New Staples

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When changing a lifestyle the pantry goes through a makeover of its own. Slowly and surely old standbys are traded out for healthier alternatives. Some of the big changes in our pantry is that "kiddie" cereal is traded up for adult breakfasts, like oatmeal and Kashi brand. Good-bye Lucky Charms and Corn Pops. *sad wave* (Though I will confess it is nice to invite my precious nieces and nephews over so that I HAVE to buy the magically delicious cereal.) What can I say? I am truly like a child ;) Though oatmeal with a small scoop of raisins and topped with a splash of almond milk and on "special" days I stir in a spoonful of peanut butter. Mmmm, satisfying and comforting, what a great way to start the day and of course a banana. I kind of have a meltdown when I can't start the day with my banana. If you were paying attention you might have noticed almond milk. Have you had the chance or taken the time to try a milk other than dairy (cow's) milk? There are some great choices worth tasting. There seems to be an increase in findings that more and more of us have trouble tolerating lactose (the dairy's milk sugars). We might not all have as much trouble as a person formally diagnosed as lactose - intolerant, but it still might help some of our stomachaches, digestive troubles, and headaches by eliminating or at least cutting down on the lactose we consume. Even if you don't want to trade out the milk you regularly consume it is worth checking out your choices. The flavors, the textures, and the added nutritional benefits makes these beverages a great option. I regularly keep almond milk in our fridge. It has a great consistency and flavor that I find useful for most of my needs. I found Coconut Milk to have a rich thick texture. It would probably be great for a milkshake base. It was a bit pricey and I didn't find it quite as tasty as the Almond Milk. I found Soy Milk to leave a bit of a chalky aftertaste for me when drunk by itself. However, mixed in something like coffee or used for cereal I didn't notice the aftertaste. Also, the consistency reminded me of Skim Milk. Which I like, though others might find that they miss the rich heaviness like some dairy milk. The other additions would include beans. Which I have gone kind of nuts about. Do you get in buying habits? Where you like to have a huge variety available? I get in these a lot. I would say cereals, chips, and yogurts were my old variety buys. Now I would have to say my new shopping compulsion is buying beans. I pick up the canned and the bagged, little and big, and the array of colors. Another pantry staple we quickly adapted into our routine is quinoa. Oh fantastic grain. The Incas according to www.Wikipedia.org referred to quinoa as the mother grain. This teeny tiny pellet packs a heck of a nutritional punch. Quinoa has great protein value with all of the amino acids. Great fiber source and remains gluten-free. We have also found it to be quite tasty and pretty easy to swap it for rice in most recipes. Quinoa cooks in less time than white rice. So you can have the health benefits and save time. Love that!!! The other big change is that tofu makes regular appearances in our dinners as we learn how to use it in a variety of ways. Don't let the word tofu intimidate you. Tofu can be bland but then so is most meat/entrees until you add the spices and flavors. I slowly am learning how the textures really effect the overall meal. And that's why practice makes perfect. I hope your HealthFULL Journey brings you a wealth of nutrition as you stock your pantry. 'Til we meet again. . .