Jenn made the joke that baring our pantries could read totally differently with the omission of one letter. I’ll admit that sending photos of my pantry to a nutritionist did feel slightly like I was going pantless and showing off my under-britches to the world. But we’re nothing if not honest around here, whether we’re talking about our healthiest habits or the ones we need to tweak, like my sugar habit. Plus, I was all for seeing how I could tweak my dry goods stash to make it a bit healthier.

First, a tour of my Lazy Susan. I have additional cupboard space for baking necessities and spices and counter space for bread, but this is the meat of it. It took four turns of old Susan to get it all pictured. At the top of this turn: Canned soups, bread crumbs and two honey bears. I went through a lot of honey and Greek yogurt at the beginning of my pregnancy. Bottom row: Some No Yolks egg noodles, lasagna noodles and evaporated milk that I bought in a six-pack and only used two of for pumpkin pies at Thanksgiving.

Turn two. At the top of this turn, we’ve got sauerkraut and canned fruits. At bottom: Rice wine vinegar, fish oil, cooking wine, sesame and safflower oils (safflower left over from my hubby’s b-day cake. Remember this one?), and mandarin oranges. I also see hot chocolate hiding in there.

Now coming into turn three, we’ve got peanut butter, lite coconut milk, canned tuna and chicken broth. Down below, granola, bouillon granules and cherry Jell-O.

Rounding the corner into the home stretch, we’ve got a lot going on. Up top: Just about every variety of tomato imaginable, fat-free refried beans, green chilies, corn, black beans, garbanzo beans, baked beans. I also spy applesauce. Down below: More egg noodles (there must have been a sale!), whole-grain pasta, orzo and a massive bag of powdered sugar.

So we sent these pictures to nutritionist Keri Glassman, who is working with Arnold/Orowheat Sandwich Thins for its Smart Eating campaign, to get her opinion on what could be tweaked. Here are her suggestions for me!

• Go for natural peanut butter where the only ingredient is peanuts and there is no added sodium or sugar or trans fats.
• I see you have canned tuna. I recommend chunk light tuna and canned salmon.
• Avoid the Jell-O and packaged fruit, instead try frozen berries or just fresh produce.
• Most granolas are still loaded with calories and sugar, you can make your own healthy topping or snack with nuts, dried fruit (in portion control and with no added sugar or sulfur) seeds like sunflower, pumpkin and flax.
• It’s good you have whole-wheat pasta, make sure all your pasta is whole wheat. You can also add in whole grains like quinoa, amaranth and millet. And of course, Arnold/Oroweat 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins rolls are great to have on hand for a quick sandwich.

So really, that wasn’t as painful as I thought it’d be. It’s funny because these suggestions are things I know I should do more of—whole-wheat pasta and other whole grains. Granola? Well, I can guarantee I won’t be making my own any time soon, so I mostly just try to watch portions there. And the Jell-O cracks me up. I think I picked it up one day on a craving-led whim, and I never think ahead far enough to make it because it takes so long to set up. So there it sits, along with two cans of fruit that have been in there since…forever. You can even see the dust on those peaches. The packaged mandarin oranges (sugar-free, in water!) are mostly for the little one in a pinch if I’m running low on other fruits or she needs a super-quick snack.

What items are in your pantry that you know should be swapped out? Anything collecting dust? —Erin

The Super Bowl is just three days away…do you know where your healthy snacks are? In case you don’t—or in case you can’t see one more “healthy snack list” that claims baby carrots and celery sticks are actually fun to snack on (nothing against carrots and celery—they’re just hard to stick to when things like nachos are giving you the googly eyes)—we’ve rounded up five new healthy snacks that are perfect to serve at the big game or take to any Super Bowl party. Salty, sweet, refreshing and even a little (healthy) fatty, they pretty much cover the gamut of taste sensations. Go snacks, go!

5 New Healthy Super Bowl Snacks

1. Wholly Guacamole in Spicy. Everyone loves guacamole, and Wholly Guacamole’s new spicy flavor is just the right mix of heat, spice and avocado. It’s kind of like mixing hot salsa with guac. Naturally free of sodium and cholesterol, this guac is also a good source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, folate and vitamin B6. Yum…

Yep, that would be my pantry. A somewhat chaotic mix of this, that and everything in between, it’s where I go for cooking inspiration and, well, storage. (Hey, the organization makes sense to me…)

Similar to an earlier Question of the Week where we peeked into each FBG’s fridge, this week we’re showing you what our pantries look like. (Funny how removing one little letter in “pantries” could make this question totally different.) But, wait, there’s a twist! In addition to just showing our kitchen cabinets off, we’ve also shown them to nutritionist Keri Glassman, who is working with Arnold/Orowheat Sandwich Thins for its Smart Eating campaign, to get her opinion on what’s good and what could be made just a bit better.

But before we share what Ms. Glassman thought of my pantry (I’ll admit this was a bit eek-inducing for me!), let’s look at this mess, shelf by shelf. We’ll start bottom left because that section seems the least cluttered. We’ve got almond milk, canned pumpkin, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, pumpkin pancake mix from Trader Joe’s (how did that get in there?!), tuna, salmon, almonds, corn meal, and two flours that were left over from my gluten-free baking adventure—quinoa and coconut.

Next shelf up, things get a little spicy. (Get it? I kill myself.) There are you usual spice standbys like chili powder, marjoram and basil, but fun stuff like Garam Masala and my favorite cajun-spice blend, Slap Ya Mama. Also co-mingling on this shelf are honey, bread crumbs and rice paper wrappers. I have no idea why.

The two top shelves are pretty boring, so I’m leaving out a photo: sugar, flour, vanilla, baking spices—nothing exciting and mostly stuff that stays up there and out of reach for a reason. But the bottom right shelf? Well, there’s a bevy of tasty. Tamarind paste for when I make pad thai, mango butter (love this stuff on sandwiches and even burgers!), jams, that weird yet incredibly convenient low-sodium chicken broth paste, mushroom powder (for the vitamin D, baby), sea salt, dried beans, barley, couscous, pasta and seaweed for my occasional sushi-making endeavors.

And lastly, there’s the middle-right shelf, which is a cornucopia of more exotic spices. There’s some dry rub for that good barbecue that Kansas City is known for, more sea salt (this kind is for sprinkling on, the other kind is for grinding—common sense would put them on the same shelf, but logic doesn’t always apply in my kitchen), and then a bunch of spices I bought in bulk and on the cheap at a local Indian market. You can see a sliver of the Tandoori powder at the bottom left, and then there are bags filled with curry powder, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, ground cumin and ginger powder. Behind all that is a little sushi rice for previously mentioned sushi-making.

So just what did the nutritionist have to say about my pantry? Well, some good suggestions. In Glassman’s own words…

• You have a lot of good things in there! I see quinoa, pumpkin, herbs and spices and it’s great that you have the mango butter, sea salt, salmon, seaweed and barley!
• Great job with the almonds—let’s add in other nuts for variety like pecans and walnuts. You can also add in more ancient grains like amaranth. I see you have chickpeas, so you might like lentils as well.
• Whole-wheat bread crumbs are hard to find, but you can use wheat germ mixed with flax seeds to coat chicken or fish.

Dude, such great advice! (And I didn’t seem to do too bad, eh? Hooray!) I’m definitely planning to round-out my nut buying (wow, there are a lot of jokes to be made there), work lentils into dishes (she’s right—I love ‘em) and try that wheat-germ-flax-seed combo for coating chicken and fish. Yum, yum, yum. A big thanks to Glassman for the expertise!

What do you think a nutritionist would say about your pantry? Any items that stand out as something Glassman might love—or want to swap out? Dish! —Jenn

If I may be frank, diet food has always made my butt twitch. I hate it that when my friends and family think of it, they cringe. I hate that they associate “going on a diet” with deprivation and focus on all of the foods that they think they can’t have. After all, eating well is all about piling in the good stuff—without going hungry or losing your brain over something as simple as a pizza craving. That’s why I was intrigued to try the new Weight Watchers Smart Ones Satisfying Selections. I figured the company that encourages people to eat many zero-point foods (veggies and fruits!) had to bring the good stuff in its frozen meals. At $2.99 (before tax) they were decently priced, so the smarties had two points before I even had the opportunity to test them out.

And it’s not like it’s a tiny bag. The new packages brag about offering “satisfying selections” (hence the name) that offer 30 percent larger portions with heartier pieces of meat, vegetables and good doses of whole grains. I seriously thought I had found possibly the perfect dinner option for those nights when the stove is my enemy and the kitchen my torture chamber. Then I tried them and my bubble burst—a bit.

I tried the Sesame Chicken first and enjoyed it. I gobbled it up with no problem and was actually nice and full. But then I looked at the package. It had a good dose of protein (25+ grams!) and fiber, and a sane calorie count of about 350 per meal (nine points, if you’re counting those), but it also had a shocking amount of sodium. When my boyfriend read the back of the package and screamed out, “Daaaaaaaang!” at the 490 mg, I knew Weight Watchers had come far in the frozen-food market, but not far enough. I could see myself eating something like this occasionally, but not more than once a week. I’m a stickler for sodium.

If sodium were these entrees’ only fault, I think I might still give ‘em a B+, but I tried the Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo and all bets were off. Overall, the meal was bland and the chicken left much to be desired. I kept finding gristle, too. (Have I ever mentioned before that I gave up all meat for a couple of years because gristle texture had grossed me out so badly I went extremely wiggy? True story.) The first time I got a bite of bad chicken, I chalked it up to a fluke, but then I had two more pieces in my bowl. Third times a charm, apparently, because I couldn’t keep eating after that. The meal had 660 mg of sodium though, so I didn’t feel too bad that I couldn’t finish all of it.

Now, there are other varieties in the Smart Ones Satisfying Selections lines that I didn’t try: Chicken with Broccoli and Cheese, Ziti with Meatballs and Cheese, and Chicken Teriyaki Stir-Fry. So maybe those are hit-it-out-of-the-ballpark taste-wise, but for me, I’d prefer to fire up that stove and cook—unless I was really, really tired and hungry.

What are your thoughts on diet foods? Eat ‘em? Avoid ‘em? —Tish

For years I’ve heard a lot about the Vitamix on different blogs and websites. When I first heard about it, I was like “$450? Well, you have to just be crazy to get that. How can it possibly be worth all that?” And then, I started making more smoothies.

At first, a basic blender was fine. A frozen banana and ice were a bit of a challenge, but protein power and strawberries were a breeze. And then I started getting more adventurous. I started adding frozen spinach…then kale…and then I wanted to add EVERYTHING healthy in. But homie wasn’t playin’ that. (Homeybeing my blender.) And homey burnt out, not once, but twice. So it was obvious I needed to invest in a quality blender.

And then I used the financial thinking that gets a lot of us in trouble: Well, what’s the point of getting something mediocre? I might as well buy the best! Screw the rest!

And so I began my campaign to convince my wonderfully frugal husband that yes, I—no, we!—needed a blender that cost roughly as much as a set of tires for the car. I began with casually mentioning this cool “new blender” that was out there and how it could basically crush rocks. Then, I started complaining a bit more loudly about our current blender. (For the record, I already cussed at it a lot.) I make green smoothies for me and my husband just about every morning, so I had ample opportunity to do this. Next, I began bringing up—usually while eating a big salad for dinner—how awesome raw food is for you and how you can eat SO MUCH MORE produce when you’re juicing/blending whole foods. But, you know, not with a little blender like ours. Like one of those other blenders.

Well, eventually, I got him as excited about the whole dang thing as I was. So much so that he ended up doing his own research, and concluded that, yes, the Vitamix was the way to go. (We could get a juicer, but then you have the pulp to do something with, which just seems like a hassle to us.) Before I knew it, we were striking a deal with ourselves to forgo our usual Christmas presents to help justify such a large purchase. And it is a large purchase. I almost had a panic attack when I pulled out my credit card for it.

After anxiously awaiting its arrival on our doorstep for 10 days, our Vitamix has become an essential part of our food preparation. I used it six times in the first 24 hours I had it—three smoothies, a massive round of mango daiquiris, fresh cranberry salad dressing and chocolate-banana-avocado pudding. In the two weeks I’ve had it thus far, we’ve probably used it two to three times a day, and holy goodness gracious it makes a joke of my previous blender.

I can now stuff it with more kale than my grocery store practically carries. Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but I stuff a lot of kale in there.

And I make one hell of a green smoothie.

As I go about perfecting my green and kale smoothie recipes, I’ll be sure to share them here, but in the meantime just know that I’m trying it all—grapefruit, pears, carrots, celery, collard greens, almond butter, berries, ginger, liquor. Not everything tastes great together—but it’s still amazingly blended to a consistency that is so smooth it’s almost unfathomable that it was ever anything but a drink. Let alone a cruciferous vegetable.

I almost can’t believe I’m saying this, but, for me, the Vitamix was worth every single penny. Some people buy flatscreen TVs. Others buy high-fashion shoes and clothes. I apparently buy blenders. Or, more accurately, one blender (seven-year warranty, baby!).

Do you make kale smoothies or green smoothies? Have a Vitamix? Want to get one? Think they’re ridiculously expensive? Sound off in the comments! —Jenn

You can never have too many cooking utensils! Credit: PlayfulLibrarian

Back in college, when I started cooking for myself, I was a meticulous recipe follower. While I’d help out my mom with dinner sometimes and make chocolate-chip cookies occasionally in the years leading up to college, I wasn’t really comfortable with making anything that didn’t result in eating leftover batter. Seeing that a life fueled by chocolate-cake batter isn’t really the healthiest of diets, I dove into the world of healthy cooking with a subscription to Cooking Light magazine, which pretty much taught me the ins and outs of healthy cooking. After a couple years of making their recipes, I ventured on to more foodie cooking endeavors from Eating Well, America’s Test Kitchen and various other cookbooks and blogs.

As the years went by, I started getting creative with my cooking. I’d swap black beans for pinto beans, or Greek yogurt for mayo, or quinoa for couscous. And then, I got braver. I’d add more veggies—carrots, spinach, broccoli, tomatoes—into a recipe, double or triple the garlic (no vampires up in my house, that’s for sure) and play around with different spice combinations. Eventually, cooking became more than a skill—it became a way for me to be creative. (This post is proof.)

I tend to communicate a lot—I write a ridiculous amount—so cooking is a way to turn my brain off and play. I know that many don’t like to cook, but there’s something about turning on some good tunes and just focusing on the rhythmic chopping of an onion or the soft simmer of a spaghetti sauce. Nothing overly complicated or complex (although I sometimes find that a fun challenge, too)—just me, some healthy ingredients, a glass of wine and a quiet mind. After a long day, there’s just nothing like cooking it all out to unwind.

As someone who likes to “do stuff,” (probably too much stuff, as I’ve mentioned before) cooking is a best-of-both-worlds hobby that allows me to relax while I actually produce something that’s pretty awesome: a healthy meal. Sure, not all of my substituted-out and swapped-in creations are culinary keepers, but I rarely regret a night in the kitchen. (There was that one time I almost set the house on fire with “blackened” plantains…but that was years ago!)

Does cooking relax you like it does me? Or does it totally do the opposite and stress you out? —Jenn

Is that tuna on the sustainable seafood Super Green List? Credit: brockamer

I love fish. When it comes to getting lean protein that’s full of nutrition (hello, healthy omega-3 fatty acids!), you really can’t beat it. However—and I’m sure I’m not alone here—knowing what fish is the best to buy and eat can be confusing. From hunting practices to farming to mercury levels, it can be super confusing. I mean, really, I’d just like to eat something that’s good for me that doesn’t kill the earth. That’s not so hard, right?

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program recently put together its Super Green list, which highlights species that have low levels of contaminants (less than 216 parts per billion mercury 11 parts per billion PCBs) and the daily minimum amount of omega-3s (at least 250 mg per day). Check out what fish make the sustainable seafood Super Green grade!

Exactly how many calories are in those Girl Scouts Cookies? Credit: Jamiesrabbits, Flickr

We all have our favorites (although, if your favorite isn’t a Thin Mint straight out of the freezer, well, I hate to break it to you, but you’re wrong)—I mean, how can you say no to Girl Scout Cookies? The deliciousness factor aside, I have a really, really hard time saying no when those cute little girls come around. I want to boost their self esteem and help them grow up to be strong, confident women, and by dog, if I can do that by buying a few Girl Scout Cookies, that’s just what I’ll do.

Also, I really like Thin Mints. It’s a no brainer.

Now, I’m not going to disillusion myself into thinking that doing a good deed makes these, you know, good for me, but just how many calories do those little Girl Scout Cookies really pack in a serving?

Shocked? Not surprised at all by how many calories are in your favorite Girl Scout Cookies? Tell us! —Kristen

Fruit is awesome. Fruit is healthy. Therefore, Tish and I wanted to share four fruit-on-the-go options you’re probably seeing on store shelves. We recently learned about these at the Dole Healthy Lifestyle Blogger Summit. Here’s our tasty (and honest—of course!) thoughts on the new Dole Real Fruit Bites, Grapefruit Bowls, Shakers and Crisps!

Dole Real Fruit Bites

Tish is the Dole Diva of Digging In. And she went just a bit groupie on all things Dole at the summit, including the Dole Real Fruit Bites. She’s not much of a candy girl, but when she does have a hankering for something sweet and delightful, she now reaches for the yogurt-covered Pineapple Chunks. She even puts them in her boyfriend’s lunch bag sometimes. My sweet tooth, on the other hand, prefers something a bit more natural and less sugary. I liked the  Mango Chunks best, as they were slightly less sweet than the Pineapple Chunks, but I also liked the Apple Chunks before a run. (The Pineapple Chunks have a whopping 14 grams of sugar, while Mango and Apple have 11 grams. I can totally taste that difference, too!) 

Dole Fruit Bowls in 100 Percent Juice

Is there anything better than a fresh grapefruit? Well, maybe grapefruit that’s already peeled and ready for eating because that can be a pain in the fit bottomed rear. This is why when Dole told us they had a new Red Grapefruit Sunrise Fruit Bowl in 100 percent fruit juice, I was stoked. If you’re a grapefruit lover like I am, you can’t go wrong with these. They are resealable, include a small fork and are just the right mix of grapefruit-y sourness and natural sweetness. There are 140 calories in a 7-ounce bowl, and you get 80 percent of your vitamin C for the day. Truly a fruit pick for on-the-go grapefruit-lovers! (I know from experience that they are an awesome travel snack…)

Dole Shakers

The Dole Shakers that feature fruit and freeze-dried yogurt are quick, easy and fun. Add liquid, shake them up, and you’re good to go. Every time Tish shakes one, she starts singing any song she can think of that involves shaking and shimmying. (For real.) Each shake contains 90 calories, as long as you add just water. (They’re tasty with milk and juice, but you have to remember to tack on the extra calories.) The Shakers come in Mixed Berry, Strawberry and, Tish’s favorite flavor, Strawberry Banana. Each has calcium and pre- and probiotics, along with a little protein and fiber. While I’ll agree that these are pretty tasty, I’d rather make my own smoothies at home (the freeze-dried yogurt reminds me of  space food). But I’ll agree with Tish that shaking them up is super fun.

Dole Crisp

I swear these things came right out of Willy Wonka’s factory. Dole found a way to take Tish’s favorite naughty apple crisp dessert and make it a pretty low-cal indulgence. The Dole Fruit Crisps come in Apple Cinnamon, Apple Pear and Peach. Each have about 150 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, 2 grams of fiber and 2 grams of protein. They’re high on the sugar-side with 20 grams—but, ladies, it is dessert (and dessert should be sweet). While you can eat these cold, we prefer to heat them up in the microwave. Simply open the bowl of fruit in its yummy fruit sauce, then sprinkle with the second container of whole-grain oats and brown sugar (if you wanted to cut down on calories and sugar, you could only use half here). Seriously perfect for this time of year, when you’re looking for a warm dessert. Apple Cinnamon was our favorite, but all are pretty good.

When you don’t have access to fresh fruit, what are your fave fruity products? Tell us how you like to get fruity! —Jenn & Tish

Ever heard of kitchen sink soup? Where you put whatever you have (but the kitchen sink) in a pot and turn it into an edible and hopefully delicious soup? Well, I have no real proof to back me up on this besides my husband’s feedback and my own ego, but I’m going to go ahead and declare myself the Queen of the Healthy Kitchen Sink Soup. I like to think it’s a skill.

Here’s last week’s kitchen sink soup (I probably make some version of kitchen sink soup every other week just to finish off what’s left in the fridge with minimal effort). I like to call it Spiced Mixed Bean, Kamut, Chicken and Kale Soup with Goat Cheese. You know, cause that just rolls off the tongue.

Like any healthy kitchen sink soup recipe, it’s pretty easy to make. First, round up random ingredients you have in your pantry and fridge that might go well together. (Remember, experimentation is the most fun part of kitchen sink soup!) Here’s what I started with:

In general, I find that having a whole grain and/or beans with veggies is pretty much all it takes. In this case though, I got super nutty and added two red potatoes we had just waiting to go bad and some ground chicken to the kitchen-sink-soup party. So after I sauteed my garlic and onions (the base of any good soup) and peppers, I got the pot a-mixing, moving and grooving.

Then, once all slightly cooked with a little olive oil, I added in the fresh tomatoes, dried beans and kamut. Now it’s really looking like a party.

After adding a decent amount of broth and the tomato paste to cover all the goodies inside, I asked myself, “Self, what does this kitchen sink soup need that we have?” And the answer: Kale! (Nine times out of 10 this is the answer I arrive at.)

So after adding about half of the bag of kale plus cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper and a dash of crushed red pepper, I got this:

After bringing it to a boil and letting it simmer for 90 minutes, I had tender kamut (it’s a whole grain that takes a bit to cook) and beans, and a dang healthy soup with lots of veggies, fiber and protein. I topped it with a little goat cheese (you could add a splash of hot sauce if you like things more spicy), and bam! Dinner for the week.

The true joy of the kitchen sink soup recipe is that anything goes. As long as things are properly cooked and seasoned, you can mix darn near anything together. While I’d say garlic and onions are a must to start the soup and you do need some sort of liquid to cook it in (low-sodium chicken broth is my go-to, although water can work), the rest is pretty much up to you and what foods are hanging out in your kitchen.

I’ve never made kitchen sink soup the same way twice. I like to challenge myself to add new ingredients—whether it’s a little wine that was left over from dinner the night before, a new soy chorizo I picked up at Trader Joe’s or a spice in my pantry that rarely gets used like 5-Spice Powder. And, I try to pack as much nutrition as I can in every bite—while still making it taste good (my husband and I may have slightly different takes on how often I achieve this goal as I have had a couple too-creative results).

Do you make any dish “kitchen sink” style? What was your biggest success? I’m sure I’m not the only one… —Jenn