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Applesauce |
 A good snack and a great replacement for fat in recipes for baked goods. To concentrate its goodness for baking, drain applesauce in a coffee filter or folded paper towel. To avoid added sugar and chemicals, select the unsweetened, organic kind.
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Arrowroot |
A thickening agent used for sauces, puddings, and other foods. Like cornstarch, it should be mixed with a liquid before being added to foods. Mix the arrowroot with a little of the liquid you’re thickening, and then add this mixture a little later, when the soup, sauce, or stew is bubbling. As with cornstarch, the liquid must come to a boil for a few seconds for thickening to occur. We prefer arrowroot to cornstarch because arrowroot disappears into sauces and leaves nothing behind. However, cornstarch is more widely available and is much less expensive. |
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Artichoke hearts |
The tender center of the artichoke. Artichoke hearts are usually packed in an oil marinade or in water. Toss them with dried thyme and lemon juice for salads and pasta. They are delicious, low in calories, but rich in fiber, potassium, and calcium. Top pizzas with halved or quartered artichoke hearts straight from the jar. |
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Baking powder |
A leavening agent essential for making quickbreads (muffins, breads, scones). Always have a can in your pantry. |
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Baking soda |
A leavening agent for baked goods. Needs to be combined with an acid for the soda to work. As with baking powder, keep baking soda in your pantry, as some quickbread recipes will require it. |
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Beans and other legumes (black beans; garbanzo beans (chickpeas); kidney beans; lentils; pinto beans; pink, red, and white beans; split peas) |
Legumes include peas, lentils, and beans. Their high fiber and high protein content make them a healthy pleasure. They also come in a variety of beautiful colors. I especially love Anasazi beans, which cook faster than black beans and have a richer flavor and an interesting pink and white color. Include beans in soups and chili, blend them with garlic and chiles for dips, and combine them with tomatoes and peppers for a main course. |
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Broth or stock (beef, chicken, fish, and vegetable broth or stock; clam juice) |
Needed for many recipes, broth adds flavor without adding fat or (usually) salt. Two large cans or boxes of reduced-salt broth in the pantry will expand your flavor possibilities. When a recipe calls for water, try using broth instead. The flavor will be richer and more complex, and you’ll also be getting more vitamins and minerals. Remember: you can’t use broth or stock for sautéing, as steaming, poaching, or simmering results instead. |
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Capers |
Little pickled flower buds from a shrub that grows only in the Mediterranean. Capers add a sharp, salty flavor to vinaigrettes, salads, pasta, and fish. For a tasty, healthy pâté, try puréeing capers with roasted red peppers, caramelized onions, and roasted garlic. |
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Cereal, dried |
Be sure to have oatmeal and whole rolled oats (not the instant, precooked kind) on hand. Then try corn flakes, raisin bran, Toasted O’s, or even granolas that contain no hydrogenated fat (a granola made with olive oil is great). These are chock-full of healthy vitamins and fiber that make you younger. These can be used as toppings for yogurt and ice cream, as an easy snack, or for making cookies and breads. Experiment until you find a dried cereal you like—one that doesn’t contain a lot of refined sugar and chemicals and does contain lots of fiber and vitamins. |
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Chiles (peppers) |
Available in many varieties, dried red peppers are all worth trying, as they taste great and are rich in flavonoids that make you younger. Try ancho chiles (dried poblano chiles that taste a little like oranges), chipotle chiles (dried, smoked jalapeño peppers), guajillo chiles (meaty), habanero chiles (extremely floral and fruity flavor, very hot, and often pickled), and pasilla chiles (long, thin, and fragrant). Look for chiles that are soft, not brittle. To decrease the heat and bring out the real flavor, discard the seeds and membranes, and then toast the chiles ever so slightly under a broiler. Or buy canned chipotles in a thick, spicy tomatoey adobo sauce, just to sample them. |
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Cooking oil spray |
Eliminates the need to pour oil in your pan to coat it. The spray helps control the amount of fat you’re using. Use olive oil or infused, cold-pressed canola oil in a mister or spray bottle. To make the oil go further, spread it on the pan with a paper towel. |
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Cornmeal |
A “whole” grain that can be a main ingredient in breads, muffins, pancakes, polenta, tamales, and tortillas. Buy it coarsely ground for hearty polenta, and finely ground for mixing into pancakes. Cornmeal can also be sprinkled on the bottom of pans to prevent quickbreads and pizzas from sticking. |
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Couscous |
Although couscous is just wheat, we’ve listed it separately from all the other grains because it’s so easy to use. Still rolled by hand in many parts of Africa, couscous cooks instantly and takes on the flavor of whatever it’s soaked or simmered in. We like it with spicy V8 juice, cilantro, and red onion. You might also like it with currants and dried cherries, simmered in white grape juice for just a minute, and topped with cracked macadamia nuts. Whatever you soak it in, couscous is a winner. |
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Dijon mustard |
Commercial yellow mustard is fine to have in your kitchen (I like the squeeze bottles), but if you want to add special flavor, use Dijon mustard, either smooth or whole-grain. Its tangy bite enlivens sandwiches and salad dressings and gives a kick to root vegetables, whole-grain breads, and hot dogs—tofu, turkey, or all beef! |
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Evaporated nonfat (skim) milk |
Has about 60 percent of the water removed and is a low-fat form of milk. You can use this product in baking and cream sauces, which will keep your RealAge younger. |
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Flour |
Used in baking and to coat pans or to prevent sticking when rolling out dough. For general cooking and baking, buy an all-purpose, unbleached, unbromated wheat flour—organic, if possible. (Check the label for those terms.) Avoid bromates! Bromates, a chemical group used to strengthen bread dough, can be toxic and cancer-promoting and can make you older. Add other varieties of flour (for example, whole wheat) for specific recipes. |
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Fruits, dried |
Have some dried fruit for a light snack, mixed with yogurt, or baked into healthier scones. Toss some in a salad and mix some into oatmeal. Be careful, however: fruit can be very caloric when dried—a little goes a long way. Try whole figs, dates, prunes, raisins (several kinds—golden, Thompson, red flame), cranberries, cherries, currants, blueberries, and strawberries. Select organic dried fruit whenever possible. |
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Garlic |
Garlic is a joy because it complements almost anything. Gilroy, California, “The Garlic Capital of the World,” even boasts a garlic ice cream. Garlic enhances fish and shellfish, pasta and grains, poultry and meats. Roast unpeeled foil-wrapped heads of garlic (45 minutes at 375 degrees is a starting point, as each oven is different) and squeeze out the pulp for a sweet spread for bread and crackers, a flavorful RealAge alternative to butter and margarine (maybe not right before you go to work!). |
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Ginger |
Fresh ginger can be sliced, diced, and chopped. It’s great in marinades, stir-fried dishes, soups, vegetables, and gingerbread. Look for a smooth, papery skin. If the root is shriveled or sprouting, pass it up: it’s drying out and may have lost most of its juice. Ginger will last about two weeks when stored in a cool, dark, airy place. |
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Grains, whole (arborio rice, barley, brown rice, bulgur, millet, oats, quinoa, wild rice) |
Having several types of grains on hand can simplify meal preparation. Grains are easy to prepare and can be eaten alone, mixed with seasoning, or cooked in combination with other foods.
Arborio, a short-grain rice, is usually used for making risotto because it releases starch quickly and makes the dish extra creamy. Barley is used in breads, cereals, and soups. Brown rice, which is rice that has not had its husks removed, is rich in fiber and can be used in any dish calling for white rice. Bulgur is wheat that has been steamed and cracked into grits; it’s commonly used for tabbouleh, a classic Mediterranean dish, but has many other uses. Try bulgur in mixed-grain salads or with lentils. Millet is a round nutty grain that resembles couscous; it can be used in salads or the stuffing for peppers, or mixed with corn. Oats are not just for breakfast anymore! Breads, cookies, and granola would not be the same without oats. Oats have lots of soluble fiber, which helps reduce the level of lousy (LDL) cholesterol. Quinoa is another whole grain that’s gaining popularity; it’s a light, high protein grain that’s very versatile. Add it to muffins and breads or use it as a side dish. Wild rice, one of the most well-known grains on this list, isn’t really a rice at all, but a long grass. Wild rice complements fish and poultry well. |
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Herbs |
Herbs can give a bland dish a new flavor. Use the chart provided in Chapter 11 for pairing herbs with foods. Dried herbs stored in the pantry will last for about six months. |
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Honey |
Widely used as a spread for bread and as a sweetener and flavoring agent for baked goods, liquids (such as tea), desserts, and savory dishes such as honey-glazed ham or carrots. The darker the honey, the more intense the flavor. The flavor of a honey depends on the flower visited by the bee. For example, clover honey has a clean, light flavor, and orange blossom honey has a slightly citrusy flavor. |
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Hot pepper sauce |
The intense flavor of hot pepper sauce can turn dull vegetables into an exciting dish. The chiles used are often generic—usually arbol peppers, or whatever is available—and some hot sauces can be plain hot and salty. No matter. There are thousands of hot pepper sauces, and each is worth a try.
To cut the heat of these hot pepper sauces, take a swig of skim milk, rather than a drink of water or beer. Only dairy protein works to bind the hot substance in peppers! (The hot stuff combines with the casein protein in milk. Cottage cheese and sour cream do not work, unfortunately.) This is another good reason to keep evaporated milk or powdered milk on hand; it will help cool your nerves if you’ve had too much hot pepper sauce. |
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Instant coffee, espresso |
Instant coffee can be used for making coffee if you don’t have freshly ground beans in the house. It adds a bit of tantalizing bitterness, as chocolate does, and a lot of caffeine to whatever you want. |
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Ketchup |
In most homes, ketchup (catsup) is a staple condiment. However, it’s also an ingredient in many recipes and sauces. Ketchup is incredibly high in lycopene (and, unfortunately, usually, sugar). Remember to eat it with a little fat first to facilitate absorption of the lycopene and decrease the peak level of sugar in your blood. Look for organic ketchup in the supermarket, with tomatoes or tomato paste (not water, sugar, or corn syrup) as the first ingredient. |
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Nuts |
Almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, pecans, pistachios, Brazil nuts, soy nuts—I love them all. (Peanuts, which are really a legume, can rarely pose a hazard. The cancer-causing toxin called aflatoxin is produced by a mold that sometimes grows on peanuts. This is not much of a problem with modern growing processes; so peanuts are also lovable.) Buy nuts by the half pound and keep them tightly sealed in see-through glass containers. Toasting nuts brings out their flavor and reduces the amount needed in recipes. One of my favorite “fat-first” strategies is to eat just ½ ounce of mixed nuts before a meal, as it makes you as much as 4.4 years younger (6 walnuts, 9 cashews, or 12 almonds). |
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Oils, healthy |
Canola, sesame, and olive oils are mainly monounsaturated fats that help make your RealAge younger. These three oils are sufficient for most baking and cooking purposes (nut, fish, and peanut oils are healthy oils also). Cold-pressed canola oil has lots of omega-3 fatty acids, too. Extra-virgin olive oil works for general cooking and often has a fragrant, distinctive bouquet and flavor. |
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Olives |
Pitted canned black olives are what many of us grew up eating. While they have a place, there are many exciting, delicious multiflavored and textured choices just waiting for you. Look for Kalamata, Niçoise, and spicy green Sicilian olives. All of these olives have clear, distinct, wonderful flavors, sometimes redolent of herbs and spices like cumin, fennel, and bay leaf. All have healthy fat, too. Use them as a relish, on pizza, and in pasta dishes, stews, ragouts, and salads. |
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Onions |
Onions will last for a long time in a dry, dark place in the pantry. You never know when you’ll need onions for a sauce, salad, rice dish, or main dish. Use white onions for a clear, clean flavor for Mexican dishes, for grilling, and for caramelizing; use yellow onions for Italian, French, and Spanish dishes; and use red onions for color and crunch. Look for cippolini onions (sweet, small, and flat), Vidalia and Walla Walla onions (sweet and huge), and shallots (sometimes even mild enough to eat out of hand). Onions help keep your arteries and immune system young. |
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Pasta |
Whole-grain pastas come in a variety of flavors and colors (for (whole-grain) example, spinach pasta and jalapeño pepper pasta). Although we recommend whole wheat pasta as a staple because of its fiber content, selecting the right brand is important. Some pastas cook up so tough they’re almost inedible. Don’t give up! Try different brands until you find one that cooks up just the way you like it. |
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Pepper |
Pepper is a versatile spice that goes with almost any dish. For the best flavor, whole peppercorns should be kept in the pantry and ground as needed. You can use black, white, and even pink (!), or green peppercorns; look for grinders that easily can grind all four at once. |
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Potatoes |
Sweet, red, and baking or russet potatoes are the varieties you need. Potatoes, like beans and lentils, can take center stage in meals. Also, potatoes are rich in artery-protecting folate. Sweet potatoes are underappreciated, have twice as much folate for their weight as other types of potatoes, and roast beautifully. They also keep well. Look for Garnets, plus the usual Jewels and Beauregards; Garnets have darker skin and lighter flesh, and a sweeter roast. Red potatoes are good for salads because they hold their shape well; look for the smaller “creamers,” or small, red potatoes of a waxy type. Specialty potatoes, such as Peruvian Blues and Fingerlings, are fun to experiment with and are delicious, as well. |
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Salsa |
Salsa has a variety of uses in the kitchen—as a topping for a Southwestern dish or a baked potato, or as a dip for chips. You can also cook with salsa: mix some into egg whites, blend some with an avocado, or pour some into a stew. Use salsa to top grilled fish. Look for salsa that is minimally processed and that is made from whole tomatoes or tomatillos, onions, garlic, and herbs. |
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Salt |
Salt brings out the flavor of foods. I use mainly sea salt and kosher salt. Sea salt is usually ground more finely and, gram for gram, is usually saltier than kosher salt, which has bigger crystals. Both taste richer and fuller, and not as sharp or as slightly bitter as iodized salt. (While too much salt—sodium—can increase blood pressure a little—systolic 1 to 4.7/diastolic 0.5 to 3 mmHg—in most people and a lot in some rare individuals with salt sensitive high blood pressure, a little salt adds great taste to many dishes. Use it judiciously if your blood pressure is around 115/75.) |
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Soy Sauce |
Soy sauce is used commonly in Asian recipes and is a component of marinades. It blends well with other strong flavors—garlic, chiles, ginger, and flavored oils. Flavored soy sauce is available in specialty markets; mushroom soy sauce is my current favorite. Look for low-sodium soy sauce; it often carries much of the flavor of regular soy sauce but not as much salt. Also try shoyu and tamari. Their flavor comes from fermented grains and is often rich and deep. |
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Spices, dried |
Spices are one of the most important ingredients in your RealAge kitchen. When you can, buy them whole, not ground. Here are some spices you should get to know: allspice, bay leaves, caraway seeds, cardamom, cayenne pepper, chili powder, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, curry powder, dill, epazote, fennel, garam masala (a traditional blend of ground spices), ginger, mace, marjoram, mustard, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, sage, sesame seeds, tarragon, and turmeric. See our “RealAge Herbs and Spices” chart in Chapter 11 for suggested uses for these spices. |
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Sugar (brown, granulated, and powdered) |
Although there are four basic varieties of sugar, there’re no nutritional differences among them. Common granulated sugar is a fine white sugar that’s used for everything from coffee to cake. Brown sugar, colored with molasses, usually flavors candies, condiments, and baked goods. While sugar does not make you younger, a little can add intense flavor. Here’s a RealAge kitchen tip: spice muffins (usually flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, or other spices) made with brown sugar taste less “spicy” than those made with white sugar. Powdered sugar, or confectioners’ sugar, is used in frostings and icings, or sprinkled on desserts for eye appeal. Unrefined cane sugar has no more nutrients than the other types of sugar, but does have a more complex taste. |
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Sun-dried tomatoes |
Sun-dried tomatoes have an intense, sweet, slightly salty flavor; they’re dense and delicious. You’ll find them packed in oil or in cellophane. Stock up in the fall for the winter months ahead. |
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Tea |
Tea, especially green tea, should find its way into your RealAge pantry. Buy it in bags unless you’re going to drink a lot. If so, you may want to buy half a pound of loose tea at a time. Green tea contains the most antioxidants. In green tea, the leaves are steamed and dried. In oolong tea, the leaves are steamed, dried, and partially fermented (here, fermented means oxidized). In black tea, the leaves are steamed, dried, and fully fermented. They’re all the same leaf, just in different stages. All make your RealAge younger. |
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Tofu |
Tofu can be a great addition to your pantry. Because it accepts flavors readily, tofu can be made to taste like a great many other foods (including chocolate). Tofu is available in three forms: firm, soft, and silken. Firm tofu is solid and dense, and works well in stir-fried dishes and soups, and grilled. It holds its shape well, even after being pressed between blocks, or after freezing, which makes it slightly chewy, and much firmer. Firm tofu is also higher in protein, fat, and calcium than the other two types. Soft tofu is good for recipes that require blended tofu; it’s also used in Asian soups. Silken tofu, the softest type, works well in dressings, dips, desserts, smoothies, puddings, guacamole, and cannoli and cream pies. |
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Tomato paste |
Tomato paste is used as the base for a variety of sauces or mixed in with grains. Tubes of tomato paste are especially convenient. Remember to add healthy fat such as olive or canola oil for better absorption of the age-reducing lycopene that is found in tomatoes, guava, watermelon, and pink grapefruit. |
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Tomatoes (canned) |
Canned tomatoes come in handy all the time. Use them in sauces, soups, and stews. Whenever you can, buy the organic varieties that are unpeeled (90 percent of the lycopene is within 1 millimeter of the skin). These cooked tomatoes may be even better than fresh, as they release age-reducing lycopene into your system. (Why lycopene is better released from cooked tomatoes than from raw tomatoes is unclear, but this is found consistently in studies.) |
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Tortillas (corn, flour, and whole wheat) |
Tortillas are used in or with chiles, casseroles, soups, refried beans, quesadillas, scrambled eggs, and tostadas. Corn tortillas tend to be the best choice for making your RealAge younger. Even though, traditionally, they consist of just corn, lime, and salt, you’d be amazingly lucky to find them fresh. If they’re not fresh, it’s easy to rejuvenate them. Roll them up and cover them with two paper towels. After sprinkling them lightly with water, microwave them for 15 to 45 seconds, just until they’re soft and steaming. Flour tortillas are often loaded with chemicals and some hydrogenated fats. Colored flour tortillas (those made with spinach or tomatoes) are pretty but no different in flavor or nutrition. Whole wheat tortillas are increasingly available but may have suffered the same fate—added chemicals and hydrogenated fats. Look for those made with oils that are not hydrogenated, and have “whole wheat” as the first ingredient on the label. |
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Vanilla extract, pure |
A bottle of pure vanilla extract is a good substitute for the more expensive, more elusive, incredibly fragrant vanilla bean pods. The seed pods of a plant in the orchid family, vanilla is used commonly in desserts and sauces and also perks up soy milk and cereal in wonderful, fresh ways. Buy a vanilla bean just for the experience: it’s long and dark and curled at the end, potent and seeded and just a little gooey in the middle. |
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Vinegar |
How do you know which of the great variety of flavored vinegars to use? It depends on what you’re cooking. Buy one bottle at a time to see what you like and continue until you have tried all of these varieties: balsamic, cider, herb, raspberry, rice, sherry, tarragon flavored, white distilled, and wine (both red and white). Balsamic vinegar is dark and a bit sweet—just a little brings out the best in fruits, grains, and vegetables. Look for traditional balsamic; it’s the real stuff. Cider vinegar, which is made by fermenting apple cider, is light and a little sweet. Rinsing diced white onions in cider vinegar takes away their sting of taste. Raspberry vinegar (a favorite) has a fruity flavor and makes salad dressings tangy, dresses up grains, and goes well with tropical fruits. Rice vinegar is a pale, golden liquid that adds, when seasoned, a little salt and a light, lemony flavor. Tarragon flavored white wine vinegar is nice sprinkled over fish and chicken. White distilled vinegar is an all-purpose vinegar that does well in pickling, but is harsh in cooking except for an occasional chutney. Red wine vinegar goes well with Mediterranean dishes that are tomato-based, and white wine vinegar is gentler still. It can be combined with lighter oils and herbs for a dressing. |
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Wine |
White and red wines are used in our kitchen for poaching, and in soups, stews, and sauces. Avoid wines labeled “cooking wines,” as these have added salt, and often their flavor may leave something to be desired: Here’s a RealAge kitchen tip regarding wine used in cooking: If you wouldn’t drink it, don’t cook with it, either. The quality of wine used in cooking really does make a difference. |
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Worcestershire sauce |
Worcestershire sauce is one of the best-kept secrets of good home cooks—just a few drops will perk up meats, gravies, soups, and vegetable juices, or serve as a table condiment. Its ingredients include soy, vinegar, and garlic. |