Tasty. Easy. Healthy.

By Chef Domenica Catelli

It is time for a new you, a fresh start, and you want to start in the kitchen. This is as easy as getting a garbage can, opening your cabinets, and unloading!

Over the years, I’ve found the same mistakes, problems and trouble spots in pantries from celebrities to stay-at-home moms. We all need a little refresher on why certain ingredients and products are counterproductive to our health goals. What lurks in our pantry can range from high-calorie, high-sodium foods to chemical-laden food substitutes that have no right to be there. And, as we all know, if it is there, we will eat it! So, the first step is always to get rid of those tempting, empty, harmful, and tasteless things we’ve collected and simply…toss them.

Luckily for you, I’ve been doing this for a while and have enough experience to know that, for the most part, we tend to buy things at the grocery store out of habit or ignorance. Let’s break the habit and shed some light on why these things are no good for you or your family. It is easy, rewarding, and actually fun! Do it at your pace. Ready for a complete overhaul? Great—otherwise, start slow—let’s identify the biggest problem—the worst ingredients—and move from there.

Kick out:
All foods that contain these ingredients—be mindful they can be in your dressings, peanut butters and other surprising places
Artificial  sweeteners
corn syrup
hydrogenated oil or partially hydrogenated oil
dyes (especially red #3 and #40 and yellow #5)
enriched flours
bleached flours
canned vegetables (except tomatoes and beans)
sugary cereals
potatoes in a box
instant rice
lowfat mayo
fake butter
soda, diet and regular
processed lunch meats
American cheese
candy bars
sugary fruit

Bring in:
cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil
lentils
beans (black, kidney, garbanzo, these can be in a can)
quinoa
organic chicken broth
vinegars (balsamic, rice, apple cider)
tamari
dried spices (garlic, cinnamon, cumin, curry powder, hot pepper)
kefir (plain)
organic yogurt
hummus
fresh cut-up veggies to dip in hummus (cucumbers, carrots, radishes, etc)
fresh herbs (dill, parlsy, basil, mint)
Braggs liquid aminos
grain mustard
miso
tofu
sparkling water

What ingredients do you plan to banish in 2012? What are you replacing them with? Share your thoughts in the comments below or in our Food and Cooking community.