Check Your Health- Spring Clean Your Food Sources

Planning to spring clean your home? Intermountain Health dietitians encourage you to extend the task to spring clean the food spaces in your kitchen to help develop healthy eating habits.

“Spring cleaning your pantry, fridge and freezer can be as simple as rearranging foods to put healthier items within reach so you’re more likely to eat them on the go,” said Tiana Barker, registered dietitian nutritionist with Intermountain Health. “You can rethink your food staples, and make sure they align with the things you like to eat and prepare often. A little bit of time and thought this spring can go a long way to helping you create healthier eating habits.”

Planning to have healthy foods on hand has many benefits, Barker said, including:

1. Eating out less and saving money.
2. Saving time.
3. Preventing or delaying onset of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity.

Here are some ways to spring clean the food spaces in your kitchen:

Take a few minutes to plan

• What meals or snacks do you like to make and eat? You’re more likely to make them if you have a few staples on hand.
• Make sure you include some kind of plant or animal-based protein, and vegetables or fruit, in your meals.
• For snacking, think about adding healthy proteins and high fiber foods, such as fruits, vegetables, or whole grains to your kitchen.

Rearrange your fridge and pantry

• Keep your healthiest foods near the front of the pantry, fridge, or freezer to help you remember to use those first.
• Make healthy snacks for kids, and keep them visible and within reach to help teach them to enjoy nutritious food.

Stock up smart

• Stay on track. Before heading to the store, organize a list according to your store’s layout to avoid impulse food purchases. Shopping online can also help keep you on track.
• Write down the meals you commonly prepare, and stock up on staples used to make them.

Not sure what to stock up on? Here are a few examples to get you started.

Pantry staples:

• Low sodium canned or fresh beans
• High fiber grain foods – quinoa, barley, oats, whole wheat pasta, whole grain cereals, whole wheat bread, brown or wild rice, whole wheat crackers, popcorn
• Low sodium canned fish or chicken, sauces, stocks, or broths
• Starchy vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash)
• Nuts and seeds
• Olive or avocado oils
• Dried fruits
• Vinegar(s)
• Herbs and spices

Fridge staples:

• Favorite vegetables and fruits
• Fresh meat, poultry, fish
• Low-fat dairy sources such as cheese, yogurt, and milk
• Tofu

Frozen staples:

• Meat, poultry, fish
• Frozen vegetables and fruits

More information about nutrition is available at intermountainhealthcare.org.