I hope you enjoyed the Paris series that wrapped up last time. My next series of posts will bring things back closer to home, specifically into your pantry. For the first installment of the Nutritionista's guide to building a natural foods pantry I will focus on clearing out.

Top 5 Things to Donate, Give Away or Dispose of from your pantry:

1. Out with the old – get rid of anything that has expired or has been in the pantry longer than you can recall without ever being opened (just like clothes with tags on them - if you haven’t worn it in yet in years, chances are you won’t any time soon).

2. Sweet temptation – identify your weakness (or two) and be sure to keep it in very short supply. If you are cookie or chip addict do not pack your cabinets with bags of temptation that are constantly begging to be eaten (and even if something is labeled organic or natural, it does not necessarily mean you should eat it with reckless abandon). Moderation is easier when temptation items are not always well-stocked.

3. White out – reduce the amount of white foods such as white flour, white rice, white pasta and refined sugar. Beige is the new white, get all your essentials in this season’s in shade and the fiber is free.

4. Be a label detective – read the labels carefully on anything not in its original and natural state. Be especially wary of products with long lists of ingredients, preservatives, components you do not recognize as common food substances, high sodium content, unnecessary added sugar, or very distant expiration dates (if microorganisms won’t eat it before 2020, why should you?).

5. Junk foods, soda and candy – it is never a good idea to keep this stuff around, need I say more? Save it in your pantry for a rainy day and the rainy day will surely come, probably often.

Next time we will explore some items to stock up. Enjoy and do let me know your thoughts!

Julia xo