Hey guys, The first thing I tell all my nutrition clients is to get in the kitchen and have a kitchen make over day. Seriously if you are starting a new healthy way of life we have to set the stage for success … the stage being your kitchen of course. Let me tell you I am sure you all have experienced that weak moment…… when maybe you were hungry angry lonely or tired … opened up the cabinets and saw that damn frosting and just stuck your fingers in it. Yikes I know I have.. and it never ends well. So I always ask…. Have you tossed your candies, cookies, cakes and crackers? If so, it’s time to stock up on the essentials for smart nutrition. My strategy is to stock my cupboards with healthy staples including brown rice, oatmeal, eggs, quinoa, garlic, chicken and vegetable stocks, beans, vegetables and chicken breasts, always keeping a good supply on hand. Then I make a midweek trip to the grocery store to replenish perishable goods. I’ve listed the items you’d likely find in the Salva household if you just popped by. Make a copy so you, too, can navigate the grocery store with sound knowledge of what foods to stock up on. WHOLE GRAINS: brown rice, wheat germ, cream of wheat, quinoa, millet, rye, bulgur, buckwheat, oat bran, Red River cereal, spelt, kamut CEREALS: All-Bran, Shredded Wheat, Muesli, Ezekiel, Weetabix, Kashi NUTS AND SEEDS: natural nut butters, cashews, sunflower, sesame, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, almonds, pecans, walnuts oh and PB2 always PB2!!!!!! DRIED FRUITS: dates, figs, cherries, raisins, apricots, cranberries, apples, goji berries, blueberries, prunes, dried tomatoes FROZEN OPTIONS: whole-grain breads and wraps, fish, edamame, chicken breasts, turkey breasts, ground chicken, ground turkey, berries, vegetables DAIRY OPTIONS: almond milk cocunut milk , skim milk, eggs, goat cheese, plain greek yogurt..Um yeah I have had a love hate relationship with cheese.. I mean I love cheese… but I had to cool it with the cheese so I use 4% friendship cottage cheese and I love it. They come in pre portioned containers so I can’t go nuts. FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES Any and all—the more the better CANNED FOODS: tomatoes, tomato paste, low-sodium peas and corn, water-packed low-sodium tuna and salmon, beans, apple sauce for cooking BEANS: lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, white beans (all beans are excellent) CONDIMENTS AND FLAVOR BOOSTERS: lemon and lime juice, vinegars, mustard, salsa, low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth and bouillon cube Oh and I swear… I buy this olive oil spray for salads that is amaze balls!!!!!! Ok so thats it.. just so you know amaze balls is my new word so get used to it. I heard my friend Cris use it so Ill give her the cred… but damn it sounds so good. AMAZE BALLS!!!SAY IT!!!!!