Spring cleaning is not just for the house and closets...
It’s also a perfect time to clean out your kitchen. It’s a perfect excuse, while you’re cleaning out everything else, to clean some of the bad habits of your eating habits. Everything needs to be cleaned from top to bottom and that’s the same for the kitchen and pantry. Rule of thumb is to start of the time and work your way down.
It’s not just the dust, dirt and grime that we’re after, but spring cleaning involves getting rid of things that are no longer useful or just cluttering up our homes.
To clean up our internal systems we also need to get rid of the items that are no longer useful or appropriate for our bodies. Cleaning up our cupboards not only gives us clean shelves but lessens temptations from cluttering our bodies with inappropriate foods. This means removing things like canned fruits in heavy syrups, cookies, chips, candy , sugary drinks and other junk foods; this is also a good time to check the expire dates on rarely used condiments and mystery foods lurking in the kitchen. If you can’t identify it, you probably should not eat it.
Send me any edible foodstuffs to a food bank or shelter where others can make use of those foods.
Once the cupboards are clean, re-stock with better choice items such as whole grain pastas & cereals, brown rice, canned and dried beans, a variety of raw nuts. Don’t forget healthy oils, such as olive, sunflower, canola, flaxseed, walnut… you get the picture, keep a variety for both cooking and flavouring. Try experimenting with various vinegars and new sauces. Spices lose flavor quickly so just keep a small quantity one hand and replace as required; an even better choice would be to keep and herb garden nearby so you always have fresh herbs. In the winter keep a small window box or planter in the kitchen to snip fresh herbs as required.
Take a tip from the supermarkets when you’re organizing the shelves. Supermarkets know we are most likely to reach for whatever is visible, some keep healthy choices at eye level and at the front of the shelves. Keep items frequently used on more convenient levels where as the treats for weekend foods should be in less Accessible areas; keep in mind children, being smaller see the lower shelves as much more accessible than adults.
To keep the kitchens clean don’t bring in foods that are inappropriate. During the holidays we’re all treated to a variety of heavy and sweet foods; if we remember that these foods are treats and are treated as such we can control the amounts we enjoy. After the holidays donate any leftovers that will not be consumed in healthy diet. If we don’t bring in foods that don’t belong then we will not need to throw out what we did not bring in. ideally we should clean out the kitchen cupboards and fridge monthly; but in real life who’s got the time? Seasonally, our bodies tell us we need different clothing and different foods for the changing seasons, so the change of seasons as an ideal time to reorganize our kitchens.
Let’s keep cleaning to a minimum; after all we have much better things to do.
It’s a perfect excuse, while you’re cleaning out everything else, to clean some of the bad habits of your eating habits. Everything needs to be cleaned from top to bottom and that’s the same for the kitchen and pantry. Rule of thumb is to start of the time and work your way down.
Send me any edible foodstuffs to a food bank or shelter where others can make use of those foods.
Supermarkets know we are most likely to reach for whatever is visible, some keep healthy choices at eye level and at the front of the shelves. Keep items frequently used on more convenient levels where as the treats for weekend foods should be in less Accessible areas; keep in mind children, being smaller see the lower shelves as much more accessible than adults.
