Looking to detox this spring? Start by detoxing your fridge and removing all the unhealthy food. Below is a list of what to toss and what to keep to help re-boot your diet and keep your eating habits on track.
This post was inspired by an article I read in the Globe and Mail by Leslie Beck. She is one of my favourite columnists and always offers sensible, no-fail advice ideas that work for the majority of people. Read below for my spin on spring cleaning
Lots of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
● Prepare your meals the night before so you are less tempted to buy something at the food court. Made a salad ahead but leave the dressing separate to avoid soggy lettuce.
● Cut up celery, carrots and peppers strips and place in a bowl of cold water overnight to keep them from drying out. Simply drain and pat dry the next morning for a crunchy snack at lunch.
● Put those crisper drawers to use→ To prolong freshness, use them properly. Apples, pears, ripe avocados, mangoes, honeydew melons, papayas, peaches and plums produce ethylene gas and need to be stored in a low-humidity setting. In the high-humidity drawer, keep items such as leafy greens, fresh herbs, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, strawberries and zucchini.
● Place healthy snacks near the front of your fridge. If you keep fruit and vegetables there you are more likely to reach for an apple rather than a cookie.
Dairy
If you are able to tolerate dairy, I recommend plain organic Greek yogurt or kefir for a high-protein, gut-friendly snack.
Eggs
Eggs are an amazing and cheap source of protein. I prefer to buy organic eggs that have been raised in humane environments and without the use of antibiotics. You can get them at a good price in Costco. I always keep a supply of hard-cooked eggs in my fridge.
Nuts
Nuts go rancid quickly at room temperature due to their high but healthy fat content. I put raw cashews, walnuts and pecans in my freezer and add to salads, granola and desserts.
Salad dressing
I rarely buy pre-packaged salad dressing as the first two ingredients are usually water and sugar, along with a scary list of preservatives at the end. Instead I make a big batch of homemade dressings and store them in mason jars. OhSheGlows and Rose Reisman have great recipes on their websites.
Smoothie ingredients
With the weather finally warming up, I’ve been making lots of smoothies in the morning for a quick and healthy breakfast. I have a shelf in my fridge dedicated to add-ins including hemp and chia seeds, ground flax and unsweetened almond milk. I keep giant bags of organic berries in my freezer from Costco and good quality protein powder and cinnamon in my pantry.
Condiments
The condiment shelf on my fridge includes Dijon mustard, hot sauce, fish sauce, curry paste, raw almond butter, tahini, seed butter, tamari sauce and real butter.
My challenge to you is to have a look through your fridge this week and decide what to keep, what to add and what to toss. **Remember that best before date NO longer applies once a food has been opened. It refers to how long the unopened item keeps its’ peak freshness, flavour and quality, but says nothing about food safety once opened.
Stay tuned for a Spring Cleaning-Pantry Edition in Two Weeks!
