Clean Out Your Pantry

When I started with my healthy and clean eating lifestyle my focus wasn’t that much on eating clean but just on eating healthy. I was trying to avoid products like white bread, white pasta etc., fatty and high-calorie foods and foods that contain lots of sugar. And I can really recommend for you to do the same! By taking small steps instead of changing drastically you and your body gets used to the healthier foods and lifestyle and since you are allowed to have some cheats the change of relapsing is smaller. But when I noticed that eating healthy suited me and my lifestyle (in which I already worked out for 2-3 times a week) so much better I started to learn more about the type of foods and really expanded my knowledge about food and the nutritional value of different products. So automatically I learned more about the do’s and don’ts of a clean eating lifestyle. So it’s important to realize that it isn’t just happening over night, but that it is a process which takes time and that’s okay! You learn more and more every day and I’m still learning!

After increasing my knowledge on healthy foods and clean eating I took the time to read the ingredients to each of the items in my pantry. This was really an eye-opener and it will give a great overview of what you have been eating. Even products of which I thought that they were healthy actually contained high amounts of sugar and saturated fats. Additionally, I found lots of ingredients that I didn’t know or that I could not pronounce and lots of food additives (for the Dutchies: E-nummers). So, take a look in your pantry and I’m sure that you also have some items like this lying around! This is the result of the modern world we live in. Stores sell lots of produced foods which are easy for us to take home and eat whilst not paying attention to what made and is in those cookies and why the expiration date isn’t till one year later? Whilst when you make your own cookies they will be good for max one week.

Are you ready to adopt a clean eating lifestyle? Start by cleaning out your pantry by reading the ingredients. Make a pile with foods that do not suit your new found lifestyle and a pile that do. This second pile goes right back into your pantry. But what to do with the first pile of items that aren’t that suitable? You can drastically toss the food out. But who can afford that? You spend money on it and maybe others who don’t eat clean can use them. So you can donate them to friends, families or neighbors! In this way the food doesn’t get lost and you actually make others happy! Who doesn’t want to do that?

But there will also be foods that you still want to consume and just don’t want to give away and hold on to. For those foods I would suggest that, of course, you don’t buy these anymore and that you slowly use these items week by week as a ‘cheat meal’ every Friday. Or you can host a dinner party for friends and use these items. In this way you have a lovely and fun evening and you can clean out your pantry at the same time! For baking products that do not fit clean eating you can still use it and bake something delicious and then take it with you to work as a little treat for you and your colleagues during coffee break. I’m sure they will appreciate it!

I myself decided to give most of the products away and I invited some friends  and prepared my last meal with processed foods.

So now your pantry is clean and it is time for the next step! In short, simply start off with finding some delicious healthy recipes and getting lots of fresh fruits, vegetables and lean meats like chicken, turkey and fish (all preferable organic). Keep an eye out for healthy items on sale like frozen vegetables and fruits to save money and by having these items in your freezer you will always have a healthy option! But, when you go to the store CHECK THE LABELS!! Make sure you are just getting the fruit and just the vegetables without additional sugar or food additives.

But in the upcoming week I will also publish a post on what type of items are in my pantry right now (with, for the Dutchies, the brands I use since I get a lot of questions regarding type and brands) and additionally I will post a beginners shopping list to assist you all on your clean eating journey! So check the blog later this week if you’re interested!

If you have any suggestions or questions don’t hesitate to leave a comment!