In the book One Bite at a Time--Nourishing Recipes for Cancer Survivors and Their Friends, author Rebecca Katz has a section called “Pantry Rehabilitation.” The section has a list of healthy staples everyone’s pantry should have and the author’s reasons for including what she does.

I think Katz would be appalled at the state of my cupboards. In with the cereals and the nuts are boxes of pasta, tins of soup starter, and scads of tea and coffee. There are cans of tuna, coffee filters (which I haven’t needed in years), and commemorative bottles of wine from auto racing events. I’m a good candidate for the author’s rehab, so let’s see where she begins.

Not surprisingly, Katz starts with, “Get out the garbage bags. Put the dog in another room . . . It’s time to get down to some serious business.” The idea is to pitch out what you don’t need and to start from scratch. Some of her scratch includes things I would never consume. Two of these items are agar agar (tasteless dried seaweed that replaces gelatin in recipes) and tofu. But some others sound pretty good. Let’s check out a few:

--Brown rice vinegar. Katz says it’s light and clean and adds a mild acidity to foods. I’ve used this vinegar and do really enjoy its taste.

--Dulse flakes. This is a salty, red seaweed that can be sprinkled on salads. It’s high in iron, iodine, and manganese and sounds worth a try for these reasons.

--Olive oil, safflower oil, sesame oil, sunflower oil. These are considered a healthy source of fat.

--Udon noodles. These are Japanese noodles made from wheat flour.

--Stock. Vegetable or chicken stock, which can be purchased in organic form.

--Worcestershire sauce. This one is surprising. The seasoning now comes in organic and vegetarian varieties, and is on Katz’s list.

Tips for food storage and buying the proper kitchen equipment are in this section. There is also a chart showing what fruits and vegetables should be avoided if they’re not organically grown because they contain high levels of pesticide. According to the Environmental Working Group, these include: apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, grapes (imported), peaches, pears, nectarines, potatoes, raspberries, spinach, and strawberries. This list includes all of my favorite fruits. Drat, wouldn’t you just know that?