Time to get rid of sugary traps in your kitchen. A simple yet effective exercise is to clean out your kitchen pantry, fridge and freezer – starting today!

Go through all of your food, and toss or donate everything that contains sugar. Pay special attention to canned goods and packaged items, which are the worst offenders.

If you’re not sure it’s sugar, use this list of names to identify this elusive and addicting ingredient. It’s referred to in many different ways, but at the end of the day, it’s still sugar.

Sucrose
Cane sugar
Corn syrup
HFCS
Maltose
Raw Sugar
Turbinado Sugar
Brown Sugar
Confectioner’s Sugar

Above: pantry of my dreams!

When I share this list with clients after doing a pantry clean out, I’m often asked “what’s left to eat?” The answer, is plenty. Next time you’re at the grocery store, choose whole, unprocessed foods free of lengthy nutrition labels. When was the last night you saw an ingredient list on a stalk of broccoli?

Go for these naturally sugar-free, delicious options:
fruits
vegetables
whole grains
nuts
seeds
beans

Remember, whole foods are what belong in your body. Keeping your pantry and fridge stocked with colorful, fresh, healthy food is a great beginning step. Set yourself up for success!