Building a Natural Food Pantry

A few tips to get you moving in the right direction:

1. Cook at home as much as possible using fresh, local, seasonal, and sustainably grown ingredients.
2. Try out a new ingredient every other week or so.
3. Get to know the "bins" at your grocery store - they are packed with nutritional (and affordable!) whole grains, beans and spices.
4. Drink water or sparkling water in place of soda.
5. Get rid of your "all-white" staples, start exploring new "whole" foods and ingredients.
6. Rethink your plate - is it balanced nutritionally? Do you have lots of color, veggies, protein, whole grains? Good.
7. Shop at a local farmers market, or sign-up for a local C.S.A. (check out spud.ca).

Making the Switch:

• Replace white flours with an assortment of whole grain flours (see the Flour Guide to determine which flours you want to try and how much you will need for substitutions).
• Replace white pastas with different whole grain pastas. There are a lot of different grains to choose from – Kamut, Spelt, Brown Rice...try switching to Whole Wheat first (if you haven’t already), then from there try Kamut (closest tasting to whole wheat), Spelt...
• Stock up on some beans and lentils, and then get ready to try making one vegetarian dish a week. Have fun experimenting with different recipes and legumes.
• Pass on any boxed items that have too many ingredients or scientific names on the label.

Must Have Items:

• Whole wheat flour (keep in fridge)
• Rolled Oats
• Kamut, Spelt or Brown Rice flour
• Millet (can also be ground into flour using blender)
• Quinoa (can also be ground into flour using blender)
• Brown Rice
• Kidney Beans
• Pinto Beans
• Black beans
• Dried lentils
• Sea salt
• Coconut oil
• Olive oil
• Honey (the local honey sold at the health food store and Farmer’s market is great!)
• Succanat (natural sugar)
• Brown Rice Syrup and/or Agave Nectar
• Herbs and spices
• Baking soda (alum free)
• Baking powder (alum free)
• Dried coconut
• Cocoa or carob powder
• Raisins
• Nuts
• Onions
• Garlic
• Sprouted grain bread
• Nut butter
• Organic canned beans (for last minute meals)

Once you get your pantry stocked with healthy items, you'll find it much easier to whip up healthy meals and treats!!

In good health,

Wendy

Recipe of the Week

Turkey Pot Pie

Hands on time: 25 min Total time: 60 min

Ingredients:

· 2 cups cooked long grain rice

· 1 tbsp plus 2 tsp olive oil, divided

· 1 oz Parmesan, finely grated

· Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

· 12 oz boneless, skinless turkey breast, cut into 1-inch cubes

· 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ¼ inch thick rounds (about 1 cup)

· 1 white turnip, peeled and cut into ½ inch dice (about 1 cup)

· 1 medium leek, white and light green parts, sliced into ¼ inch half moon

· 1/3 cup red onion, finely diced

· 3 tbsp spelt or whole wheat flour

· 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

· 1/3 cup low fat plain yogurt

· 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

· 2 tsp fresh sage, finely chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. In a bowl, combine rice, 1 tsp oil and cheese and mix well. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

3. In a large non-stick skillet, heat 1 tsp oil over medium high heat. Add turkey and cook, turning often, until golden brown and just cooked through, about 6 min. Remove turkey from pan and set aside. Return skillet to stove, lower heat to medium and add remaining 1 tbsp of oil. Add carrots, turnip, leek and onion and cook, stirring often, until vegetables begin to soften about 5 min. Add flour and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add broth and stir until the mixture begins to simmer and thicken, about 4 min. Stir in yogurt and mix well. Add reserved turkey, parsley, sage and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Pour turkey mixture into an oven-safe baking dish. Top with rice mixture in an even layer and bake until filling is bubbling and rice is golden brown, about 30 min. Let rest for 5 min before serving.

Anti-Aging 101

1. Think young – develop an “ageless” attitude about yourself and everything you do.

2. Act young – Do things that are fun. Find the fun in what you are already doing.

3. Exercise regularly – Stretch every morning after you wake up. Take part in some form of aerobic activity three times a week. Walk more, drive less.

4. Eat a nutrient dense diet, making high quality protein a priority in your diet. e.g. fresh fish, free range meats and chicken. Avoid processed meats.

5. Drink lots of purified water – at least two litres a day.

6. Start each day by drinking the juice of half a lemon in hot water. This helps to cleanse the digestive tract, liver, and kidneys.

7. Maintain a healthy weight by eating only when genuinely hungry and only as much as needed to satisfy hunger.

8. Avoid adulterated fats, which cause cell degeneration. (e.g. margarine, shortening, trans fats, and overheated fats/oils using in deep frying)

9. Make olive oil your dietary fat of choice.

10. Avoid concentrated and refined sugars of all kinds – they weaken the immune system and contribute to weight gain.

11. Avoid tobacco, both direct use and second-hand smoke.

12. Replace white flour and white rice products with 100% whole grain counterparts.

13. Keep bowels moving at least once a day – The intestines are capable of holding up to 65 pounds of waste. It takes water and fibre to keep the bowels healthy.

14. Get to know your body and pay attention to symptoms – learn to recognize potential problems before they developing into more serious diseases.

15. Eat a diet rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids - both help neutralize the damaging effects of free-radicals (toxins). Vegetables and fruits are the best sources of antioxidants. Cold-water fish, freshly ground flaxseed and walnuts provide omega-3s.

16. Avoid alcohol. Alcohol's damaging effects on the central nervous system is well established.

17. Take a multivitamin that contains B vitamins. The B vitamins: folic acid, B6 and B12 are related to healthy cognitive function.

It’s Only Too Late if You Don’t Start Now!