Staples

Staples: pieces of bent metal or wire pushed through something or clipped over it as a fastening, in particular, or used to attach or secure. Attach. Secure. Sure staples are used to attach our grocery list to our coupons but I am more interested in talking about the staples we use to make our meals cohesive. The staples in the pantry, staples in the crisper drawer, staples on the cutting board and staples in the recipe box. We all have different tastes and different nutritional needs, but I bet our staples are uniform.

Lets start in the pantry. Dry goods probably look like flour, sugar, honey, peanut butter, salt, pepper, herbs and spice, rice, pasta and a variety of oils and vinegars. In addition we can probably spy canned beans and tomatoes on the shelf, a bag of onions next to a bag of potatoes, and a crock filled with heads of garlic. Just within these foods we can amply find vitamins C, E, B-6 and 3, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, sodium, chloride, calcium, omega-3 and 6, selenium, antioxidants, and natural antibiotics. Depending on the label, whole grains may be found in the flour bag.

The refrigerator has stapes as well. Eggs, milk, butter and cheese, for those of us who aren't practicing vegans. Celery and carrots in the crisper, oranges and apples in the 'other drawer', and a slew of regular suspects in the door. Within this basic stash we can adequately find vitamins K, C, A, D, and B-6 and 12, calcium, sodium, chloride, folic acid, magnesium, iron, phytochemicals, antioxidants, protein, complex carbohydrates, and natural antibiotics.  Then glance at the bread or meat cutting board:  chicken, pork, beef and fish are typical western staples, as is white, corn or whole wheat bread. Carbs, iron, a list of B vitamins, essential fats, protein, whole grains, and choline are present.

If you take a look at the list of vitamins and minerals recommended by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), every one of them is sufficiently present in just the staples alone.  The trick is to eat the staples!  Now, I don't really mind of you ignore what the FDA recommends, but if you are ignoring the staples and instead utilizing the processed, convenience foods you have lined your shelves with, you may be deficient in the vitamins and minerals that are literally staring you in the face each and every time you occupy the kitchen.

So, eat real, naturally occurring food, like carrots, potatoes and garlic!  Wash them in with water, or make a soup!  Give your vitamins their vitamins by eating herbs and spices, oranges and oils!  And, because cooking can be messy, remember to wash your hands.  After you eat and drink and wash, sort through that old recipe box of your mother's; I am sure all of the staples are in there ready to be utilized!

Anna~