Are you frustrated with your daily eating routine? I talk to so many people who say the same thing: “I’m just not sure what to eat.” Many of us desire to eat healthier, want more energy, and want to know that we are giving the best to our family…without busting the bank.  But how do we do it?

Look no further! Sami Cone, of www.samicone.com, and I have created a complete video series for you called “Pantry Solutions for Healthy Eating Plans.”   Sami asked me to come over to her house one night and do what we all dread…have someone go through our pantry!!!  She graciously agreed to film her journey of walking through each item so that you all could benefit from the things she learned about what items are healthier options, how to read labels, and more!

Check out this teaser video of our series.

Click any of the links below to access these individual videos from Sami’s site!

• Cereal
• Breads/Grains
• Pasta/Rice
• Condiments
• Canned Goods
• Baking Products
• Snacks
• Drinks

One motto in our home that helps us to make better choices is “You won’t eat it if you don’t buy it.” As simple as this sounds, it is true. We will not eat something if we have not first made the choice to purchase it. I’ve had those moments of having to say “no” to something that was in my pantry staring at me.  It would’ve been far easier had I said “no” to it when it was 2 miles away at the grocery store!

We are all bombarded on a daily basis with advertising and marketing that tells you one thing. But when you get down to it, read the label, and do a little digging for yourself, you will find that what those advertisers are claiming may not be entirely true!!  Thanks to our freedom of speech (which I’m so thankful for!) they can say whatever they want regardless of how much truth is there to support their claims.  For example, manufacturers can claim, “All Natural” on a label if it is at least 10% natural. YIKES!!

Isn’t it true that we all just go to the store and buy mostly the same things “just because?”  Or maybe you are a bargain queen like my friend Sami. She is the best at finding great deals. Through this adventure through her pantry she has learned with bargains to take advantage of and which ones to pass on by. You may spend less on your food with some of those deals, but in the process Sami found she was oftentimes sacrificing her health. You will pay for it eventually through frequent doctor visits, medicine, etc.  Sami is still a bargain shopper, but she has found how to do save money and save her health. Check out her incredible tips at www.samicone.com, for the latest on how to live healthy on a budget and other great family fun bargains!

Our family is by no means perfect but we are on a health journey.  I say journey because it is just that. Some days we go forward, some days back. But we are always moving in the direction of optimal health for our family as a whole. We want to invite you into this portion of our journey as we explore my friend’s pantry. I hope what you see here will encourage you as you try to make good choices for yourself and your family too! Remember, the bigger picture is to achieve better health for you and your family.

Take it one step at a time and add the healthier options in at a pace your family can handle…you don’t want to scare them off in the process.  Some families can just clean out the whole pantry and everyone would be on board with the decision.  For others, well, it might take a little longer, but that’s OK!

Oh, and eating healthy doesn’t have to taste bad! There is usually a healthier alternative once you learn to read labels and know what to stay away from.  I’ve got several of our favorite recipes here! My absolute favorite that we make weekly is our homemade HealthyOates Protein Bars. If you add the chocolate on top they are just like a Reese’s Cup! We make a pan a week and grab these as we run out the door to go shopping so we are never tempted to grab something less nutritious!

We hope you enjoy this series! Leave your thoughts, ideas, and comments below!

It this doesn’t scare you I don’t know what will!!  As a mom trying to keep my kids healthy, it’s extremely frustrating to think you are doing the right thing and find out that the way our food has been manufactured has actually made it harmful to our (and our kids’) health!

This is precisely the case when it comes to many leading brands (even some Organic!) of boxed juices and canned fruits. A study was done on 400 samples from 150 leading brands to test the amount of lead in these products.  The finding are astonishing!  Nearly 85% of these healthy juices contain toxic levels of lead and should require a warning label!  I think when you read this list, you will be somewhat shocked as well because many of these  products are the “healthier” options!!

I don’t understand why they have to manufacture and process things in a way that is harmful to us. Do they not have kids drinking this stuff too?

Until I have a better handle on what is safe and what is not (which I will post as soon I get a good list together!), we are sticking to water, making our own juice with our Blendtec, and Performance. I am thankful that I know that this is at least safe to drink!  I get a huge container of it and make up a pitcher to keep in the fridge–it comes in two flavors, lemon lime and orange.  The kids love both!  In the summer we freeze it in Popsicle molds!  It’s a yummy treat!

Please let me know if you find a list of safe juices and fruits.  I guess when it comes down to it, real is always best!  It doesn’t always do much for convenience, but it will cut down on the toxin load our kids are being exposed to.

LEAD-TAINTED PRODUCTS

1. 365 Everyday Value Organic 100% Juice Concord Grapes
2. Beech Nut 100% Apple Juice
3. Best Yet Bartlett Pear Halves in Heavy Syrup
4. Best Yet Chunky Mixed Fruit in Pear Juice
5. Best Yet Yellow Cling Peach Halves in Heavy Syrup
6. Chef’s Review Fruit Cocktail
7. Del Monte 100% Juice Fruit Cocktail
8. Del Monte Chunky Mixed Fruit in 100% Juice (peach, pear, grape, etc.)
9. Del Monte Diced Pears in Light Syrup
10. Del Monte Freestone Peach Slices in 100% Juice
11. Del Monte Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup (peach, pear, grapes)
12. Del Monte Fruit Cocktail No Sugar Added
13. Del Monte Lite Fruit Cocktail in Extra Light Syrup
14. Del Monte Pear Halves in Heavy Syrup
15. Del Monte Pear Halves, Bartlett Pears in 100% real fruit juice from concentrate
16. Del Monte Sliced Yellow Cling Peaches in 100% Juice
17. Del Monte Sliced Yellow Cling Peaches in heavy syrup
18. Dole Diced Peaches, Yellow Cling in light syrup
19. Dole Mixed Fruit in Light Syrup
20. Dole Pear Halves in Juice
21. Earth’s Best Organics Apple Juice

To see the full list of 125 Lead Tainted Products, click here.

As a family of 5 we get that it is hard to buy everything organic. Probably the #1 question we get asked by people wanting to begin the journey of healthy eating is, “Do I have to buy everything organic?”

The answer is you can if you want to and it will do nothing but help you.  But if budget is an issue, follow these guidelines from the Environmental Working Group.  They have put together a “dirty dozen” list of the foods you need to buy organic. By following these guidelines and always choosing organic varieties of the following produce, you can reduce your pesticide exposure by 80%.

These foods are considered “dirty” because of the high pesticide load in the skins or in the fruit itself. Many of these foods come from Genetically Modified seeds that have been injected with Round Up to get them to grow faster.  So forget trying to wash away these pesticides!  These fruits had no chance from the beginning!

The foods with the highest pesticide content are:

• Peaches
• Apples
• Bell Peppers
• Celery
• Nectarines
• Strawberries
• Cherries
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Imported Grapes
• Carrots
• Pears

We have learned through the help of two amazing Drs., Dr. Josh Axe and Dr. Matthew McAlees, as well as through tools like Food Inc. and Food Matters, that there are certain foods that you should always buy organic, in addition to the above list.  The two main items are meat and dairy products. More on this later!  This is a big commitment for most families, but one worth making.  Your health truly depends on it.

One thing we have found helpful is to reduce the amount of meat we eat all together and up our bean and lentil intake.  Dried beans are extremely inexpensive and can be cooked in bulk!  We soak a whole bag overnight and then I put it on high in the morning while I get the kids ready for the day.  In an hour or so, I have a whole pot of beans. I use them throughout the week in multiple meals—chili, bean dips, soup, beans and rice, bean burgers, lentil stroganoff, lentil patties, and more!

Click here to see “The Clean Fifteen,” a list of produce that is ok to buy non-organic to save on you food budget!