Get Your Kitchen Organized

Getting your kitchen organized will help you with meal planning. If you know what ingredients you have  on the shelves then you can better determine what's for dinner. Spring is a great time to clean out the pantry and refrigerator, but it is good to do once a quarter just to keep things fresh.

My Spice Cabinet

Now that you are thinking about getting healthier, here is a list to help you know what things to just throw away, what to donate to your local food bank and what to go ahead and eat.


THROW AWAY

1. Anything with artificial sweeteners (the pink, the blue and yes, the yellow)
2. Anything with hydrogenated/partially hydrogenated oils
3. Anything with monosodium glutamate (MSG)
4. Anything in a package that was opened more than 3 months ago
5. Anything in the frig. that has gone bad or was cooked over a week ago

DONATE

1. Anything that is unopened, non-perishable that no longer fits into your new healthy lifestyle
    a. food with ingredients you can't pronounce or don't know what they are
    b. Ramen noodles left-over from college
    c. canned goods with sugar added - read the labels (green beans)
    d. that box of Hamburger Helper - please!

GO AHEAD AND EAT IT  (if you have to) BUT DON'T BUY IT AGAIN

1. Anything with High Fructose Corn Syrup
2. Wheat products (pasta, crackers, bread, cookies)
3. Low fat dairy products
4. Sugary treats & drinks
5. Anything soy-based


So you might be left with a semi-empty pantry. Now you can fill those shelves with healthy ingredients to make yummy meals. Shop week by week and build up your pantry over time so your wallet doesn't go into shock.

cleaned out pantry

Buying in bulk will save you a lot of money. It also allows you to buy a small amount of something new to see if you like it before you commit to a large quantity. When you buy in bulk it comes home in a plastic bag. To keep it fresh it is best to transfer the food into glass jars. 


Up-cycle glass jars from other foods you regularly purchase, (sauerkraut, salsa, coconut oil, old Ball jars) instead of throwing them in your recycle bin.


Keep fresh ingredients, like bananas, avocados, tomatoes in separate bowls on the counter in plain view. This way they get eaten and won't cause each other to spoil.