Shoyu (naturally fermented soy sauce) and Wheat-Free Tamari. These traditionally brewed options are better for you than commercial, flash-pasteurized soy sauces. Again, choose organic, non-GMO brands.

Nut Butters. Look for pure, organic nut butter without added oils or sweeteners and packed in glass jars.

Peanut butter

Raw almond butter

Cashew butter

Mustard. Whole-grain and Dijon.

FREEZER

Organic peas

Organic berries and bananas, for smoothies

Edamame

Homemade chicken and vegetable stocks

TIPS: How to freeze stock and other liquids

You can freeze in glass (my preference) as long as the sides of the container are straight (if using jars, wide-mouth only), in BPA-free plastic containers, or in resealable bags.

Since liquids expand when frozen, the key is to fill your container three-quarters full or within 2 inches from the top of the container so the liquid has room to expand. For a quart-size container, that means you pour in only 3 to 3½ cups of liquid.

Next, place your container of stock in the freezer without the lid. This is a key step! Allow the stock to freeze solid and then cover with the lid. If you secure the lid on the jar before freezing, the stock may expand more than you have allowed for and that’s how glass or thin plastics crack.

I don’t recommend freezing in containers larger than a quart; I haven’t always had success with half-gallon glass containers.

To freeze in a resealable bag, open up the bag in a medium-size pot or bowl and then pour in the stock (remember to fill only three-quarters full). The pot will allow you to have two hands free. Seal and freeze flat.

A PRIMER ON ANIMAL PRODUCTS

Animal products can be a part of a healthful diet. But most animal foods create inflammation in the body, which is the basis for most chronic disease. Meat consumption also has a serious negative impact on the environment—more than planes, trains, and automobiles combined.

I suggest limiting animal products to a few ounces at a time, a few times per week.

While red meat, poultry, and seafood are high in protein and contain vitamin B12 (which is not available from plant sources), not all animal products are high quality or are equally nutritious. With all the labels and confusing marketing terms, it’s no wonder consumers have a hard time making the healthiest choice. Here’s what you need to know. First, some terms:

Natural. “Natural” only implies that the product has been minimally processed with no artificial ingredients. This word really means very little with respect to ethics, health, organics, or sustainability.

Organic. The organic label is associated only with the food the animal ate and the lack of hormones, drugs, genetically modified feed, animal by-products, and antibiotics. The animals could have eaten grains, but they were certified organic. “Organic” does not mean the animals were treated ethically, however. I still recommend buying organic poultry and meats over nonorganic as much as possible.

NOW, SOME SPECIFICS ON TYPES OF ANIMAL PRODUCTS.

Poultry. According to the USDA, “free-range” means the poultry has had access to the outdoors. Unfortunately, what this translates to is that the birds for a very limited time each day are permitted to exit the barn through a small opening and graze outside if they choose to.

Pastured, on the other hand, implies animals (namely chickens and pigs) that have been raised in open fields and woods, foraging for food (primarily seeds and insects, with the occasional small rodent or reptile if they can get them), and going back into a henhouse (in the case of chickens) at night to roost, nest, and lay eggs.

Beef. Cows are biologically designed to graze on grass, not grains. Meat from cows that have been raised exclusively on grass contains a health-supportive fatty acid called conjugative linoleic acid (CLA), and more omega-3 fatty acids and less saturated fat than do grain-fed cows. It’s like comparing a vegetable-eating, fit person to a fast food–eating couch potato. Which sounds like a healthier creature to you?

“Grass-fed” is technically supposed to mean that the cows have had a partial grass diet and access to pasture year-round. There is no third-party verification of this, however, and the cows can be fed grains before they go to slaughter. You want to look for a label of “100 percent grass-fed” or “grass-finished.”

FISH AND SEAFOOD

I personally favor fish and seafood over meat and poultry, but there are concerns about sustainability, mercury, nuclear radiation from Japan, industrial chemicals, and pesticides in our waters. So, it’s best to limit your fish consumption; I eat only a few ounces once or twice each week, and I only buy wild-caught fish that have lived in an environment natural to the fish. Wild fish have higher concentrations of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, which are critical for brain and heart health.

Seafoodwatch.org, published by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, is a great resource for helping you make choices that lower your risk and maximize the potential health benefits of eating fish.

DAIRY

Human beings weren’t designed to regularly digest milk and it is certainly not essential for good health. If you can tolerate dairy, I recommend enjoying it in small quantities with these tips in mind for better digestibility and nutrition:

Try sheep or goat dairy. The fat composition of sheep and goat milk is closer to human’s than cow milk and easier to digest. For this reason, I tend to use more grated pecorino (sheep’s milk) rather than Parmesan (cow’s milk.)

Choose cultured dairy, such as yogurt or kefir, which contain health-supportive good bacteria for gut health.

Consume raw dairy over pasteurized. Raw contains beneficial bacteria and is more digestible.

Opt for full-fat instead of low-fat or nonfat. Studies have shown that people who eat full-fat dairy are more satisfied, snack less, and weigh less than people who eat low-fat dairy. Also, without the presence of fat, our body cannot absorb the important fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.