You know how you keep yourself from impulsing grabbing and snacking on crap? GET IT OUT OF THE HOUSE!
You know how you turn healthy food into cravings? MAKE IT LOOK DESIRABLE!
I know, I'm yelling. But I shout the truth people. It works. So if you're really willing to commit here, follow these simple steps to getting your food storage organized. You'll be amazed how this small change affects the way your entire family responds to hunger cravings.
Source: The Container Store |
Step 1: Clean out the crap
You're going to think I'm crazy but to do this right you need to empty you entire fridge, pantry. and food cabinets. That's right, take out those cereal boxes, jars of marinara sauce, spices jars, flour bags, etc. Put it all on your counter or kitchen table.One by one, check the label.
- Dates: If it's a shelf-stable item (pantry) that's more than 3 months past expiration, in the fridge or a "refrigerate after opening" item that's more than a month past expiration, make the trash can it's new home.
- Ingredients: We follow the simple rule in our household that if it includes an ingredient we can't pronounce, we don't eat it! So that's a place to start. If there are ingredients you can't pronounce without Googling, throw it away. (or Google first, your prerogative, but check nonetheless!) If you want to get REAL here, check out our Fit Fresh Real No-No List.
Step 2: Put the crap in a corner
Out of sight, out of mind is the best tool in your arsenal when it comes to staving off cravings and opting for healthy choices. If you're really committed, we recommend getting this stuff out of your kitchen for good. That means putting it in the trash and taking unopened items to a local food shelter.But if you can't bring yourself to actually throw food away, at least put it in a corner shelf you never open at a height you need a stool to reach.
In looking at the remaining items, make a judgement call. What's not healthy? I bet you'll find cookies, chips, chocolate filled granola bars, cereal with more than 9 grams of sugar (heck, anything with sugar as one of the first 3 ingredients), maybe some Alfredo sauce or candy? Go ahead and separate those out. And while you're at it, put all the pre-made dressings and marinades over in that group, too. See any bread or flour products (like pasta) that contain "bleached flour", send them to the corner! If it contains high-fructose corn syrup, put it in the corner!
Step 3: Organize like a grocery store
Next, sort what's left by the aisle you find it in the grocery store and put it back in your pantry and fridge in groups:
- Dressings & Sauces
- Spreads and Nut Butters
- Canned Veggies & Fruits
- Baking Goods (flours, sugars, breadcrumbs, spices, oils, vinegars)
- Cereal and Oatmeal
- Teas & Coffees (sweeteners, too, like agave or honey)
- Pastas and Noodles
- Healthy Snacks (Pre-packaged and bulk; including granola bars, nuts, crackers, jerky, etc.)
- Root Veggies (potatoes, onions, garlic) -- these can/should be stored in a cool, dark place like your pantry.
- Fruits and veggies that don't get refrigerated --- these should get stored in a clear, clean place on your counter
- Fruits and veggies that do get refrigerated
- Meats
- Cheeses & Butters
- Drinks (This pile should basically be empty)
Step 4: Baskets & Labels
Now it's time to make friends with The Container Store. Think about everything that can go in baskets and bins. Our pantry includes:- 2 healthy snack baskets fill with Kind Bars, fruit & veggie apple sauce packs, and organic beef jerky.
- 8 - 10 see-through food canisters filled with raw nuts and seeds (raw cashews, raw almonds, raw pecans, raw pumpkin seeds, etc.)
- A few more see-through food canisters fill with healthy grains like steel-cut oats, farrow, and brown rice
Head on over to our fridge and you'll find the entire thing filled with these clear fridge bins designed to give everything from sauces and spreads to eggs and meat a specific home inside.
And it's ALL LABELED. Yes, we bought a label maker and printed labels to stick on all these bins. Our fridge features labeled bins for:
- Large Jars
- Mustards
- Spreads
- Dressings & Marinades
- Eggs
- Meat
- Cheeses
Why are we so crazy about keeping our food sorted and organized?
First, it ensures we don't collect crap. If it doesn't have a home, it doesn't belong. It also creates a sense of purpose and focus around the food in your kitchen. It's totally subliminal but if you've ever stared a full fridge and wondered why do I have so much food but nothing to eat you'll recognize how this small change to the way you treat food completely shifts your feelings about food. It becomes a positive part of your life. One designed to help you feel good and give you energy, not anxiety or discomfort.
Step 5: Stock Up on Meal Prep Storage Containers
Now that you've got your space organized. You'll also want to make sure you have left plenty of room in the fridge for storing prepped foods (mainly breakfasts and lunches). Our food storage inventory includes:- Two-three packs of these Pyrex dishes -- we love this mix pack in particular because of the varying sizes and shapes that allow for storing all types of food.
- A set of these dishwasher safe, BPA-free Bento Boxes -- not as sturdy as the Pyrex dishes but great for storing meal preps that you don't want touching when it gets shaken around in your car on the way to work (like BBQ chicken and fresh veggies)
- Two Dressing shakers & a few 1/4 cup sauce containers (We make all our own dressings because it's nearly impossible to find one's at the store that are healthier -- plus, it gives us the flexibility to create delicious dressings that complement the overall flavor of our meal, rather than a boring old balsamic vinaigrette for everything.
- Optional: Fruit & Veggie Savers. We know people who swear by these things. Apparently they work. But you honestly shouldn't need them if you know how to use your crisper drawer and actually follow our meal plans that will keep you from storing fresh foods longer than they'd naturally last anyway.
Don't have enough space for all the fruits and veggies we've having you buy in the two little veggie drawers that came with your fridge? Convert your deli drawer to a veggie crisper as well. Drawers in your fridge serve two purposes. 1) Keep in the cold air while you're opening and closing the door all day and 2) (specific to veggie drawers) let you open and close vents to control the level of humidity in the drawer.
Since you don't have a vent in your deli drawer to release the moisture, just keep leafy greens or other items found under the grocery store sprinklers that like staying wet and you're all set! Plus, on our plan, you won't have a need for that deli drawer anyway!
6 Months Later:
Revisit your Corner O' Crap and throw away anything that's still sitting there.Also, repeat steps 1-3. No doubt you've had a few missteps along the way and collected a few not-so-great-for-you pantry items. That's okay. We all have our days. (weeks?) Now's as good a time as any to do another reset!
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