Did you ever notice when you stand in front of the fridge you go after what looks good and what takes the least amount of time to prepare. The good fruits and veggies that are hidden in the crisper....well we usually forget about those, because they take time to wash and cut. I don't know about you, but when I'm hungry, standing around cutting vegetables, isn't what I want to be doing.
What can help with this?
Pick a day before you start your week. Sundays usually work best for most people who work mon-fri. For those of you that have a different schedule, pick a day that you are off and can do your grocery shopping and meal prep. Buy your veggies and fruits at the grocery store, clean them and cut them and display them in clear plastic containers at eye level in your fridge. Now when you open your fridge, you have fresh cut fruits and veggies to snack on. You can also buy pre-cut vegetables at most grocery stores now, if you are running low on time.
Eat this/Not that
Look in your refrigerator for your regular staples. What are some things that are bad (and you know it) that you are always buying. Are there healthier alternatives?
A good place to start is with the Fooducate App. I love this App! I have the free version and during set-up it will ask you if you want to track or are looking for special dietary preferences like vegetarian or vegan and will also track if you are looking for lowering blood pressure, lowering cholesterol, eating for pregnancy etc. It will give you daily tips and when you are the grocery store, you can scan an item and it will bring up all the facts about it. It will give you a food rating, how many calories per serving along with information about whole grains and fiber etc. It will also give you alternatives.
For example: Wheat thins. It tells me all about wheat things and will give me alternatives if I am looking for something else similar to this.
Some things that I make substitutions for are greek yogurt for sour cream. I no longer buy dressings in the store and instead make my own. I use mainly olive oil and vinegar based dressings now, instead of heavy ranch and creamy based dressings. I rarely cook with butter and use olive oil for everything.
The Pantry
The pantry can be most people's worst nightmare. Why? Because this is where we store our candy and cookies and chips and everything that is not good for us. If you are making a commitment to your health, I suggest you go to your pantry now and throw out the junk!!! Get rid of the chips and cookies! Just throw it away and get it out of your sight and make a promise to yourself to not buy that stuff.
Do you need to have a brownie mix in the house for a party coming up? Sure, But, put it out of your sight on the highest shelf possible behind something. This way...out of sight...out of mind. So basically whatever is bad for you, goes at the top and work your way down. Keep things like rice cakes, protein bars, Shakeology, nuts, brown rice, etc. on the lower shelves where they are accessible and easy to see.
Most of the time, I have a list of what is in the pantry and re-stock from there when I am getting low on things. I never have chips or cookies in my house. The only chips you will find are tortilla chips because I have a salsa obsession! lol
I do this intentionally because if I had cookies and chips, I would be eating them right now! And to save myself from that, I avoid the chip and cookie aisle completely!! I take a sneak peek down the aisle every once and awhile, but then remember the commitment I made to not eat that stuff and avoid it like the plague! lol
Doing a kitchen makeover can be tough and here are a few steps that you can take now to start on the right track:
1. Remove high fat and high sugar temptations from your kitchen
2. Survey your refrigerator for frequently consumed items that you can substitute for lower fat and reduced calorie alternatives
3. Stock up on small plastic food bags, snack containers and clear plastic fruit bowls for display.
4. Spring clean your fridge and make way for fresh fruits and veggies
5. Divide healthy snacks and place in the front/center of the pantry
P.S. Have fun with this guys! This is a great opportunity to spice up your pantry and fridge and add organization and use cute containers and labels :)
Good Luck!
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