Skip to content
Health
Link copied to clipboard

How to: Spring cleaning your diet

After a long winter of nesting there is a natural urge to open the windows and start sifting through the clutter that has accumulated. Sure the closet, basement and garage tend to top your to-do list of spring cleaning but how about adding your kitchen to the lineup? When is the last time you did a solid clean of the fridge, pantry and freezer because? News flash: Even frozen foods and "non-perishables" have a shelf life! Remind yourself that the more fresh a food is, the more nutrient dense and nourishing it will be. Need a little added motivation? A solid kitchen inventory will save you some money at the grocery store and help to get your creative, meal-planning wheels turning. Here are some tips to get you started with a few gentle reminders on which foods you might need to toss!

1.  Inventory the goods. Grab a notebook and a trash bag and head to the kitchen. If you have a tendency to get overwhelmed, commit to one area at a time like the freezer, fridge or a single cabinet. Take everything out and make a list of the things that you have. Keep your list organized, as it will make meal planning easier down the road.

2.  Let go. You'll need to come to grips with the fact that you may end up tossing a few things. If that makes you feel anxious, start with items that are expired and or well past their prime. Here are a few general rules to consider as you decide what to toss and what to keep:

  1. Dried herbs and spices: 1 year

  2. Oils: 6 months stored in a cool dark place

  3. Flax oil and nut oils: 4 months in the fridge

  4. Dried beans and grains: 6 months in the pantry (1 year in the fridge)

  5. Nuts and seeds: 3-4 months in the fridge or pantry (6 months in the freezer)

  6. Flax and chia: 3 months in the fridge

  7. Dried fruits: 3-6 months

  8. Frozen items: 6 months

  9. Condiments: 6 months open (1 year closed)

  10. Salad dressing: 1 month open

3.  Restock. Once you've tossed expired foods, be conscious of the way you restock the remaining goods. Put the newer food items in the back of the cabinet or fridge and place the older items up front as a reminder that they need to be used first.

4.  Start Planning. Ok, your kitchen is organized and you have a working ingredient list… now use it! Plan meals that utilize the oldest ingredients first so you minimize your waste moving forward. You can implement the inventory trick each week prior to grocery shopping as it will be a reminder of what you have and what needs to be used. This works especially well for frozen meats and vegetables, which are easy to forget about!

5.  Get creative. Use your pantry ingredients as inspiration to jazz up a staple dish.  Is there a box of quinoa that has been hanging around too long? Cook it up and swap it in for a dish that usually calls for rice; or skip your oatmeal and enjoy a quinoa breakfast cereal instead. Canned beans and frozen vegetables can combine to make yummy dips like a pea hummus or broccoli and pesto white bean dip. Plus, those random condiments lurking on your fridge door make for great flavoring tools. You could whip up a salad dressing with rice wine vinegar, tamari and tahini; combine mustard and marmalade for a sweet and savory salmon glaze; or roast root vegetables with harissa and honey. One-pot meals and soups are a great way to use pantry staples before they go bad! Fresh vegetables scraps can be sautéed into a frittata and fresh herbs can be pureed with olive oil and frozen for later use!

6. Start a new habit. The best part of spring cleaning is ridding yourself of clutter so do your best not to repeat old habits. Make a list of the items you use the most and feel free to buy them in bulk. Yet, when it comes to obscure items, you are better off buying them in smaller quantities so you don't find yourself tossing them a few months later.

----------

Read more Goal Getter for healthy eating, weight loss and more.