Most Natural Pantry Essentials
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TheLittleGingerDoesWeightLoss wrote: »So, I want to hear what are your most natural food essentials in your pantry. I'm trying to clean out my pantry and I know most of my foods will have a home in my fridge, but what do you stock up on that's natural in your pantry? Things like flax seed, wheat germ, rice, whole wheat noodles, etc.
I'm not offended by but just honestly confused by the use of the term "natural" here. Most of the stuff in my pantry isn't natural at all if by that you mean unprocessed. And if you don't mean unprocessed I'm really not sure what you mean.
Anyway, my pantry staples (though I don't have a pantry, so they are in the cupboard) include:
oatmeal (I like Bob's Red Mill steel cut, since I have a thing about texture, but I currently also have some rolled oats I used in a crisp for Thanksgiving)
whole wheat flour (oddly enough I bake so rarely that I don't even have any other kind of flour and used this in the crisp, it made no difference)
whole wheat pasta (the Barilla, I have some white pasta too, both are processed, obviously, and I think what you eat with them is a lot more significant than which you use)
quinoa
rice (maybe? I prefer brown, but it doesn't have much fiber either, and I don't eat either that often, it's handy to have a few kinds around but I'm not sure I currently do)
canned tomatoes
canned beans (I prefer dried, but these can come in handy on occasion), oh, and of course also dried beans
dried peppers
coffee (probably doesn't count)
protein powder (I'm sure it doesn't count)
walnuts
pine nuts
dried mushrooms
I don't keep the various spices there, but those too.
Oh, looking at some others lots more stuff that I just keep in a different place: oils (olive, coconut), numerous kinds of vinegar0 -
I think wild rice is a long way head of white rice in terms of nutrition, but whether you like it or not....
I just happened to be reading about it.
difference is pretty negligable actually.
There isn't a single thing in my pantry that's "clean" or natural-
wait.
no.
I do think there is a bag of beans in there. Flat out and out dried beans.
White rice doesn't count- but I have 2 bags of that in there as well- but I rarely eat it- so it's been in there for at least 2 months.
Otherwise everything in my pantry is processed- so well- that it stays edible for long periods of time. Thankfully.0 -
I cannot understand why some people out in the world insist on posting snarky, rude comments when they know what the OP means when they say "clean" or "healthy". I suggest ignoring those comments as they are completely unhelpful and unproductive. They can eat an entire days worth of calories in Oreos or ice cream or motor oil or glue sticks...whatever they want. Clearly the OP is asking about healthy staples other people like to keep on hand. I like to stock 100% whole wheat pastas, rice (both white and brown), onion, garlic, cans of tuna and chicken, quinoa, different types of beans and canned sweet whole kernel corn. Also experiment with different herbs and spices. Ultimately you should experiment with different types of foods and recipes and eat what you love.
The reason people ask what she means by clean is that the definition can be so variable from person to person. Some clean or healthy eaters or whatever they want to call themselves wouldn't consider your canned sweet whole kernel corn to be clean or healthy, because canned and GMO, or your tuna or chicken to be clean, because canned and preservatives (possibly, I'm not reading your cans so I obviously don't know exactly what you buy and am just providing an example).
This argument has gone round and round so many times on the forums that people aren't necessarily trying to be rude when they ask what she means, just getting clarification so we don't end up with another thread with OP yelling at everyone's suggestions and posting blogs about how all the food suggestions are going to kill everybody. Except baking soda. We all know that's the secret killer hiding in all of our pantries.0 -
Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »All of this is best considered within the context of an entire diet (just as macros and micros are). So if something simply doesn't appeal to you, make another choice for that item. And consider your diet as a whole.
Yes, this is why the focus on just whole grains vs. white seems a little overstated sometimes, especially in the context of giving up "unclean" foods (i.e., white pasta or whatever).
For example, if you can choose between some pasta (white) with chicken and veggies and some carbonara with whole wheat pasta (not that there's anything wrong with carbonara), it would be rather silly to insist that the first dish was unclean or that the second was somehow inherently healthier, or if offered the first dish while out to decide it was off limits vs. other options that don't have the offending ingredient but might have fewer overall virtues especially given your overall diet.
Personally, I generally opt for whole grains over white when there's a reasonable choice (I rarely have grains at home, so it's not an issue there, although I do make a pasta based meal every once in a while), but I don't believe in making it into that big a thing when the actual differences are so slight (if you look at fiber). If it's a significant part of someone's diet (as the CDC may well assume), then it makes more sense to focus on, IMO.
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I think wild rice is a long way head of white rice in terms of nutrition, but whether you like it or not....
I just happened to be reading about it.
I think real wild rice tastes way better than white OR brown rice, but that might just be me. I really like it. Maybe I'll read up on it; haven't had it in a while.
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TheLittleGingerDoesWeightLoss wrote: »So, I want to hear what are your most natural food essentials in your pantry. I'm trying to clean out my pantry and I know most of my foods will have a home in my fridge, but what do you stock up on that's natural in your pantry? Things like flax seed, wheat germ, rice, whole wheat noodles, etc.
Whole wheat noodles are natural? Well...
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Not sure what you consider most natural or clean, but here's my list of staples:
Quinoa, brown rice, steel cut and rolled oats, whole wheat flour, olive oil or grapeseed oil, spices, popcorn kernals (I have an air popper), crackers of some sort - either Pretzel Thins or Almond Thins usually, diced tomatoes, canned beans (chickpeas, black beans), tomato sauce, whole wheat pasta, peanut butter and/or almond butter, sugar or stevia blend, vanilla extract, baking soda/powder, powdered sugar, chocolate chips, chopped nuts or whole nuts (almonds or peanuts), ground flax seeds, chia seeds.
I also generally try to have at least one portion of each of the following around: sweet potatoes, fresh fruit options (bananas, pineapple, apples, or strawberries), whole wheat english muffins, shredded cheese, egg whites, butter or butter substitute, french vanilla greek yogurt, and hummus.0 -
I cannot understand why some people out in the world insist on posting snarky, rude comments when they know what the OP means when they say "clean" or "healthy".
I would know what someone meant by "healthy," sure, although there might be debates about what is or is not. (I don't think rice is unhealthy--it seems to do fine in the diet of many Asian countries--but I'm not convinced that any type is especially healthy as opposed to simply a decent source of calories, if that's what you are after, and am often puzzled about why brown rice or even whole wheat flour has such a vaunted reputation.)
I honestly don't know what someone means by clean, because the word has no real connection to how it's used, and people use it in lots of different ways.
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Because whole grain pasta has a lower GI which, in turn, does not cause your insulin to spike as high as white pasta (and flour) would. White flour spikes your insulin higher than a candy bar.0 -
Ha, so a few simple jokes are horrible, but you can call people dumb 12 year olds?
Your one word response offered nothing to the conversation. If you attempted to make a point by saying soap and then said something to the effect of "let's be real, the term is really vague and broad. Can you narrow it down a bit," then I wouldn't be so up in arms. But many people made the joke, it's not funny, and we are getting caught up in the minutiae of the whole topic. I may not be right with the 12 year old comment, but it's disappointing that I want to make a change, want some opinions and people who are senior to me are acting like children. It's not clever, it's not productive, just answer my question. It you want clarification, I'll give it. But it seems that the word "clean" makes people upset and it seems to happen a lot, so if you had nothing to add and have lost patience with "clean" posts, then why comment? You wasted your time and I got nothing out of this.
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TheLittleGingerDoesWeightLoss wrote: »So, I want to hear what are your most natural food essentials in your pantry....I know most of my foods will have a home in my fridge...
Food kept in a fridge is by definition not natural - if most of your food is fridged anyway, what's the rationale for cleaning out your pantry?
Perhaps more to the point...how are you defining "natural food"?
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TheLittleGingerDoesWeightLoss wrote: »So, I want to hear what are your most natural food essentials in your pantry....I know most of my foods will have a home in my fridge...
Food kept in a fridge is by definition not natural - if most of your food is fridged anyway, what's the rationale for cleaning out your pantry?
So you're saying that the food that I grew and picked from my garden and then put in the refrigerator isn't natural?
Interesting.
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goddessofawesome wrote: »TheLittleGingerDoesWeightLoss wrote: »So, I want to hear what are your most natural food essentials in your pantry....I know most of my foods will have a home in my fridge...
Food kept in a fridge is by definition not natural - if most of your food is fridged anyway, what's the rationale for cleaning out your pantry?
So you're saying that the food that I grew and picked from my garden and then put in the refrigerator isn't natural?
Interesting.
If you're going to keep it around long enough that it needs refrigeration - yes, it's no longer natural by the time you get to eating it.
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goddessofawesome wrote: »
Because whole grain pasta has a lower GI which, in turn, does not cause your insulin to spike as high as white pasta (and flour) would. White flour spikes your insulin higher than a candy bar.
There's not that big a difference. Whole wheat bread, on average, has a GI of 71 plus or minus 2, and a glycemic load of 9. White flour bread, on average, has a GI of 70 and load of 10. (A Snickers bar is apparently 55 plus or minus 14, but with a load of 19.)
More significantly, this is only if you eat it alone, and typically you'd be eating other foods. For example, my whole wheat vs. white pasta example above.
Also, if you don't have insulin issues (which obviously many of us do not) it might not matter at all.
I think whole grains typically taste better (whole wheat pasta not so much), and all else equal I'd choose the whole grains, but people act as if one is some superfood and the other is garbage when they aren't that different.0 -
Food kept in a fridge is by definition not natural - if most of your food is fridged anyway, what's the rationale for cleaning out your pantry?
Perhaps more to the point...how are you defining "natural food"?
I am moving towards fruits and veggies which are natural but need to be refrigerated for freshness. The pantry has yet to be cleaned out of made meals, sodium laden foods, unhealthy snacks, etc. I am attempting to find foods that are processed very little. Food staples that are great additives to meals. Things that need to be kept in a air tight container.0 -
TheLittleGingerDoesWeightLoss wrote: »Ha, so a few simple jokes are horrible, but you can call people dumb 12 year olds?
Your one word response offered nothing to the conversation. If you attempted to make a point by saying soap and then said something to the effect of "let's be real, the term is really vague and broad. Can you narrow it down a bit," then I wouldn't be so up in arms. But many people made the joke, it's not funny, and we are getting caught up in the minutiae of the whole topic. I may not be right with the 12 year old comment, but it's disappointing that I want to make a change, want some opinions and people who are senior to me are acting like children. It's not clever, it's not productive, just answer my question. It you want clarification, I'll give it. But it seems that the word "clean" makes people upset and it seems to happen a lot, so if you had nothing to add and have lost patience with "clean" posts, then why comment? You wasted your time and I got nothing out of this.
This is the internet. It's really not so serious.
I'm sorry you felt people weren't supporting you in the change you want to make in the way you wanted to be supported. Again, it's the internet. No one owes you anything. And no one personally attacked you. There's a lot to learn on these boards but it helps to lighten up.
I would suggest running a search on the topic as it has been discussed ad naseum here. There's usually several posts a day. There are also groups that you might find beneficial.
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goddessofawesome wrote: »
Because whole grain pasta has a lower GI which, in turn, does not cause your insulin to spike as high as white pasta (and flour) would. White flour spikes your insulin higher than a candy bar.
Not sure this answers ndj's query still, unless you're saying that low GI foods are automatically deemed as "cleaner".0 -
goddessofawesome wrote: »TheLittleGingerDoesWeightLoss wrote: »So, I want to hear what are your most natural food essentials in your pantry....I know most of my foods will have a home in my fridge...
Food kept in a fridge is by definition not natural - if most of your food is fridged anyway, what's the rationale for cleaning out your pantry?
So you're saying that the food that I grew and picked from my garden and then put in the refrigerator isn't natural?
Interesting.
If you're going to keep it around long enough that it needs refrigeration - yes, it's no longer natural by the time you get to eating it.
Still not getting how my tomato that I just picked from the garden some how changes to not being natural because I had to put it in the fridge.0 -
TheLittleGingerDoesWeightLoss wrote: »
Food kept in a fridge is by definition not natural - if most of your food is fridged anyway, what's the rationale for cleaning out your pantry?
Perhaps more to the point...how are you defining "natural food"?
I am moving towards fruits and veggies which are natural but need to be refrigerated for freshness.
Why not just eat fruits and veggies that are actually in season? No refrigeration needed, and would meet pretty much everybody's definition of "natural".
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TheLittleGingerDoesWeightLoss wrote: »
Food kept in a fridge is by definition not natural - if most of your food is fridged anyway, what's the rationale for cleaning out your pantry?
Perhaps more to the point...how are you defining "natural food"?
I am moving towards fruits and veggies which are natural but need to be refrigerated for freshness. The pantry has yet to be cleaned out of made meals, sodium laden foods, unhealthy snacks, etc. I am attempting to find foods that are processed very little. Food staples that are great additives to meals. Things that need to be kept in a air tight container.
problem with that logic is that the more fresh you get- the faster you have to eat it- and won't be "restocking" the pantry.
As I pointed out- as well as several above me- in order to store it for any length of time it must be processed. Which is not bad- none of us are saying that it's bad- it just defeats the point to have "pantry staples" that aren't processed b/c- well it's kind of counter productive.
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