diet, which is best for maintaining optimal health.
So what items should be on your grocery list to ensure you're offering your family the best?
Healthy pantries and refrigerators should house foods from all major food groups. "Include seasonal fruit, fresh seasonal or frozen vegetables (such as broccoli, bagged salad, frozen peas and mixed vegetables), whole-grain breads, cereals and snacks (such as whole-wheat or multi-grain bread, low-fat Triscuits, oatmeal, shredded wheat, etc.)," says Lisa Cicciarello Andrews, a registered dietitian from Cincinnati, Ohio. "It's also important to have low-fat dairy products on hand such as skim and 1 percent milk and low-fat yogurt and cheese for snacks."
