Domino's Pantry: TEN to go

THE PROOF BY TEN

Chapter 2

THE 10 THINGS THAT WILL MAKE IT TO DOMINO's PANTRY

 

Having a well-stocked pantry is key to following a nutrition plan.  We've seen what NOT to have in our food stores.  But how do we chose what to have?  Nutrient density, versatility, shelf life, taste and color, and always following the Mediterranean-DASH plan we set for ourselves.  Ready?

1 - Beans, lentils, garbanzos and other legumes.  Combination of protein, "good" carbs, fiber, minerals.  If dry, they take little space.  If canned, they make a meal in minutes and the cans are recyclable.

2 - Nonfat UHT milk.  Ultra-high temperature milk is super shelf-stable.  I've bought it by the case in Africa as well as here in Paraguay, and keep it for months even at high temperatures.  I wish I could find yogurt that way!

3 - Grains: rice, polenta, couscous, quinoa, barley.  Combined with beans, they provide a complete protein as well as good quality carbs. 

4 - Flour: all-purpose, bread, brown, corn, cornmeal for a variety of bread baking 

5 - Olive oil and safflower, peanut or sunflower oil.  Healthy mono- and poly-unsaturated fats. 

6 - Canned goods: tuna, sardines, and more beans, tomato sauce, corn, and plenty of fruits and veggies packed in water. 

7 - Wraps: rice wraps for Vietnamese-style rolls and seaweed wraps for sushi… just in case we DO catch fish.

8 - Sweeteners: organic raw sugar, honey, sucralose and stevia (Kahehe) for calorie-free sweetening.

9 - Condiments: vinegar (red, white, rice, balsamic, apple cider), mustard (Dijon, Meaux, Savora), fat-free mayonnaise, hot chili pepper sauce (Tapatio, Tabasco), oyster sauce, soy sauce.

10 - Dried fruit and nuts: almonds, peanuts, prunes, raisins, apricots, cherries, apples… they take little space and combine well with fresh items for exotic dishes.  Why do walnuts not make my list?  They're great in cold countries, great source of omega-3, but get rancid very quickly in hot weather… besides, we're catching fish, right?

Now, we can shop our plan and not derail from our diets.