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Spring is On The Way – Clean Out Your Pantry
Anyone else have spring cleaning on their mind when March rolls in or BLOWS in? It is important every so often to deep clean and purge unnecessary clutter around the house, it’s helpful to reevaluate your meal planning, shopping and food prepping routine too. Here are a few simple steps for spring cleaning your cooking routine as we head into this new season.
Also, remember to change your batteries in your Smoke Detectors.
Step 1: Take inventory of your pantry
It might look scary, onions growing, potatoes growing, but now’s the time to venture into the depths of the pantry to see exactly what you have. Make a strategy how to use it (or if needed, toss it!). Save money as you work through shelf-stable items before purchasing duplicates and remember to re-stock those healthy staples that make fast weeknight meals, like this sheet pan dinner (see below)a breeze. Some of our favorites are canned tomatoes, coconut milk, vegetable broth and nutrient-rich whole grains like quinoa, black rice, Flax Seeds, Dates, Sunflower Seed (NoSugar) Butter, Lentils, Black Beans, Adzuki Beans, Garbanzo Beans, Large Bags of Hers – Cumin, Pepper, Turmeric, Curry, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Chili Powder, Cayenne Pepper, Pasta, Oats, Flour, Dark Chocolate without Sugar, Maple Syrup – to name some.
Step 2: Embrace seasonal produce
One simple way to get out of a cooking rut is to switch up your go-to fruits and vegetables based on the season. Also, get some new cookbooks such as Fiber Fueled Cookbook. Fiber is very important for all Humans. Bonus: this also means fresher and less expensive finds! Try our simple grilled vegetables like this one [On Parchment Paper put some cut up veggies like Red Peppers, Green Asparagus, Zucchini, and sprinkle a tiny amount of avocado oil – cook in toaster oven at 400 Degrees for 30 min and sprinkle with Tahini and Lemon Sauce.) for a simple spring side dish that will get rave reviews. We also love salads with seasonal fruits and vegetables featuring strawberries and radishes which come back in season in March.
Step 3: Find a meal planning method that actually works.
Remember that meal planning is key to staying on track with healthy living goals so if your current setup isn’t working, it might be time to switch gears. Make it a goal to find an approach that feels doable — and more importantly, sustainable — in the long term. If this is something you struggle with, you might consider outsourcing. Try out our meal planning program [link] to save time so you can focus on improving your culinary skills and enjoying home-cooked meals over endless recipe searching.
Dedicating time to freshen up your cooking routine can produce results that last. A simple, well-planned menu and well-stocked pantry will reduce your stress in the kitchen and limit the need for takeout. Set yourself up for success – which step will you tackle first?
