Spring Clean Your Pantry
What better way to ring in spring than with a newly cleaned, healthy, and organized pantry? Good eating is good healthcare, so the best nutrition advice I can give you is this: food is the very best form of medicine. I promise that if you eat right 90% of the time, you’ll feel better and be far less likely to get sick. You’ll also find yourself actually craving healthy foods. Just follow this nutrition advice for spring cleaning your pantry and you’ll be on your way to a well-nourished body.
Step 1: Get rid of the junk food
Clearing your shelves of sweet and savory treats eliminates temptation and promotes an environment for clean eating. Cookies, chips, boxed mac & cheese, and any items loaded with sugar and sodium need to go. That’s not to say you should never enjoy those things, but just make them harder to access by not stocking them in the house. If the occasional craving hits, buy a single serve portion.
Step 2: Out with the old
Double check expiration dates and get rid of anything that looks like it’s past its prime. Spices, oils, nuts, and seeds can go rancid over time, so a detailed inspection is necessary. The best way to do this with items that don’t have an expiration date listed is to smell them. Spices that don’t have a strong scent can go in the trash. Oils that smell “off” belong there as well.
Step 3: Go shopping
Now that you’ve got space to spare, it’s time to refill your pantry with healthy foods. Reach for whole wheat or chickpea-based pasta instead of white pasta, quinoa instead of white rice, and raw nut butters instead of sugar-y chocolate spreads. If you’re a chips person, pick up some raw tree nuts instead. They’ll satisfy your craving for something crunchy while providing a solid dose of healthy fats. Instead of pre-packaged popcorn, grab organic, non-GMO kernels and pop them yourself in a little coconut oil or grass-fed butter. Refined white and brown sugars can be replaced with natural sweeteners, like raw honey, 100% pure maple syrup, and coconut sugar. Bypass white flour and grab some almond flour instead. Old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant!) are a great substitute for cold cereals. Other good items to have on hand include organic low-sugar tomato sauce and organic chicken, beef, and vegetable stocks.
Step 4: Organize your new goodies
Keep similar items together. For example, baking items like flours and sweeteners can stay in one place, pasta and grains together in another, and oils and sauces somewhere else. Keep the oldest items in the front to ensure they get used first.
Want more nutrition advice? I want to share it with you. Sign up for my newsletter or request a complimentary consultation by dropping your info below.
