Kitchen Makeover

For many of us, junk food is much more tempting when it's within easy reach. If it's out of sight, it is probably out of mind - and won't be calling your name every time you walk past it. So go take a deep dive into your kitchen and get rid of all the junk that your body doesn't need, and trade up for something healthier that is deserving of permanent citizenship in your home!

Grain Products

Toss these:	Why?	Stock these instead:
Commercially baked products (e.g., store-bought muffins and pies)	high in fat and sugar likely contains trans fats low in vitamins and minerals	100% whole wheat bread (4g fiber per serving would be ideal)
Sugar-laden cereals (e.g., fruit flavored hoops, "frosted" cereal)	high in sugar likely to be low in fiber	quick-cooking oatmeal whole grain cereal (ideally less than 4g sugar and more than 5g fiber per serving)
Instant noodles	high in sodium likely high in fat low in any nutrients	non-fried noodles (e.g., multi-grain)
Ready-to-bake mixes	likely contains trans fat lots of additives	whole wheat flour (to make your own from scratch)
Boxed macaroni	high in fat high in sodium likely contains trans fat	whole wheat pasta

Meat and Alternatives

Toss these:	Why?	Stock these instead:
Deli meats (e.g., salami, bologna, pepperoni)	very high in sodium very high in total and saturated fat	frozen cooked meat (e.g., chicken breast) fat-free turkey breast (enjoy occasionally due to high sodium content)
Frozen beef patties	high in total and saturated fat	extra-lean ground turkey extra-lean ground beef veggie burger patties
Wieners and other sausages	high in total and saturated fat high in sodium	fat-free 100% turkey or beef franks extra-lean turkey bacon, lean smoked turkey sausage, or lean turkey kielbasa (all items in this category are high in sodium, so serve occasionally)
Luncheon meat, corned beef	high in sodium high in total and saturated fat	frozen cooked meat canned baked beans (choose lower sodium varieties)
Regular bacon	high in sodium high in total and saturated fat	extra-lean turkey bacon
Fish canned in oil	high in fat	low-sodium fish canned in water

Dairy and Alternatives

Toss these:	Why?	Stock these instead:
Yogurts made with more than 5g sugar per oz	high in sugar	plain yogurt + fresh fruits
Sweetened non-dairy beverages (e.g., soy, rice, almond, hemp, etc)	high in sugar	unsweetened non-dairy beverages
Whipped dessert topping	likely source of trans fat may contain high fructose corn syrup lots of additives	use real whipping cream if you must, and use sparingly
Processed cheese	high in sodium lots of additives	frozen cooked meat natural cheese

Fruits and Vegetables

Toss these:	Why?	Stock these instead:
Fruits canned in thick syrup	high in added sugar	fresh fruits dried fruits frozen fruits fruits canned in water or juice
Pickled or preserved vegetables	high in sodium	fresh vegetables frozen vegetables

Snacks

Toss these:	Why?	Stock these instead:
Chips	high in calories high in fat high in sodium likely contains trans fat	baked chips or baked tortilla chips unsalted nuts and seeds plain popcorn
Crackers and cookies	possible source of trans fat can be high in sodium high in calories high in fat high in sugar	low-fat whole grain crackers brown rice cakes (unsalted or lightly salted)
Candies	empty calories high in sugar	dried fruits
Chocolate and candy bars	high in calories high in sugar high in fat likely a source of trans fat lower in antioxidants than dark chocolates	pure dark chocolate squares
Flavored microwave popcorn	high in sodium lots of additives high in fat	plain popcorn
Fruit bars	contain more sugar than real fruit	fresh fruits

Condiments

Toss these:	Why?	Stock these instead:
Shortening, or margarine that contains hydrogenated fats	contains trans fat	margarine made with non-hydrogenated fats olive oil + balsamic vinegar
Coffee whitener and other artificial coffee creamers	contain trans fat lots of additives	skim milk dried skim milk powder

Beverages

Toss these:	Why?	Stock these instead:
Fruit drinks	high in added sugar contain artificial flavoring and coloring	100% fruit juices
Sodas	very high in sugar may contain high fructose corn syrup contain artificial flavoring and coloring	sparkling water 100% fruit juices
Sweetened drink mixes (e.g., iced tea mixes, flavored coffee mixes, and 3-in-1 coffee mixes)	high in sugar may contain trans fats (for flavored coffee mixes) contain artificial flavoring and coloring	tea leaves/bags coffee

The Bottom Line

The less often you choose processed foods the better, but if you must buy them for convenience, choose ones with the least number of ingredients. Don't forget to also check the label for total fat, trans fat (or the presence of hydrogenated fats/oils in ingredients list), sodium, and sugar - less is truly more.