Family Makeover Challenge
What’s In the Kitchen?
It is month two and our family is making amazing strides in their quest to eat and live healthier lifestyles. I must admit that from the beginning this family has been committed to this effort and so with the exception of some basic information they have taken control in the areas that have been laid out for their makeover.
To get them started and for anyone who is looking to make a change, the first and foremost thing needed is to re-do your kitchen cupboards, freezer and refrigerator. We began by taking an inventory of everything that this family had in their kitchen and talked about healthy alternatives or substitutions. The main focus of this exercise which was a one on one with the father and husband of the family, was to pay attention to what they are eating and by that I mean “read and understand” food labels.
In the next installment we will discuss our plan for increasing their activity. Stay tuned...
Here is what we found:
Freezer:
- Eggo Waffles
- Checker’s French Fries
- Ore Ida Obrien Potatoes
- White Meat Chicken Egg Rolls
- Frozen Broccoli
- Talapia — Fish
- Frozen Biscuits
Refrigerator:
- Apple Sauce
- Mandarian Oranges
- Whole Milk
- Grapes
- Strawberries
- Eggs
- Turkey Bacon
- Bagels — regular
- Ketchup
Cupboard:
- Duncan Heinz Creamy Homestyle Cream Cheese Frosting
- Lipton Instant Seasonings Flavored Rice & Noodles
- Teryaki Flavored — 150 mg. sodium
- Noodles — 810 mg. sodium
- Uncle Ben’s rice
- Cocoa Mix — Swiss Mix
- Lasagna Noodles
- Fettucine Pasta
- Microwave Easy Mac & Cheese
- Ramein Noodles — 830 mgs. Sodium
- 5-minute Grits
- Jello Pudding
- Crystal Lite on the go Water
- Success Rice
- Duncan Heinz Cake Mix
- Hamburger Helper — 750 mg. sodium
- Pancake Mix
- Peanut Butter
- Bleached White Flour
- Crisco Shortening
- Microwave Popcorn
- Pretzels — 480 mg sodium
- Aunt Jemima Syrup — corn and high fructose corn syrup
- Country Made Syrup — pure cane
- Distilled White Vinegar
- Butter-flavored Popcorn
- Pure Honey
- Apple Cider Vinegar (filtered)
- Cooking Spray, store brand
- Canned goods:
- Hunts Spaghetti Sauce
- Creamed style corn
- French Style Green Beans
- Black Beans
- Mixed Vegetables
- Starkist Tuna packed in water
Our recommendations:
Freezer:
- Green Beans, regular and French style
- Corn
- Broccoli
- Spinach
- Sweet Potato Baked Fries
- Chicken Breasts
- Whole Roasting Chicken
- Turkey Burgers
- Ground Beef
- Ground Turkey
- Home-made Chicken Nuggets and Tenders
- Talapia
Refrigerator:
- Home-made Apple sauce
- 2% Milk
- Fresh seasonal fresh fruit
- Turkey Bacon (currently eating)
- Whole Grain bagels
- Ketchup (without high fructose corn syrup — Hunts or Spanish label)
- Pure Orange and Apple Juice (no orange or apple drinks)
- Brummel & Brown Yogurt Spread
- Butter (limit use to add extra flavor to recipes)
- Lite Mayonnaise (Olive oil blend)
- Yellow and Brown Mustard
- Eggs
Cupboard:
- Reduced sodium and fat popcorn
- Reduced sodium pretzels
- Quaker Whole Grain Pancake Mix
- Pure Cane and Maple Syrup
- Cooking Spray
- Canned
- Black beans
- Canned Tomatoes
- Tomato Paste
- Tuna in water
- Dried beans
- Whole Grain Pastas
- Old-Fashioned Grits
- Peanut Butter (all natural)
- Unbleached All Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Dried Herbs (oregano, basil, thyme, dill, rosemary, parsley)
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Kosher and Sea Salt
- Coarse Grind Black Pepper
- Olive Oil (pure Extra Virgin)
- Canola Oil
- Sesame Oil
- Brown Rice
