Sneak Peak: Flavours & Seasonings in the Joyful Kitchen Clean Out
This Saturday, I'm leading the Joyful Kitchen Clean Out and I am so excited! This program packs a lot of oomph when it comes to impact on your goals for your health and wellbeing. When you are highly stocked with mostly good, real food, you will find this has the greatest impact in your overall eating.
It's time to do a deep dive into the nooks & crannies and you will feel so good when it's done.
Today I want to give you a sneak peak into how we restock your kitchen in a way that isn't overwhelming. You do not have to replace every single item in your kitchen overnight. In the Joyful Kitchen Clean Out, we focus on swapping out the items you use most frequently first, then work your way through the rest using the Good-Better-Best approach. You'll also be armed with skills to read labels, see through health-washing terms, the Clean 15/Dirty Dozen, and a firm connection to your own priorities.
SNEAK PEAK: Flavours & Seasonings
Here's a sneak peak into how cool this program is. Many of my clients begin with bursting cupboards and an overwhelming array of packaged sauces, oils, old spices and seasonings, and flavourings that are full of preservatives, artificial ingredients, sugar, sweeteners, stabilizers, salt and poor quality oil. Unfortunately, we can be overloaded with these inflammatory foods that contribute to stress and illness.
Cooking from scratch requires a little familiarity that we've largely lost in order to create fantastic flavour from simple ingredients. In the culinary skills I teach, you learn to use natural ingredients like these to level up flavour and health at home! And so, in the Joyful Kitchen Clean Out, we clear out the clutter of half-used sauce bottles and create a useful, diverse pantry of serious flavour, like these.
Go-To Feel Good Flavours & Seasonings
• Raw apple cider vinegar
• Red wine vinegar
• Ume plum vinegar
• Rice wine vinegar
• Gluten-free tamari sauce or coconut aminos
• Fish sauce
• Hot sauce
• Mustard – Dijon, stone ground, honey, spicy
• Organic ketchup
• Cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil (for salads and dressings)
• Avocado or coconut oil (for high heat cooking)
• Toasted sesame oil (for drizzling on finished dishes)
• Raw honey
• Coconut sugar
• Sea salt
• Pepper
• Broth
• Dried herbs and spices: paprika, chili powder, bay leaves, ginger, turmeric, thyme, oregano, cumin, coriander, curry, crushed red pepper, sesame seeds, gomasio, dulse, etc.
GOOD-BETTER-BEST (You're not throwing it all away and buying all these in one day)
I share this list because I want you to see how a few real ingredients can form the bulk of simple ingredients, rather than relying of processed foods. In the Joyful Kitchen Clean Out, we will go over restocking guides like these for each area of your kitchen (pantry, fridge, freezer) so you have what you need to make swaps over time using good-better-best thinking.
With your spices, vinegars & oils, good-better-best looks like:
Good: Replacing spices after 12 months, look for oils that are cold pressed, focusing on fewer items that are sustainably sourced
Better: Avoiding items with sugar in ingredients list, purchasing local, sustainable or organic when possible.
Best: Products stored in glass, refillable bulk buys, almost all organic or highly sustainable, reducing waste.
MORE TIPS
Shelf-stable foods require close label reading to make sure we are buying products that support our health goals. Watch out for sugar, sugar substitutes, artificial flavourings and preservatives listed in the ingredients.
Flavourings and seasonings can be tricky, so you’ll definitely want to check labels here and avoid brands that contain MSG and other additives if possible.
Create a Nourishing, Joyful Kitchen in Just One Day
The Joyful Kitchen Clean Out is happening virtually this week! With this program, you work closely with me as a Culinary Nutrition Guide and it includes:
One comprehensive 1/2 day together to clean-out your fridge, pantry, freezer and re-stock it with foods that you know will leave you feeling great
One 30-minute pre-clean-out session to determine your goals, so we can make the most of our full-day together
One 60-minute post clean-out reflection & troubleshooting session, because I want to make sure this absolutely works for you, and we’ll figure out how to adjust any challenges that pop up.
Training on food choices and nutrition labels, so after your clean-out has wrapped up you can continue to make choices that help you feel your best.
Handouts to help you re-stock your pantry and choose the foods that best support your personal health goals.
The confidence of knowing that you have a culinary nutrition guide by your side to walk you through this process, step-by-step. You won’t be left wondering if you’ve made the right decision - I’ll be there with a proven process that will show you how to make the choices that feel best for you.
Important Dates (all meetings on Zoom)
Wednesday, January 26, 7pm CST: 30 minute goal setting session to make the most of the kitchen clean out
Saturday, January 29, 10am-1pm: Virtual Kitchen Clean Out
Wednesday, February 2, 7pm CST: 60 minute reflection and troubleshooting session
Cost: $125CAD per person, includes pre- and post- sessions, as well as the 1/2 day experience and educational handouts.