Believe it or not, the key to losing weight this year could actually be in your pantry. Revamping your pantry after the holidays may seem like a daunting task, but did you know it could help you hit your weight loss goals, too? Using baskets and turntables to group healthy recipe ingredients together, taking nutritious items out of the original packaging and arranging them in an attractive display so they look more appetizing — are all tricks that work.
Trimming the fat…literally
Just like any part of the kitchen, the pantry serves a specific purpose: to store food. A cluttered pantry can lead to lazy food choices, while a poorly stocked pantry can mean dining on junk food or ordering take-out. Simple organizational tools can help you reclaim your pantry and your waist size by getting rid of “food clutter” and making those healthy items look more appealing.
“How can you create good habits if you have a pantry full of the stuff you should not eat?” asks Ruthann Betz-Essinger, a certified professional organizer and owner of Just Organized, LLC, in Birmingham, Alabama. “It’s all about starting new healthy habits.”
Betz-Essinger’s 5 steps to an organized pantry
Make a comprehensive list of healthy items you want around your house.
Chuck items not on your healthy list by setting a timer for 15 minutes and tackling one shelf at a time. Remove all the items and clean the shelf, then start putting back only items that you want to keep. You don’t have to do the whole pantry in one day; conquer a little bit at a time.
Group items together. Betz-Essinger likes to have the grains and pastas together, then the canned goods by veggies, soup, tomatoes etc. A turntable works well for oils, vinegars, and other condiments. Don’t overlook using baskets or clear plastic shoeboxes to group items. (Tip: It looks more organized when all the containers are the same.)
Make a list of items you need and then shop from that list. Use cash and stick to the list to avoid impulse purchases.
Group the ingredients for favorite family recipes together. This makes it easy for other family members to grab everything they need to make that dish.
Organizing your panty won’t just make your life healthier; it will help your family make better food choices. Arranging healthy snack foods in a basket will make them look more alluring when kids are deciding what they want to eat.
Betz-Essinger calls this the “cookbook” approach to organization. “I like a cookbook that has pictures of what you are cooking,” she explains. “The pictures are beautiful with bright colors and textures. The same goes for your pantry and refrigerator: If you have pretty colorful food to start with, then it just makes you want to eat it. If things are hidden and the pantry and the refrigerator are a mess, what is appealing about that?”
Reorganize your pantry to lose weight
Believe it or not, the key to losing weight this year could actually be in your pantry. Revamping your pantry after the holidays may seem like a daunting task, but did you know it could help you hit your weight loss goals, too? Using baskets and turntables to group healthy recipe ingredients together, taking nutritious items out of the original packaging and arranging them in an attractive display so they look more appetizing — are all tricks that work.
Trimming the fat…literally
Just like any part of the kitchen, the pantry serves a specific purpose: to store food. A cluttered pantry can lead to lazy food choices, while a poorly stocked pantry can mean dining on junk food or ordering take-out. Simple organizational tools can help you reclaim your pantry and your waist size by getting rid of “food clutter” and making those healthy items look more appealing.
“How can you create good habits if you have a pantry full of the stuff you should not eat?” asks Ruthann Betz-Essinger, a certified professional organizer and owner of Just Organized, LLC, in Birmingham, Alabama. “It’s all about starting new healthy habits.”
Betz-Essinger’s 5 steps to an organized pantry
Organizing your panty won’t just make your life healthier; it will help your family make better food choices. Arranging healthy snack foods in a basket will make them look more alluring when kids are deciding what they want to eat.
Betz-Essinger calls this the “cookbook” approach to organization. “I like a cookbook that has pictures of what you are cooking,” she explains. “The pictures are beautiful with bright colors and textures. The same goes for your pantry and refrigerator: If you have pretty colorful food to start with, then it just makes you want to eat it. If things are hidden and the pantry and the refrigerator are a mess, what is appealing about that?”