Spring is the perfect time to “spring clean” and improve your eating habits, and it can be as simple as organising your fridge. A well-organised fridge stocked with the right foods in the right place can make healthy eating convenient and more enjoyable.
Most of us make an effort to eat better at the beginning of the year, but it’s all too easy to give in to temptation and by February, old habits start creeping back in. The good news is that you can turn this around by giving your fridge a strategic makeover this season. When healthy, delicious foods are easy to grab and visible at first glance, sticking to your health goals becomes easier. Out of sight, out of mind works both ways – keep indulgent treats tucked away, and you’re more likely to gravitate towards better choices.
How to Freshen your Fridge
Start by removing everything from your fridge. Toss expired food, get rid of unhealthy items and give your fridge a good clean. A fresh start sets the tone for your new habits.
Place nutrient-rich foods like fresh fruits, pre-cut veggies, and healthy snacks at eye level. When you open the fridge, these should be the first things you see.
Create a Snack Attack Fridge Box. Try these…
- Cooked corn on the cob
- Olives (with stones as removing them yourself means they take longer to eat)
- Gherkins/ pickled cucumber
- A few small cubes of cheese
- Fruit salad in a container – made from equivalent to 2 whole pieces of fruit e.g. chopped melon/pineapple/strawberries/kiwifruit/apple/banana
- Berry Box
- Nuts and seeds in portioned containers
- Cherry tomatoes
- Radishes
- Matchsticks of peppers and carrots
- Hummus
How to shop
If you go shopping for food when you’re feeling hungry, chances are you’ll be tempted to impulse-buy, especially if you smell freshly baked bread at the bakery or aromatic cheeses at the delicatessen.
Rule 1
Special offers, don’t we just love them? Retailers know that too, so they use smart techniques like “buy one get one free” offers or multipack savings. So, the first golden rule rule is to eat something before you go shopping. Try a banana, a yogurt or a few nuts.
Rule 2
Take a shopping list and keep to it, or shop online and avoid the popup specials that are designed to lure you as you search.
Rule 3
Get into the habit of buying the most nourishing foods first. So pile your trolley or basket with fresh fruit and vegetables, then low-fat dairy foods or alternatives, and whole grains like muesli or brown pasta. Then shop for your lean proteins such as fish, chicken and poultry, tofu, fake meats and lean meats. Soon you’ll find that there isn’t much room left for fatty and sugary foods.
The British Dietetic Association has also published some smart supermarket shopping tips.
Organise your fridge with these 10 fridge essentials
Arrange healthier items in more accessible parts of your fridge so you’re likely to choose them more often.
1. Low fat milk (or soya, oat, almond milk alternatives)
2. Plain Greek yogurt (or dairy-free alternatives)
3. Walnuts (yes, they’re best stored in the fridge to prevent them going rancid)
4. Grated extra mature cheese (stronger flavours of grated cheese go further) or cheese alternative
5. Firm tofu (it’s higher in nutrients than silken tofu as there’s less water and more protein)
6. Virtually fat-free fromage frais or quark
7. Hummus
8. Low fat soft cheese (great for making creamy sauces)
9. Fresh berries (contain flavonoids that have anti-inflammatory effects)
10. Tahini paste (an incredible calcium booster)
How to eat
Research suggests that focusing on your food keeps you more in tune with your appetite. If you’re watching TV or working on your laptop while eating, you might end up having more than you need because you’re simply not aware of your fullness signals.
Train yourself to enjoy the eating experience. Chew your food, eat slowly, put your knife and fork down between mouthfuls, perhaps eat on a smaller plate or use smaller cutlery (Lord Alan Sugar said he uses this trick when I was interviewed with him on The One Show).
Whatever works for you, the aim is to slow down the pace at which you’re eating and spend more time savouring the flavours rather than preparing your next mouthful. It takes about 20 minutes for your body to know whether you’ve eaten enough to meet your needs. So if you eat too quickly your body hasn’t given your brain enough time to let you know it’s time to stop. Have a look at my mindful eating tips based on low glycaemic index (GI) foods.
Many people find their weakest moments are when they’re tempted by food lying around in the kitchen or by leftovers after the children have finished eating. Practise taking a carrier bag to the dining table so you can scoop away any leftovers immediately, or store leftovers for the children to have another time (remember food safety though!).
Picture your plate
This hack has come from my latest book Vegan Savvy: the Expert’s Guide to Nutrition on a Plant-based Diet.
This will help you instinctively keep to healthier proportions, cut your calories, and since half your plate is rich in high fibre foods, you’re likely to feel fuller for longer. Easy! Find out how it works and download the handy plate picture for your fridge door here.
How to avoid temptation
Just like you might decide to walk past a bakery without looking in the window, store your food in such a way that you don’t need to look at unhealthy treats and snacks that get in the way of your new lifestyle goals. Some people like the idea of a sin bin in the fridge, where food can be safely out of sight; out of sight truly is a tried and tested way to help you avoid temptation. Whether you call it a sin bin or a Pause and Power Box, you know that this part of the fridge is not nourishing for you and making this a no-go area helps you to be stronger in your resolve.
Some of my clients say that an organised space helps them to keep up good intentions.
If you can find ingredients quickly, you’re more likely to conjure up a healthy culinary creation. So make sure your dedicated area of the fridge has all the makings of flavour and freshness, helping you to create good food fast.
If you organise flavoursome condiments in your fridge, this can help you to eat better. For example if you love garlic, store a jar of crushed garlic in the door of your fridge; a touch of garlic can liven up most dishes. Or you might prefer sweet chilli sauce, which brings heat and tasty stickiness to chicken wings. A dash of lime or lemon juice adds zing to fish dishes. All of these delicious sauces and flavourings are fat-free, helping you to stay on track.
5 freezer treats
1. Freeze fruit juice in small ice-lolly moulds
2. Blitz yoghurt with berries and freeze in an ice cube tray
3. Enjoy frozen grapes instead of sweets
4. Make ice cubes from orange segments, berries or melon chunks
5. Store a mini chocolate in your snack attack freezer box
Planning to succeed
A fridge makeover isn’t just about organisation – it’s about setting yourself up for success. An organised well stocked fridge can nudge you into eating more sustainably.
Plan when you will eat and try to only eat at these times; this will help you to stop nibbling at food throughout the day. If you think you feel hungry, have a glass of water, distract yourself with another activity and try to wait until the next planned time to eat. You might find that your craving has passed and you don’t actually feel like eating at all. This is a good way to tell the difference between real hunger and just a desire to eat.
Shop well, eat well, store well. What’s in your fridge leads to what goes onto your plate, so organise your fridge and you’re more able to organise your meal plans for a healthier Spring and Summer, just in time for that long awaited holiday.
