Create Your “Clean Food” Kitchen with these 7 Steps
1. Throw Out All the Junk: Avoid temptation by cleaning out your kitchen. Go through the cupboards and get rid of all processed, sugar filled, binge worthy snacks. It is so much easier to stick to a clean diet when you don’t have Oreos and Twix bars lying around.
2. Keep Healthy Fruits and Vegetables Available and Accessible: I always keep Tupperware containers full of pre-cut strawberries, grapes and tomatoes for easy-to-grab snacks when hunger cravings strike. Fresh food snacks are also a great way to make sure you eat clean all week and avoid processed carbs whenever possible.
3. Prep a Giant Salad: Make a big salad early in the week and keep it in the fridge so healthy meals are already prepared and ready to go. Top with some sliced grilled chicken and low fat cheese for a healthy meal in minutes. With weekdays busy and stressful, having a healthy meal at your fingertips can make a big difference in sticking to your clean eating plan.
4. Make Infused Water: I keep pitchers of cucumber, lemon and strawberry water in my fridge. Staying hydrated is so important for your health and infused water is a delicious way to get your daily water with amazing flavor. Find your own favorite flavor combination and keep it ready to go every week.
5. Plan Out Clean Meals: Plan out your meals for the week ahead of time, and grocery shop for all the healthy ingredients you need. Fill your fridge and freezer with lean protein, veggies, salad and fruit for healthy balanced meals every day. When you open your fridge in the evening you will know exactly what to grab to make the perfect clean meal.
6. Keep a Variety of Healthy Options for Each Meal: Think through your weekly meals, and make sure you have a number of healthy options in your fridge for each one. For example, keep greek yogurt and low fat granola, steel cut oatmeal and egg whites for a variety of healthy breakfast options. Stock up on trail mix, apples, carrots and hummus and whole wheat toast and peanut butter for healthy snack options. Anticipate that you will get bored always eating the same thing and maintain enough variety to keep you satisfied and on track with your healthy plan.
7. Stock Up on Protein: Kitchens can easily become carb heavy, with cereal, snack food, bread and sweets in every corner. Make a conscious effort to stock up on healthy proteins: from lean lunch meat to frozen chicken breasts, egg whites and peanut butter to nuts and protein powder. Protein is much easier to fit into your daily diet if there are lots of protein filled options right in your fridge.