The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

1.10
If we’re going to set up a power pantry, what can we include? There are a lot of pseudo foods that we eat in western culture, and these now populate many of our pantries and refrigerators. I’m an optimist, so I like to focus on what we can do (or eat) so I thought we could look at a list of what’s good, not-so-good, and death-on-a-stick (just kidding – ugly will suffice). (These lists aren't comprehensive, simply a starting point; as we dig deeper into the nutrients our bodies crave, there are literally endless good foods we can build our diet around, eliminating or at least lessening the food-like products we've become accustomed to).

The Good

(Our nutrition and calories should be coming from these foods)

Beverages

Filtered water; seltzer; 100% fruit juices (especially unfiltered – think tomato juice); teas (black, green, oolong, white, herbal); red wine, sparingly

Sweetners

Stevia; raw honey; agave nectar;

Carbs

Leafy (dark) greens (kale, spinach, romaine, collard greens); fresh whole fruits (with the skins); fresh whole veggies (with the skins), raw and cooked – the more colorful the better; onions; avocados; potatoes (with the skins), baked / broiled; whole grains (especially oats, quinoa, amaranth, millet, brown / wild rice, buckwheat); mushrooms (cooked)

Proteins

Beans, seeds, nuts, legumes, fish (salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines), lean poultry

Seasonings / Oils

Sea salt, herbs, spices (cinnamon, garlic, turmeric, cumin, cayenne pepper); olive oil; canola oil

Treats

Dried fruits (raisins, dates, figs, apricots); frozen berries and fruits; smoothies made with 'good' carbs; some dark chocolates 

The Bad

(These foods are okay, sparingly, but not as a major source of our calories, because they all have poor nutritional density, if they have any nutritional value at all...)

Beverages

Coffee, regular sodas, beer, alcohol in general

Sweeteners

Sugar (cane, brown, beet, raw/Turbinado); corn syrup; processed honey;

Carbs

Refined grains (white flour, white rice, corn) and associated baked goods (crackers, breads from enriched flours, cookies, snacks); prepared potatoes (mashed, fried, French fries); fruits and veggies which have been processed (to remove edible skins, etc.)

Proteins

Red meat, pork, lamb, fatty poultry, peanuts (which are more peas than nuts… they’re a legume, and difficult to digest); dairy (milk, yogurt, cheeses); eggs

Seasonings / Oils

Refined salt; corn oil; safflower oil; soybean oil; peanut oil; palm kernel oil; palm oil; coconut oil; butter

Treats

Ice cream / frozen yogurt, candy, cookies, cakes, most chocolates

The Ugly 

(If we totally skipped these foods for the rest of our lives, it would be a good thing...)

Beverages

Diet drinks / sodas (with artificial sweeteners – see next heading); specialty coffees (caramel macchiato, etc.)

Sweeteners

Aspartame, saccharine, sorbitol, sucralose; high fructose corn syrup; corn sugar

Carbs

Refined grains with preservatives, stabilizers and additives; potato flakes; parboiled rice; store bought veggies in a can (frozen is better than canned)

Proteins

Prepared meats (deli meats, pepperoni, jerky)

Seasonings / Oils

Flavor enhancers (monosodium glutamate); hydrogenated oils; partially hydrogenated oils

Treats

Anything made with 'bad' and 'ugly' carbs / sugars / sweeteners

By the Way

I’ve tried to convey that Jen and I aren't militant about our food choices, so while the ‘ugly’ category seems to condemn some common foods, we eat a few of them occasionally (deli meats, frozen yogurt, a rare slice of birthday cake with good old butter cream icing.) The point is that we overwhelm our nutritional choices with 'good' foods; we know we'll both pay a price in immediate and long-term health reactions to the bad and ugly foods, so why tempt fate? We choose to stick with what's good for us...