Give your kitchen some spring cleaning & refreshing updates to make healthy living more enjoyable and maintainable!
Especially when springtime comes around, I always get an impulse to clean or update my living space. The sunshine, fresh warm air, blooming flowers, and birds chirping outside my window encourage a fresh new start. I always begin my spring cleaning sessions in my kitchen since it is my favorite space to keep clean and organized. Having a kitchen that is easy to navigate around can make healthy eating not only efficient but also maintainable. Check out some ways I like to clean, organize, and decorate my kitchen that you can consider adding to your spring cleaning routine!
Refrigerator & Freezer
Deep Clean & Organize Your Fridge/Freezer
Deep cleaning and organizing your fridge can be crucial to prevent food waste and to have easily accessible food. Take some time out to clean all the shelves and toss out any spoiled food that may have been pushed to the back of the fridge. Rearrange all your food items with the first in, first out method. This means that the food that with expire sooner, should be placed at eye level and food that has a later expiration date towards the back to help prevent food waste. You can also organize your items by food categories such as vegetables, fruits, protein, dairy, and grains which can make meal planning efficient. Another great idea is to store any leftovers and other homemade food in clear glass containers which can make them easily visible when meal-time comes around. A clean and organized refrigerator can make stored food look visually pleasing, easy to access, and can help simplify nutritious eating choices at home.
Pantry
Label and Organize
Have you ever fumbled around in your pantry in a hurry and found it a hassle to search for ingredients? Keeping your pantry organized can be just as helpful as a clean and organized refrigerator. An organized pantry space can make it easy to quickly grab items, keep healthy shelf-stable ingredients on hand, and can make cooking struggle-free for you and your family. A great way to begin is to purchase sustainable clear glass storage containers and storage bins. You can store ingredients like flours, grains, dry beans, and nuts in clear glass containers so they are visible. Storage bins can be used to store categories of food like snacks and baking supplies. Additionally, labeling all the jars and bins can make it quick and easy for you and your family to grab items from the pantry.
Stock Up On Multi-Purposeful Staples
Many pantry staples can be both versatile and affordable which can help make healthy eating achievable. You can stock up on dry and canned goods that have a longer shelf-life like oats, pasta, quinoa, rice, beans, lentils and nuts which can be used in several recipes. They also provide you with excellent nutrients to your diet like protein and fiber. Stocking up on multi-purposeful staples really comes in handy when prepping last-minute meals and can reduce several trips to the grocery store.
Counter Space
Grow A Small Herb Garden
Fresh herbs are my go-to for not only flavoring meals but also adding a pop of vibrant color. I love how adding even just a sprinkle of herbs can make any dish incredibly aromatic and visually pleasing. Growing your own herbs can also be very economical since I usually find them to be pricey at the grocery store. Most importantly, herbs are filled with disease preventing benefits like antioxidants, fiber, anti-inflammatory properties, and nutrients like vitamin C. Especially if you've been advised by a healthcare practitioner to cut-back on the table-salt, fresh herbs are a perfect nourishing swap to flavor up your meals.
My favorite herbs to grow indoors are basil, mint, rosemary, cilantro, and chives. You can purchase seeds or small plants from a local garden center and pot them separately into organic potting soil. These herbs can be placed onto a kitchen windowsill where you have natural light or on a counter space under indoor Growlights. They are easy to maintain and can be watered a couple of times a week. Once they flourish, snip a bit off to garnish your soups, flavor your protein like chicken, and to infuse into drinks!
Display A Seasonal Fruit Basket
Decorating your counter space with fruit not only makes the area visually pleasing but also can help encourage healthy eating choices. Having fresh and colorful fruit displayed can be a tempting grab-and-go snack choice especially when the weather is warmer outside. You can entice your family members with seasonal fruit like oranges, mangoes, and kiwi. I love to add fruit to a bamboo bowl or double-tier fruit bowl and place it on my counter space where it is visible and easy to grab.
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