Advertisement

In need of a nutritional makeover? Sign up for a Pantry Raid

Share

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Do your kitchen cupboards contain more Twinkies than tomatoes? Is your refrigerator stocked with so many bottles of soda it looks like a convenience store? Has it been so long since you’ve eaten broccoli you’ve forgotten what it looks like?

We’re looking for people who need nutritional makeovers to be featured in the Health section’s ongoing Pantry Raid series. Here’s how it works: Accompanied by a registered dietitian, we visit you at home, look through your kitchen and assess the types of foods you have. Then we find out your dietary trouble spots, be they a weakness for fast food, an inability to cook more than ramen, or stress eating at midnight. The dietitian will assess your food diaries and also lighten up a favorite dish. A photographer will chronicle the process.

Advertisement

Who’s eligible: Anyone in the Los Angeles area whose diet needs refurbishing -- older couples, college students, large families, single folks. Needing to lose weight is not a prerequisite. We welcome people who are maintaining their weight or trying to gain, too.

What you’ll get out of it: Invaluable shopping and meal planning tips, plus easy ways to incorporate more healthful foods into your diet. A new beginning. The envy of your friends and family.

If interested, contact writer Jeannine Stein at jeannine.stein@latimes.com and include information about you (age, where you live, number of people in your family) and why you need a nutritional makeover. If you’re chosen, we’ll contact you.

Past Pantry Raid subjects included a couple who relied too much on eating out, and a family who needed help cooking lower-calorie meals at home.

-- Jeannine Stein

Nutrition expert Emily Ventura, left, looks over the foods in Anita Fuentes’ cupboard during a Pantry Raid. Photo credit: Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times

Advertisement