Daunting as it may be to start spring cleaning in the kitchen, it’s the best place to propel your weight loss. Certainly, getting outside is much more gratifying after hibernating all winter, but the outside can wait while you clean and organize the most important room in your house in relation to your nutrition.My kitchen overwhelms me and I'm tired of searching high and low for food so here is how I’m tackling the task of spring cleaning:
Tick-Tock
Complete 5-10 minute projects. A quick purge of a kitchen drawer, wiping down one shelf of the fridge or wiping the exterior of appliances. Small projects build momentum if you need motivation or are short on time. Over a couple of days, you’ll have completed a lot more than starting and quitting a major overhaul at one time--that's how I get overwhelmed!
The Fridge
Toss old or expired food, unidentifiable leftovers, and anything you haven’t eaten in 6 months—you likely won’t eat it again. Wipe down surfaces inside and out. Attempt this before your next shopping trip as the fridge is more likely to be empty and less effort to shuffle food around. To maintain, do mini-purges weekly before you shop. Don’t forget to toss the tempting food that calls your name!
Contain It
Consider using clear containers so you can easily stack/store food. A hodge-podge of containers creates storage issues and you often forget what’s inside if you can’t see the contents. You’ll be more aware of what you have if you can see it, reducing waste and saving money. Nothing worse than tossing wilted, unused produce because you forgot it was there or it was lost in a sea of produce bags.
Take Inventory
Save money by assessing your quantities. Are you buying duplicates of what you already have? Are you slow to eat certain produce or won’t eat it if it’s not pre-cut? Analyzing your fridge and eating habits can save you time and money, reducing waste.
Cleaning and organizing is just like a diet, chip away at it and over time, it’s much less effort to maintain. Starting in the kitchen is a great way to build momentum for other projects because the gratification is instant.
Open the windows, put on some music and let’s get to work! Without realizing it, we might even get a work-out in.
My little helper!
Bobbie
