Decluttering and having a clean out of a cupboard or room always makes us feel better. It’s satisfying, energising, can reduce anxiety and helps to clear and calm the mind.
Having a sort out of your fridge can not only make you feel cleaner, but it can help us to eat better too.
Your next mini challenge is to have a fridge detox! Let’s have a look at what we have, see what we don’t need and based on yesterdays blog – what can we swap to make our fridge healthier? This challenge will end on Monday at midnight.
Here’s how to start and what to do:
(This needs to be quite a quick process so that existing food doesn’t warm up. Empty and clean one shelf at a time or, if you have a cool bag, transfer food into there to keep it cold. It is also a good idea to carry out this task before a big food shop!)
- Empty the fridge
- Bin anything that has gone past its prime or its use by date. Are there any hidden jars or sauces that have been in there for months?
- Take out any shelves/draws and wash them in warm soapy water.
- Wipe inside the fridge – the walls, doors and compartments that you can’t take out. Vinegar and water is a great cleaning solution for this.
- Also clean the front door of the fridge and the handle as this can hold a lot of bacteria.
- Make sure everything is fully dried before you put the shelves back in..
- Once you have a pile of everything that you are keeping, check that it is ready to go back in. Look at all of the lids, and wipe them and make sure anything that is open is sealed with cling film or foil – especially packets of meat.
- Remove fruit and vegetables from the plastic packaging to save space and to allow you to see what you have.
- Be creative and put everything back in an order that works for you. Have a shelf or drawer for fruit/vegetables, keep meat on the bottom shelf, milk in the door etc. so that it feels organised.
- Is there anything that you can save by putting it in the freezer?
If you have not done so already, have a read of our Healthy Food Swaps blog. Think about the things that you can now transition in your fridge. For example, once you have finished your fruit juice, replace it with lemons, limes and strawberries to naturally flavour your water. You could also swap your margarine to butter.
Clearing out sugary snacks from the fridge creates a space that is free from temptations that set off sugar cravings (remember our Foodscape Blog). Filling the fridge with healthy colourful foods can help keep you stay motivated and excited about trying new food groups.
