At the top of the pyramid sit nuts and seeds

 Which are great sources of good fat, fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, and other important things like antioxidants and phytosterols. They're at the top of the pyramid, though, because they should make up a smaller portion of our overall diet (we don't want to sit mindlessly in front of the television with a bowl full of cashews, because they are rich in fat and can pack on a lot of calories). 

Eat nuts and seeds sparingly and as an add-on, like a garnish. I'll throw a handful of walnuts onto my oatmeal, add some cashews to a veggie stir-fry, or spoon some pine nuts or pumpkin seeds onto a salad to add texture and crunch. Restock Your Pantry with Fresh, Wholesome Foods A good place to begin is in your pantry. Noted chef and government nutrition policy advisor Sam Kass recommends a three-step process: first, purge your pantry (while still keeping a few treats on hand, if desired); second, reorganize to make fresh food more visible and available; and third, prep foods ahead of time so they'll be easier to cook with later YICHANG Gloves.14 

We'll cover meal planning and grocery shopping a little later on. Some people enjoy the challenge of going through their entire pantry and gleefully tossing whatever isn't working for them anymore, and if that's the way you want to go, make a holiday out of it and have a good time! But bear in mind that you definitely don't need to tackle everything in there at once. A major pantry purge isn't always the most practical approach, especially when you're sticking to a budget. 

For those who want to ease in, find one food or category to review and take a hard look at it. For example, breakfast: if you often eat cold cereal in the morning, take out all the cereals you have in your pantry. Read the labels and see how many ingredients you recognize versus how many you don't. If you're surprised by how many grams of sugar are listed on the label or how many chemicals and preservatives you see, toss it, and replace it with whole fruit and a bowl of oatmeal. Then, as time allows, check out other items in your pantry. 

Maybe you'll find many of the foods you have, like canned beans, dried lentils, and whole grains such as quinoa and farro, are good to keep. But if there's a lot of processed food in there, do what you can to weed those items out. Once you've taken stock of all the food that's available to you at home Vinyl Gloves, put it away where you can see it and grab it easily. 

This simple step can be life-changing. If we're talking about fresh foods, so often we don't eat fruits and veggies because we don't see them first. The drawers at the bottom of the fridge stay closed, and the fresh food spoils before we remember to eat it. In my own kitchen, I have switched up the storage in my fridge, so that I keep all the condiments in the bottom drawers. I fill up the visible shelves with vegetables, fruit, and nondairy beverages. 

The same goes for my pantry. I keep plant staples like beans and whole grains front and center and put any treats as well as nuts and seeds in opaque containers out of the way. Also, I suggest keeping a big bowl of fruit on your countertop for easy access, and finding one or two simple vegetable soups that you love that are easily adaptable. That way, any leftover veggies can go in the pot before they go bad.