DIET | DETECTIVE^®

Healthful eating isn’t always easy, but you stand a better chance if your kitchen lends a helping hand. See how your home stacks up.

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What type of kitchen do you have? For each question below, circle the letter that’s closest to the truth:

1. How many kinds of fresh produce do you have in your kitchen now?

a. They’re everywhere you look. We have more fruit and vegetable varieties then I can count. Plus, we joined an organic (and locally grown) buyer’s co-op, and we shop at a green market when we can.
b. The occasional apple or banana going to waste in the fruit bowl. As far as veggies, some celery, carrots and lettuce.
c. What do you mean by fresh produce? Do SunnyD, Kool-Aid and/or Fruit Gushers count?

Fit Tip: Why fruits and vegetables? For starters, they are low in calories, carbs and fat — so you can eat a lot and not gain weight (especially vegetables). Also, fruits and vegetables are loaded with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

2. The fruit and vegetables are:

a. Easily accessible, out in the open and visible when I open my fridge door.
b. In the fridge drawer.
c. We have canned beets. Does that count?

Fit Tip: If you don’t have fruit and veggies easily accessible, you will not eat them. We eat what’s in front of us. Keep in mind, if you tuck your veggies and fruit in the “fruit” drawer — you might forget about them.

3. A new neighbor or a friend is stopping by in an hour — what are the healthiest snacks you have?

a. Almonds, pecans, pistachio nuts, fruit salad, fresh pears, apples, cut up peppers and other veggies (with a healthy dip).
b. Baked chips, 100 percent whole-grain crackers (e.g., Dr. Krackers), salsa.
c. You want it, we’ve got it: Oreos, devil’s-food cake, Ben & Jerry’s, Doritos, apple pie ... whatever you need.

Fit Tip: Get some healthy snacks to keep around the house, and scrap the junk. Again, we eat what’s in front of us. If it’s in your shopping cart, chances are it’ll end up in your mouth — even if you think you’re buying it “for the kids.” And besides, they don’t need the junk, either.

4. In terms of cooking utensils and equipment:

a. My kitchen is fully loaded. We have a food processor, pots and pans in all sizes, measuring cups, a measuring spoon set, state-of-the-art oven and stove top, salad spinner, gravy separator, vegetable chopper, garlic press and even a George Foreman Grill. I have an account at Williams-Sonoma.
b. We have an oven, stove, spatula, toaster oven and microwave, but we don’t have any of the extras mentioned above — we don’t do much cooking. Only on weekends.
c. Does an oven mitt count? We have the basics, but nothing else.

Fit Tip: Having the “right” equipment doesn’t always mean you’re going to eat healthfully; however, it can be a good motivator.

5. As far as the kitchen cupboards are concerned, you have:

a. Healthy soups and other low-calorie canned goods, as well as loads of herbs and spices; we even have an herb garden.
b. A few herbs and spices, canned chili.
c. Salt and pepper and a few cans of fruit cocktail in heavy syrup — what else do you need?

Fit Tip: Keep a well-stocked spice cabinet and lots of healthy condiments, spices and canned goods. Try to have black pepper, smoked paprika, curry powder, garlic powder, basil, ketchup, mustard, vinegar, garlic, onions, soups, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, soy sauce and honey on hand, as well as lemons and limes.

6. The dairy products you have are:

a. Skim milk, low-fat cheese and yogurt without added sugar. The yogurt is organic. Most are purchased from local farms.
b. Some 2 percent milk, provolone cheese and yogurt — but it looks like the yogurt has a lot of added sugar.
c. Regular milk, American cheese slices and various other cheeses. No yogurt.

Fit Tip: Dairy is an important source of calcium, but it can be high in calories. Make sure to stick with low- or no-fat products. Also, make sure your yogurt isn’t sweetened.

7. Cookies, candies and sweets are:

a. Outlawed in our house.
b. Around, but stored in a place we rarely look or use.
c. In our cabinets because we need to have them around if “company” comes. Plus, we occasionally use them as a reward for the kids. They’re a staple in our house.

Fit Tip: If you keep these foods around the house, and you’re not someone who can resist — get rid of them. Don’t be a diet hero by keeping junk food around and believing you can use “willpower” to prevent yourself from partaking.

8. The beverages in your house include:

a. A water cooler, skim milk, green tea and organic coffee.
b. Milk, orange juice, diet soda.
c. Soda, fruit “drinks” and/or chocolate milk.

Fit Tip: Make sure to stay hydrated and full by stocking drinks that provide some level of nutrition (e.g., green tea). Avoid obvious nutrition disasters like regular soda.

9. The cereals you have are:

a. 100 percent whole grain, such as oatmeal (100 percent natural whole-grain rolled oats) or Shredded Wheat. The cereals have no sugar added, and nothing but grains as the ingredients. Oh, and my cereals are organic.
b. 100 percent whole grain, but they do have lots of other ingredients, including loads of sugar.
c. Froot Loops, Cocoa Puffs and other similar varieties.

Fit Tip: Whole-grain foods are rich in dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. And sugar, well, too much is just not healthy.

10. The breads in your kitchen are mostly:

a. 100 percent whole grain with no sugar added.
b. “Made with" 100 percent whole grain, plus loads of other ingredients, including white flour and sugar.
c. White breads, doughnuts, bagels and muffins (but at least the muffins have fruit in them — that’s good, right?).

Fit Tip: The low-carb world considers most bread to be a diet debacle, and in some instances it could be. Your best bet: If it’s all-white, move on.

11. Your freezer has:

a. Low-calorie frozen dinners (e.g., Amy’s, Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, Kashi, etc.), sorbet, frozen vegetables (e.g., Steamfresh).
b. 2-year-old frozen veggies, orange and grape juice concentrate and a few containers of ice cream.
c. Baking soda and freezer-burned ice cubes. Oh wait, there’s a frozen Boston cream pie and a Hungry Man dinner, too.

Fit Tip: Keeping low-cal dinners and veggies in the freezer is a great way to make sure you always have healthy foods on hand.

12. The best overall description of your kitchen is:

a. It’s like a healthy organic restaurant — stocked with loads of fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, fresh foods, whole grains and loads of cooking necessities (pot, pans, food processors) — and we turn out multiple meals each day.
b. We have all the latest gadgets, but when we come home from work we’re usually too exhausted to use them.
c. It is like a museum. It is just for show. Oh, sometimes we pass through it on the way to our favorite fast-food restaurant.

Fit Tip: Try keeping a shopping list on the fridge, but also have a weekly family discussion about what to buy. You can even go online to sites like FreshDirect.com to get ideas for healthy choices.

Make sure to include:
- Fat-free cooking sprays.
- Limes, lemons and oranges, which add terrific flavor to any meal without added fat.
- Rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar and balsamic vinegar, which add a lot of zing.
- Low-cal salad dressings (watch for sugar and sodium content).
- Canned low-calorie, low-sodium soups.
- 100 percent whole-grain bread crumbs.
- 100 percent whole-grain flour.

How does your kitchen measure up?

Mostly A's: Smooth Sailing

Congrats! Your kitchen has got you covered with healthful options.

Mostly B's: Dicey Territory

Your home isn’t totally sabotaging your new, healthful eating habits, but it’s not making them easy. Follow the Fit Tips and look at the “A's” for cues to moving in a better direction.

Mostly C's: Bermuda Triangle

There’s no denying it — your kitchen is a major danger zone. With so many sweets and fattening foods around, it’s no wonder you have a hard time resisting the urge. Check out DietDetective.com for more tips on stocking a healthy kitchen.

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CHARLES STUART PLATKIN is a nutrition and public health advocate, founder of DietDetective.com, the health and fitness network and author of The Diet Detective's Calorie Bargain Bible (Simon & Schuster, 2007). Copyright 2007 by Charles Stuart Platkin. All rights reserved. Sign up for the free Diet Detective newsletter and iTunes podcast at www.DietDetective.com.

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