Spring is here and naturally many of us feel compelled to do a deep clean at home and start new. This year, try putting your Spring Cleaning fever to use on your diet, a powerful way to springboard towards your health goals. Here are our best simple tips for spring cleaning your diet to cover all the bases of your everyday life:
In the Kitchen-
1.Clean out the fridge. Time-consuming, we know, but get rid of the things you don’t use like that 3-year-old bottle of pickles. Give each shelf and drawer a good scrub down as harmful bacteria can accumulate over time, even in cold temperatures.
2.Check your equipment. Rusty baking sheets? Chipped Teflon pots and pans? Toss them out! Try upgrading to healthier cooking equipment such as glass, ceramic, and stainless steel. They are a better investment because they will last longer and give you a healthier way to cook.
3.Encourage plants. Create zones in your fridge for plenty of fruits and veggies. Try cutting back on dairy, meats, and processed foods. Leave plenty of room for pitchers of your favorite homemade beverages like infused water and iced tea. In the freezer, cut back on prepackaged foods and add in your own meal prep items like homemade soups, smoothie packs, and entrees. I like storing nuts and seeds in the freezer as well to give them a longer shelf life.
Pantry-
1.An organization is key. If you can’t see it, you won’t remember it’s there and you end up hoarding and wasting food. To avoid this, try transferring shelf stable grains and the like to labeled clear glass containers displayed for easy access. When you do this, eating and cooking at home become a much easier task, saving you time, money and improving your health.
2.Give back. For those short-dated cans and shelf-stable items, make up a box for donation. Most communities have food banks nearby and will even come pick up if you’re short on time.
3.Make room for supplements. Create an organized and easy to access space for supplements. The kitchen is usually the hub of the house and if your supplements are right in front of you every morning at breakfast, you are more likely to take them.
Eating Out-
1’Eating out is inevitable, so here are a few good pointers to try to keep your diet clean.
-Avoid dressings, use lemon or vinegar instead.
-Don’t order meat and dairy unless the restaurant can guarantee it’s organic, humanely raised, and/or wild caught.
-Add lemon juice to your water.
-Skip dessert, go for an espresso or tea instead.
-Keep digestive enzymes with you and take them before meals.
2.Know your restaurants. Research restaurants that offer healthy and environmentally responsible options so when you do need to eat out, you know where to go.
At Work-
1.To avoid the predictable box of donuts or crusty grocery store pastries, keep a stash of your favorite clean treats around. I like having a box of bite-sized organic chocolate squares in my desk for when I’m having a craving for sweets. My other Achilles heel is ice cream, so stashing a box of no sugar added, vegan ice cream sandwiches in the freezer has saved me on many occasions.
2.Forgot your lunch? Not an excuse to tag along with co-workers on a fast food run. Try keeping a bottle of your favorite protein/meal replacement powder with a shaker bottle at work when you’re in a pinch. Bonus, you save money too.
For the Family-
1.Keep it clean. Eating healthy and clean is hard enough for yourself, let alone the people in your life. When you keep junk food around, falling off the wagon just becomes inevitable. To avoid this, keep easy to access healthy snacks readily available. A snack lazy Susan or jars, veggie terrariums, and bowls of fresh fruit are great options to keep you and your family on track.
2.Prep, prep, prep. Yes, it can be time-consuming, but when you have healthy and fresh snacks and meals ready to go, life can be oh so healthy and easy. Tour Pinterest for some clever meal prep ideas and recipes, but keep it simple and only make recipes that you know will be super delicious. One of the pitfalls of meal prepping in unappealing food that doesn’t get eaten and eventually just wasted.
