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In caring for ourselves, we often don’t know where to start. The acronym of NEW START can help. The first letter stands for:
NUTRITION:
The majority of what you eat, should be fruits and vegetables, the healthiest are fresh or frozen. An excellent way to get more fruits and veggies in your diet is by making smoothies – and you can up your protein by adding milk, yogurt, oatmeal, tofu, cottage cheese, or peanut butter. Meat sources of proteins can be chicken breast, turkey breast, tuna, eggs, white fish, lean beef, beans and shrimp, though I would save those for non-smoothie meals =)
Bananas have 5 stages of ripeness: Yellow with touches of green is underripe. In this state they are a great source of probiotics and are gut friendly. Yellow with no green, or only a few brown flecks is barely ripe, and in this state it is high in fiber and low in sugar. Yellow with more brown flecks is ripe, and when it is in this stage there are high antioxidant levels and good fiber content. Yellow with lots of brown flecks is very ripe. In this state it has the lowest vitamin and mineral content. Mostly brown or black is overripe and in this state it has the highest sugar and lowest fiber content. It is in this last state when it is best for making breads or sweets.
Veggies should look crisp, firm and fresh. If they are soft, spongy or drooping, leave them in the store.
Melons should smell fresh from the point where they were attached to the vine. If you tap on a melon it should sound hollow.
Berries: Look at the underside of the container to see if any have been smashed or are developing mold. Delivery drivers often soak rags in rubbing alcohol and toss over the berries so their loads won’t be refused even though mold has started.
Some fruits such as peaches, plums, avocados, oranges and pears should have some give to them, but should not be spongy, cause a bruise or break in the skin when testing for freshness, if so, leave them in the store.
There’s a difference between the “use by” and “best before” dates. Use by means that you have until that date to use or freeze the items before they become too risky to eat. The best before date means that you can eat food past this date, but it won’t be at its best quality.
How to tell if meat is still good –
Beef: If it has changed from bright red to pink to dull brown or grey, it is spoiled.
Chicken: Healthy chicken has a natural gloss and a slight odor. Spoiled chicken will emit a strong smell, may be slimy or sticky and change color from fresh and pinkish to dull or grey.
Fish: Fish naturally has a strong odor, so if it smells “fishy” that is NOT an indication it has gone bad. Fish is typically white or pink, so if it turns blue, grey, or takes on a milky white then it is spoiled. Spoiled salmon will also start developing spots.
Store grains in airtight containers to prolong shelf-life. If your grains or flour emits a minty smell, you likely have mites. Flour weevils are larger, brown, and easier to spot. In both cases you should throw them out, and conduct a thorough inspection of similar items to make sure they haven’t spread. Cloves and bay leaves are natural deterrents to pantry pests. If problems continue, consider storing grains and flours in the freezer, or investing in airtight storage containers for such items.
