The kitchen can make or break weight loss results. One stocked with the makings for healthy meals and snacks will keep you on track, even when late-night cravings strike. On the flip side, a kitchen filled with unhealthy munchies will derail weight loss efforts every single time.So, what should your cupboards hold and what should be off limits? I’ve designed this self-guided kitchen raid to help you sort out the good from the bad.Go ahead, grab a garbage bag, along with this list, and head to the kitchen.The refrigeratorLet’s start with the fridge, the heart of the kitchen. If you find something in the fridge that is on the “dump this” list, then you know what to do. Get that garbage bag ready.Dump this: Beverages with high fructose corn syrup or sugar. Drinking calories is one of the quickest ways to gain weight, so quickly rid the fridge of any beverage that lists HFCS or sugar on the ingredient list. Replace with:
- Water. It is a well-known fact that most people are partially dehydrated, a condition that is harmful to your health and wreaks havoc on weight loss efforts. Keep plenty of cold water on hand for proper hydration.Dump this: rich dairy products. Cream cheese tastes amazing, but fat-filled dairy products are extremely high in calories and should not reside in the fridge. Eliminate high-fat cheese, milk and yogurt from the kitchen.
- Fresh vegetables. The produce drawer in the fridge should be overflowing with colorful nutrient-rich veggies. In fact, your fridge should have more veggies than the drawer can hold. Veggies are filled with fiber, vitamins and nutrients, and are a vital part of a healthy well-rounded diet.
Dump this: Fatty meats. It is important to be selective about the meats you eat. I may say that chicken is a great source of protein, but if you take that as a license to eat fried chicken every day, then the benefit of the protein will be lost in all the extra fat calories. Replace with:
- Lean meats. Skinless chicken breast, lean ground turkey, white fish – there are numerous choices when it comes to lean meats.
Dump this: Fruit-flavored yogurt. I hate to break this to you, but that cute, individually packaged yogurt is going to do more harm to your waistline than you think. More than 50 percent of the calories in fruit-flavored yogurt come from sugar. Check out the ingredient list, and you will likely find both high fructose corn syrup AND sugar. Replace with:
- Replace with: plain low-fat yogurt, Greek yogurt or low-fat cottage cheese. If you love yogurt, then get the low-fat plain version. Chop up some fresh fruit and stir it in. Another option is to have a scoop of low-fat cottage cheese with chopped fruit on top.
The freezerTake a look in your freezer. Anyone who has walked the freezer aisles at the store knows how plentiful frozen temptations are. How does your freezer measure up?
Dump this: Ice cream. We may as well get this one over with. Hiding a gallon or two (or even a pint) of your favorite ice cream “for a rainy day” is NOT a good idea. Save yourself from that temptation and don’t buy ice cream. Replace with:
- Frozen fruit. When your sweet tooth starts acting up, throw an assortment of frozen fruit into the blender and whip up a healthy fiber-filled smoothie.
Dump this: Frozen pizza. This is another one of those items that is just too tempting to keep around. Why would you bother to make a healthy dinner when a frozen pizza is calling your name? Ban frozen pizza from your home and watch as your waist starts to shrink. Replace with:
- Turkey or veggie patties. For quick dinners, keep your freezer filled with lean turkey patties and veggie patties. Serve on a bed of brown rice or on a whole grain bun.
Dump this: TV dinners. The next time you are tempted to buy a pre-packaged frozen meal, turn the package over and read the nutritional facts. You will be shocked by the staggering number of calories and less-than-healthy ingredients. Replace with:
- Home-made portioned meals. Spend some time on the weekends to cook up healthy meals, and then freeze them in portioned containers. Throughout the week, simply reheat and enjoy.
Dump this: Frozen breakfast food. French toast, waffles and pancakes are popular items in the freezer aisle. Don’t fall for the pretty photos and tasty-sounding names. These items are highly processed and contain loads of unnecessary sugar. Replace with:
- Sprouted whole grain bread and muffins. It is just as easy to throw a slice of sprouted, whole grain bread in the toaster as it is a frozen waffle. Spread it with some natural peanut butter and pair it with a piece of fruit. Now that’s a much healthier breakfast.
The pantryLast, but not least, we come to the pantry. This may be the most painful part of the kitchen raid, since most junk food ends up here. Take a moment to give yourself a pep talk before grabbing that garbage bag and opening the pantry.
Dump this: Sugar-filled cereal. If either sugar or high fructose corn syrup are listed as ingredients on the cereal box, it’s got to go. Sugar-filled cereal is basically another form of junk food, and will only add inches to your waist. Replace with:
- Whole grain oatmeal. There is a huge difference between instant, sugar-filled oatmeal and whole grain oatmeal.
Dump this: Refined white bread, rice and pasta. These highly processed products promote weight gain and a plethora of other health problems. Do not buy “white” bread, rice or pasta – especially if you want to lose weight. Replace with:
- Whole grain bread, rice and pasta. Whole grain is the best choice. It is filled with healthy fiber and is less likely to contain harmful, waist-expanding ingredients.
Dump this: Chips and crackers. While refined chips and crackers are fun to munch on, the extra calories will quickly add up. Do yourself a favor by not allowing these in the pantry. Replace with:
- Almonds. The key to making this snack a winner is to practice portion control. Place a handful of almonds into individual bags for pre-portioned snacks.
Dump this: Packaged sweets. I don’t really have to explain this one, do I? Cookies and cakes and candies shouldn’t be a regular part of your diet, so keep them out of the house. It’s one thing to enjoy a dessert once in a while; it is quite another to routinely eat processed sweets at home. Replace with:
- Dried fruit. When you want to munch on something sweet, turn to a bag of dried fruit. Make sure you purchase dried fruit that does not contained added sugars.
I encourage you to raid your kitchen every couple of months as a way of staying on track. Talk with family members about the healthy changes you’re making, and try to get everyone’s support.
RECIPE OF THE MONTHBest Spinach Salad EverThe first thing you’ll notice about this salad is that it tastes amazing. It also doesn’t hurt that spinach is an extremely nutrient-dense food. The recipe calls for raspberry vinegar, which is a flavorful and refreshing alternative to traditional, oily dressing. The fruit and nuts add flavor, fiber and healthy fat.Servings: 8Ingredients:8 cups cleaned spinach leaves3 oranges, peeled, sliced and quartered2 cucumbers, peeled sliced and quartered1/8 cup macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped1/8 cup sunflower seeds2 tablespoons poppy seeds1 cup strawberries, sliced or whole raspberries1/2 cup white balsamic raspberry blush vinegarCombine the spinach, oranges, cucumbers, macadamia nuts, sunflower seeds, poppy seeds and strawberries in a bowl.Add the vinegar and toss well.Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 99 calories, 3g fat, 14g carbohydrate, 2.6g fiber, and 3.5g protein.www.perfectfitwc.com
