Creating a Healthy Kitchen

My healthy kitchen began after becoming sick in 2010. I thought I was eating healthy but realized I was just eating garbage. My pantry got a good cleaning and I threw out of all the packaged and processed food. This is when I started eating healthy and taking better care of my body.

Nutrition really does start in the kitchen. Well, essentially, it starts with our minds and what we choose to buy or put in our mouths. I’m excited to share some things with you. These have helped me change what I eat and what I feed my family.

I’m excited to join a few of my “healthy” friends. I’ll share more about them at the end of this post.

What Makes a Healthy Kitchen

A healthy kitchen starts with whole foods, real foods. You don’t have to go out and literally remove everything you have in your fridge or pantry. You can, if you want to, but I would take baby steps. For instance, if you are used to buying packaged foods, you will go through a major detox. You will experience this if you eat a lot of sugar. I don’t want you to give up haha.

Start slow. Identify a few things you can give up. This will help you get started with a healthy kitchen. Here are some examples:

• Remove packaged/boxed foods
• Get rid of all the white sugar
• Throw away any unbleached flour
• Ditch the sodas and sugary drinks
• Toss any condiments/sauces with unfamiliar ingredients

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Tips On How To Read Food Labels

There are a lot of “healthy” packaged foods out there that are really hidden with bad ingredients. I started reading labels 11 years ago while I was healing from my surgery. Once you start seeing what’s really in our food, you begin to think. You think about what you are putting in your body. Honestly, I got mad. I was mad at the food industry. They market these amazing products and then stuff a bunch of junk and chemicals into our bodies. It’s not right that they are doing this to us.

Also, the list of ingredients in their order is very important. What is at the beginning of the list is what is the most used in the food product. It’s done by weight.

Here are just a few bad ingredients to look for:

• Look for the words “natural” or natural flavors”
• High Fructose Syrup
• Soybean and any type of bad oil(vegetable, canola, cottonseed, sunflower, safflower, corn, rice bran)
• Enriched Flour
• BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene) – used to prevent oxidation in food
• Colors/Food Dyes
• The words “artificial” or “coloring”
• Sugar
• Glucose or Tapioca Syrup
• MSG – food enhancer

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How To Make a Healthy Kitchen

Here are a few of my tips that have helped me change up my kitchen and pantry. My goal is to eat about 80/20 clean. It’s just not realistic to eat totally clean and healthy, especially when you are traveling or going out to dinner. I always give myself grace with that 20%. I know that I’ll return to my healthy eating habits when I get back home. The most important thing I’ve learned is to be mindful of what I’m eating and not let food consume me.

1. BUY IN BULK

This has really helped me stay on track with what comes in and out of my kitchen. All of my bulk items are kept in clear glass jars. This setup makes it easy for me to see when I’m getting low. It also helps me know when to re-order that item. So, what do I buy in bulk?

• Mineral Salt
• Coconut Sugar
• Chia Seeds
• Cinnamon Sticks
• Active Yeast
• Wheat-berries
• Sundried Tomatoes
• Ground Flaxmeal
• Dried Beans
• Elderberries
• Chocolate Chips(without the white sugar)
• Coconut Flakes
• Oats

CLICK BELOW TO SEE WHERE I BUY MY PANTRY GOODS:

Where I Buy My Bulk Items

Write a list of what you and your family like or what you think you’ll use on a regular basis. This will allow you to not “overbuy” things. Like I said above, start out slow. It took me two years to buy all of the glass jars haha. Every week, I’d go to thrift stores or TJMaxx and pick up clear glass jars. They don’t have to all match either. I like the look of all the different styles.

2. More Fruits and Vegetables

I am a meat-eater, but I love my fruits and veggies. I have an organic garden where I grow what I can. I’ll also support other local farms throughout the year. Our diets are lacking fruits and vegetables. I try to only buy what we will use for the week. Because our soils are so depleted, I’m also particular where I buy my fruits and vegetables.

3. Purchase Whole Grains

This has been a game-changer for me. I started buying most of my grains in bulk 10 years ago. Therefore, I grind my own flour, make my own cornmeal and keep oats on hand year-round. I buy mostly in 6-gallon buckets and store them in our pantry. It’s really nice to have my necessities on hand at all times. I purchase most of my grains from HERE and HERE.

4. Include More Fats

Adding more “good” fats into our diet is key. I use Olive Oil for salads and Beef Tallow and Butter for cooking. Get rid of those trans fats that are wreaking havoc on our bodies. We also love eating avocados for breakfast or I make my own Guacamole. Another good fat I use in both cooking and baking is Coconut Oil.

5. Use Vitamins and Boost Your Immune System

This is a good one, especially with what’s going on in the world right now. I try to eat a clean and healthy diet. However, it’s just not possible to get all of my daily requirements by food. I by nature am a preventative person. We take high-quality vitamins and every day. I keep mine in a pill-pack holder labeled Monday-Sunday. This helps me to remember haha to take them daily. Here’s my arsenal for good health:

• Vitamin C, D
• Fish Oil
• Magnesium Threonate
• Electrolytes
• Elderberry Syrup

I buy from an online company that has pharmaceutical grade supplements (receive 10% off, no code needed). You can also shop my favorite items on AMAZON. You’ll find categories for books, health & wellness, kitchen, pantry goods, home building supplies, and more!

Follow a Few of My Healthy Friends

Felicia @feliciagraves

How to Cook Salmon in the Oven

Barbra-Sue @kowalskimountain

Fresh Ground Flour

Hollyn @oursimplegraces

6 Simple Swaps for a Healthy Non-toxic Kitchen

Krista @hilltopinthevalley

How to Make Einkorn Sourdough Garlic Herb Bread

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I hope these tips help you feel inspired to clean out your pantry and start stocking it with wholesome foods. If you ever have any questions or need some encouragement, feel free to email me at [email protected].

Medical Disclaimer:

The content on our website is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice. It is also not intended to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Wendy Walker, NTP (Little House Simple Living) and the publisher of this content do not take responsibility. This applies to any health consequences that might occur. It applies to any person reading or following the information in this educational content. All viewers of this content should consult their physicians. This is especially true for those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications. They should do this before beginning any nutrition, supplement or lifestyle program.

Wendy Lea Walker, NTP

Nutritional Therapy Practitioner

I’m Wendy. A wife, empty-nester mama, homemaker, homebaker, gardener and small-time farmer. I love sharing wisdom and mistakes I’ve learned along the way. Anyone can garden or homestead, no matter where you live. It’s a mindset. You just have to start somewhere. I believe food is medicine. Feed the body real whole foods and healing will begin.