Kitchen Overhaul!
With the holidays right around the corner and the fall clothing coming out, it might be easier for you to let your kitchen get comfortable too. But, let’s challenge ourselves to do an overhaul and have a clean kitchen. Set yourself up for success and clean that kitchen up by clearing it out! Every kitchen needs the right tools so you can “get the job done” with out the right tools. I have a lot of gadgets, but some are my GO-TO’s! The ones I suggest here are pretty basic and should be nearby when you’re preparing your meals.
- Paring Knife
- Vegetable Peeler
- Measuring cups
- Garlic Press (I love the one from Pampered Chef!)
- Snack Size plastic bags
- Plastic reusable storage containers
We all know if you buy a bag of something and don’t portion it off into the proper portion size we will eat more then we think we did or more than we are supposed to eat. To prevent that here is you can do: Buy in bulk!
Then use plastic bags or storage containers to organize your food into portions! Freeze what you won’t be using soon, and portion the rest of it out using a food scale or counting a portion size. I use my 21 Day Fix containers!! This will save you a ton of time when you need to grab and go and keep you accountable and on track. Portion everything from your almonds, to your hummus to your chicken for the week!
You’ll find that by portioning in advance a lot less food gets wasted and you start to buy smarter for the week. There is no more mindless shopping.
Overhaul Time
Start by opening up your fridge and pantry and look and see if Autumn Calabrese herself came into your house what would she eat? If she needed to be in tip top shape for a competition, what foods would she throw out or donate? If that means getting rid of the Chocolate Chip cookies you’ve stashed in the freezer, because you may be tempted to grab a few as you walk through the kitchen in the afternoon then GET RID of them. Make it easy on yourself to have healthy choices by eliminating the tempting foods that would cause you to make poor choices.
Time to SHOP!
Supermarkets spend millions of dollars each year marketing for people to make impulse purchases. The best advice I ever received about grocery shopping is to shop the perimeter. The nutritional necessities – the cleanest items – are toward the outside (not in the aisle). And never go to the store hungry; you’re setting yourself up for failure if you do!
Set Up for Success
When we stand in front of the refrigerator, we usually grab whatever foods take the least amount of time to prepare. So we need to have healthy items for a “quick” GRAB and GO. After going grocery shopping, clean your fruits and veggies and place them at eye level so they’re easy to grab. If you don’t want to spent the time cutting up the veggies buy them pre-cut. Arrange your Greek yogurt by the berries, place your hummus and veggies together.
When you’re working out and replacing fat with muscle, eating hard boiled egg whites will leave you full longer and give you 5 grams of protein per egg. Purchase 12 eggs on Sunday cook all of them and then peel and place in fridge. The only thing needed is to take some of the yolks out before you eat them. Now when you find yourself in the kitchen and you’re mindlessly eating – you will be snacking on food that your body will use for healthy fuel to your system. There’s no room for temptation.
Replacement
Ok – now you are ready to go to the store but you know that you have your household staples that you are afraid to give up. Find alternatives. For example, maybe after a long day of chasing the kiddos, you really crave ice cream. Instead of buying ice cream, find a recipe that will satisfy that spot. For me, a Greek yogurt berry parfait always works!
Hit the Pantry!
The best foods you will be eating will be coming out of the refrigerator because they are fresh. But there are a few pantry essentials that I always keep on hand.
- low salt tortilla chips
- quinoa
- instant rolled oats
- Shakeology
- canned low sodium black beans
- canned low sodium diced tomatoes
- dried fruits like raisins, berries, craisins (be aware of the sugar content on these)
- salsa
- Olives
GET STARTED!
- Divide snacks into individual servings and arrange in the front and center of your fridge and pantry
- Remove high fat or high sugar temptations from the kitchen
- Arrange prep tools for the kitchen in easy to reach places
- Stock up on small bags, snack containers, and clear fruit bowls.
- Survey the refrigerator for frequently consumed foods that need to be swapped out for lower fat and sugar and reduced calorie foods.
If you would like to join my next online support group and give your kitchen a permanent overhaul, send me an email so I can give you more information or fill out the information form here or below!