A Beginner’s Guide to a Healthy Kitchen.

It’s the time of year when you can start leaving the windows open an inch for some fresh air, when you crave a bit of color in the yard and some lighter, brighter cuisine. Spring always brings a freshness to the year. For months you’ve been snow- or cold-bound, cozied up indoors, staying warm and enjoying the comfort of a fire, a good movie and some hearty meals. Now, with the days growing longer and spring just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking of spring cleaning your kitchen.

Yes, your closets can use some love BUT, my favorite place to start spring cleaning is in my kitchen. I want to make room for fresh produce, lighter fare and all of the other goodness that warm weather brings. Spring cleaning your kitchen doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Here are some tips and tricks (and even a freebie), to clean up your kitchen in time for a healthy, lighter, seasonal menu.

Start with a Scrub Down

First things first, get out the sponge, mop and towels and actually clean up and sanitize your counter tops, refrigerator, pantry, cabinets and sink. Nothing says “use me” like a sparkling clean kitchen.

Make Room

Before you can think about bringing home fresh, healthy food, you have to make room for it. Clear some space on the kitchen table (maybe all of the space), and put two bins out. As you work your way through your pantry and fridge, place food that you want to keep on the table, food that can be donated in one bin, and food that has expired and not usable in the last bin (also known as your trash can). Items to donate or throw out: food that has been in your kitchen for 6+ months that you haven’t touched, food that is simply unappetizing, food that you KNOW doesn’t belong in your knew healthy kitchen. Spring cleaning brings on a sense of willpower that you don’t carry around constantly. Lean on it now and chuck the junk!

Organize Your Pantry

An organized pantry, one where everything has a place and everything is in it’s place, sets you up for healthy eating success. Organize by food type: pastas and grains, canned vegetables, sauces, spices and herbs, etc. Keep healthy ingredients front and center, at eye level. The more you see it the more likely you are to use it. Keep any leftover sweets and splurge-foods down on lower shelves where they are out of sight.

Fill it up!

Now comes the fun part. It’s time to make a list and hit the store to fill your sparkly, clean kitchen back up. Easiest tip I can give you? Download my free, Clean Eating Grocery List here:

I give this list to all of my clients no matter what program they are on. Having a list of what to buy takes so much of the stress away from doing the shopping. Focus on filling up the holes that you made when you threw out the junk. Don’t forget:

Healthy Snacks: Grab whole fruit to keep on your counter top – the easier it is to grab the more likely it is you’ll grab it. Keep healthy dips like hummus, black bean dip and salsa in the fridge with carrot sticks, sliced peppers and cucumber for savory snacking. Grab plain Greek yogurt (mix in your own fruit and nuts for flavoring). Buy string cheese, dried fruit, nuts and beef jerky for snacks to bring on the go. Don’t forget something sweet, like dark chocolate, to answer those cravings.

Fill Your Freezer: There’s nothing wrong with frozen fruit and vegetables. Frozen produce is packed at the peak of it’s nutrient and flavor ripeness so go nuts. Frozen mango, pineapple and mixed berries are my favorite for throwing in smoothies. Frozen peas, carrots and edamame are always good to have on hand.

Keep it Light but Filling: Do you ever notice that the meat-and-potato dishes that you craved all winter don’t sound so appealing come springtime? That’s because biologically, longer hours of daylight, warmer temperatures and the abundance of fresher food trigger our brains to snap out of energy-conservation mode.

That being said, just because it’s time to lighten up mealtime doesn’t mean you have to skimp on filling your belly. Hit the fish and meat counters to buy protein that is fresh and sale. You can always throw extra into your freezer. Use my Clean Eating Grocery List to make healthy choices.

Must Get Staples to Make Your Tastiest Meals Yet: It’s easy to buy a whole bunch of colorful and fresh food and still look in your fridge and think “what the heck am I supposed to eat tonight?”. These are items that I keep on hand at all times to make the most out of every single meal:

• Lemons and Limes. Citrus is a quick and easy way to brighten up everything from chicken and fish to asparagus and soup. I keep lemons and limes on hand all the time so that I can squeeze them over a salad, mix the juice into dips and sauces and zest the rind onto yogurt.
• Young Olive Oil. One of the first Valentine’s Days that I celebrated with my now-husband was in Boston at a pop-up dinner that chef-friends of ours were hosting. The theme was chocolate but the number one thing that I remember about that meal was the fresh bread and really young, really grassy, really green olive oil that they put out before the first course. It changed the way I think about olive oil. Invest in a small bottle of high-quality olive oil. Don’t worry so much about the price – you won’t be cooking with this oil so a little goes a long way. Drizzle it over salads and on soups, mop it up with crusty whole grain bread and brighten up grilled or roasted veggies with just a few drops.
• Maldon Salt. Maldon salt is the flaky (in a good way), fancier relative of table salt. The flavor is cleaner and brighter and the texture is a fantastic finisher. My favorite way to use it is sprinkled lightly over garden-fresh tomatoes cut into large chunks and topped with basil.
• Balsamic reduction. Vinegar has a special place in any healthy eaters kitchen, and balsamic reductions take it to the next level. It’s flavor in high gear, with a beautiful syrupy texture and dark color. I use balsamic reductions on everything from roasted chicken to sweet potatoes to strawberries.

Don’t Forget About Appliances

Been wanting a high-powered blender all year but haven’t taken the time to buy one yet? How about a juicer, a crock pot, a dehydrator or a new set of knives? Now’s the time. Keep the appliances you want to use in plain sight and you’ll be more likely to use them. If your crock pot is sitting on the counter top, it’s much easier to throw chicken thighs and a few cups of vegetables in before work and you come home to dinner, ready to go.

 

Spring cleaning your kitchen and turning it into a clean eaters paradise is one of the best ways to prepare yourself for a healthy spring and summer. Your body is ready for lighter, brighter fare and your mind is ready to refocus on healthy eating. Get ahead of the game by tossing the junk and restocking with healthy ingredients, organizing and preparing yourself for success.