Your step-by-step guide to a healthy pantry

Eating well after a sleeve gastrectomy comes from being prepared. Having everything you need on hand to create healthy meals in your pantry will make it less tempting to grab a fast and less healthy option when you’re in a pinch. Giving your pantry a thorough clean and de-clutter might take a few hours, but the benefits will be well worth it. Simply follow these steps and remember, your pantry doesn’t have to look like an Home Beautiful photo shoot, it just needs to work for you!

1. Take an inventory

If you’re like most of us, chances are if you look in your pantry you’ll find items past their use-by date, items that need to be stored in better containers, sticky sauce bottles and maybe even a few moths (I’m not judging – this is my cupboard at the moment!). You’ll probably also find stuff you’ve forgotten you had!

The thing is, if your pantry is neat and tidy and you know exactly what you’ve got, planning and writing a shopping list becomes a whole lot easier (you can use the checklist at the bottom to help with this)! So let’s take an inventory:

• First things first, remove everything and put it out on the bench.
• Give your cupboards a good clean and wipe down.
• Now, be ruthless. Check best-before or use-by dates, throw away anything that has expired and keep track of items that are on their way out, so you’ll be sure to use them up rather than wasting them. Also throw out or gift anything you don’t want to be eating (think those trigger foods like chips or biscuits that once you start eating you can’t stop).

2. Sort your storage

The best way to store food in your pantry is in airtight, transparent containers so you can see what you’ve got and where it is. Grab a set that stacks well so you can make the most of the space you have. Now you have everything on the bench and a clean pantry do the following:

• Before you transfer to the airtight container, cut out the label (any cooking directions if you like), write the best-before dates on the front and slip the label into the container facing out so you can easily see them. A sticker or a whiteboard marker works well too if you’d prefer.
• If you’re going to keep food in its original packaging, squeeze any air out of the packet first, seal any open bags with a rubber band, or peg.

3. Re-stack and restock your healthy pantry

Now comes the fun part! Start putting everything back into the pantry.

• Partition your pantry into sections where you’ll store similar items together. I like to keep all my grains together, cans together, baking items together etc, but this is really up to you and what works best for your pantry.
• Put items you’ll use daily or weekly towards the front.
• If you have doubles of anything, put the older one towards the front so they’re visible and you’ll remember to use them before they go out of date.
• Finally, check the list below for healthy pantry essentials and head to the supermarket aimed with a shopping list! Once you have everything you need, follow steps 2 and 3 again with the new items. Voila!

Healthy pantry essentials

Obviously everyone is different, but the list below is a great place to start to make sure you have quick and easy healthy options on hand. Some of the below may not agree with your sleeve, but still might be essential for the family so I’ve included them anyway – just adjust to suit you and your sleeve. Also make sure you download the checklist from the bottom of this post – it will help make the trip to the supermarket a breeze!

Whole Grains

The list here could almost be endless, but the following are my favourites. Although not essential when you have a sleeve, whole grains are still a really important source of fibre and can be a good source of protein if you choose to eat them. Just remember to serve them as a side to a protein and vegie-packed meal rather than making them the hero. Note that the microwaveable rice and quinoa can be really helpful if you hate cooking a large portion.

• Rolled oats for breakfasts and baking
• Whole wheat pasta
• Quinoa
• Brown rice
• Barley for soups and salads
• Buckwheat for salads
• Wholemeal flour for baking

Legumes

Legumes are a great source of protein and fibre and make an excellent base for many dishes. I tend to keep some dried and tinned options so I have them on hand depending on the amount of time I have. I use tinned for quick lunches or to add at the last minute to things like spag bol, and I use dried when making dishes like dahl.

• Dried kidney beans, chick peas, red lentils and puy lentils
• Tinned four bean mix, chickpeas, red kidney beans and cannellini beans (just choose the low-salt options)
• * Edgell now make individual serves of flavoured beans which are a great easy meal option!

Nuts, seeds and nut butters

I keep pretty much every kind of nut and nut butter for snacking, tossing on salads, sprinking on porridge or just adding flavour, crunch, and healthy fats to lots of dishes! These are the ones I use the most.

• Almonds
• Macadamias
• Cashews
• Walnuts
• Pecans
• Sesame seeds
• Flax seeds (linseeds)
• Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• Peanut butter (pick a natural one with less salt)
• Almond butter
• Tahini
• Almond meal for baking

Oils and sauces

Heart-healthy oils should be in everyone’s pantry. They help you to cook healthier dishes and make your own dressings. There are some sauces and vinegars that are essential too. I like to use:

• Olive oil for cooking
• Avocado or macadamia oil for salads
• Sesame oil (for Asian dishes)
• Infused olive oils are great too if you want to get creative
• Balsamic vinegar
• Reduced salt soy sauce

Other cans and jars

Canned goods can save you if you have nothing left the in the fridge or freezer. Make sure you have a few cans of the following on hand so you can create a multitude of healthy dishes. Just always go for the salt-reduced options.

• Canned tomatoes
• Tins of tuna in olive oil, spring water or flavoured
• Canned vegies like corn, peas, beetroot (there are so many more – you choose!)
• Tomato based pasta sauce or passata
• Tomato paste
• Relish or pickled antipasto to ramp up the flavour of salads or sandwiches

Other bits and pieces!

Depending on you and your tastes, these might also be helpful:

• A big range of herbs and spices!
• Powdered skim milk, reduced fat UHT milk, evaporated skim milk. Add to dishes for extra protein or to your coffee when you run out of milk…
• Honey, sugar or sweetener depending on your taste and what you are cooking
• Reduced salt stock

I hope that helps you get you sorted so you have a happy and healthy pantry. I’d love to see some before and after pics – please tag me on Instagram (@sleevedliving)!