SoCal Flipbooks

Health Matters: Providence St. Mary Medical Center | 3 Eating healthier can begin with having the right foods on hand. S pring is the season of renewal and fresh starts. It's also a time to get rid of what doesn't work, whether that's out- of-fashion clothing or poor eating habits. Spring-cleaning your pantry and refrigerator can set you up for success when it comes to eating well. We spoke with Molly Wainstock, a Providence supervisor of cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, to learn five smart moves that will help you start or stick to a healthier food plan. Learn new recipes. If you have rarely used cookbooks, check them out or borrow some from the library or your friends. Watch a few cooking videos. Find the fun in experimenting with new, healthier recipes. "Most cookbooks and YouTube videos have a bio about the person producing them," Wainstock notes, "so make sure they 're a credible source." Having a recipe to refer to also will help you make a focused shopping list for quicker, more efficient visits to the grocery. "Going to the store with a list that's thought-out will prevent splurges," advises Wainstock. Keep food fresh and ready to eat. Nothing prompts a call for pizza delivery faster than discovering that the only food in the house is well beyond its "sell by" date or, worse, has grown a coat of mold! Throw that stuff away. Plan your meals ahead of time and shop frequently for the fresh ingredients you'll need. "Recipes calling for fresh food will lead to better meal choices," says Wainstock. This works even if you're pressed for time, because you'll only need to pick up a few ingredients. It also will save money by reducing wasted food and avoiding those last-minute fast-food orders. Have the basics on hand. Everyone's "essentials" are going to be a little different, depending on taste preferences and food sensitivities, but it's hard to go wrong with canned beans, chickpeas, canned tomatoes, olive oil, eggs, yogurt and whole- grain pastas or tortillas. You could always add canned chicken or fish if you're a meat eater. Frozen and canned foods get a bad rap, but research shows they are just as nutritious as fresh foods. With the suggestions listed here, you can make healthful omelets, pasta meals, burritos and soups. Add some fresh lettuce or cabbage and you have salad as another option. This also will save you money by encouraging you to stock up on certain basics when they 're on sale. Don't buy it if you're going to be mad at yourself for eating it. There's often a certain amount of denial that goes into buying a gallon of ice cream, a big package of cookies or a couple bags of snacks. We may tell ourselves it's just for the family or we won't open it until friends come over, but that's seldom how it works. Chances are, if you have high-calorie treats on hand, they're going to win out over more nutritious, lower-calorie choices. "We call that the 'mom tax': when you end up eating the treats you bought for the family," Wainstock jokes. Instead, stock your fridge with healthier snacking options like baby carrots, sugar snap peas, hummus and cubed fresh fruit. Commit to a healthy food environment year-round. Spring isn't the only time to give your pantry a checkup. Make a point to stock your pantry with healthful choices regularly, so you always have these basics available. At least once a month, look at your inventory and use up anything approaching its expiration date. For fresh foods, check your supplies weekly and use or freeze anything that's going to spoil. Keep tweaking your shopping lists to reduce waste and find ways to stick to a nutritious plan. "You need to make choices that are sustainable," explains Wainstock. "Don't try to change everything at once—make small modifications over time." 5 STRATEGIES FOR Spring Cleaning YOUR PANTRY

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