Spring Clean Out

Right now I am attempting to kick this naughty sweet tooth that I indulged in just a little too hard this winter. While my guilty treats never actually make it into the cupboards, my husband’s generally do. So I thought it was an excellent time to have a bit of a spring clean in the pantry (plus I am a HUGE fan of a tidy pantry) and restock all my favorite healthy snack options, which in my house means nuts, nuts and lots of nuts, popcorn and a good bowl of fresh fruit (I am totally down for natural sugar).

If you are a bit like me and have strayed just a little too far off the path this winter and feel like a good spring clean, my advice is to be ruthless!!!! My husband hates it when I do this but I love going through the cupboards and throwing out anything that doesn't fit into my idea of what I want to be consuming. It's a pretty strong statement to yourself and I always find it to be easier to remove temptation. I'm the kind of girl who if it's there I will eat it. It has taken years, but my husband now knows that if he leaves a chocolate bar hanging around in the fridge, I'm going to throw it in the bin. He now has hiding places which is totally fine by me because I won't go searching for it but if I open the fridge or the pantry door and something naughty screams at me, well then I want it.

Little by little bad food creeps in, so start afresh and get rid of all those bad items and try these mottos: if in doubt then throw it out, if you pick something up and think oh maybe this one is ok it probably isn't….. sugary muesli clusters, gone! Three varieties of half-eaten loaves of bread, gone! Nasty condiments, gone! (This is also a great time to check all your dry stores for weevils).

I have a little 2-year-old boy so some things have to stay in the house, for example bread for his morning toast (which is one of my weaknesses). To avoid it I now keep it in the freezer.

For those moments when you need to grab something like the 11am nibble or the 3pm slump, try loading up your stores with lots of tasty nuts and seeds or reach for a piece of fruit instead, and if it's your thing herbal teas also rate high on my list.

Happy Spring Cleaning!