Prep for Success  

Strategies for preparing your kitchen and pantry to set yourself up for success and be kind to your future self.

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You've re-written your food story, identified your eating and food choice motivations and set goals towards improving your health, but now what?  How do you implement these changes when you still have to contend with the same obstacles that led to your existing motivations?

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The most common obstacles I have found people face that also led them to their current relationship with food are Lack of Time and Miseducation.  We feel like we are burning the candle at both ends, trying hard to balance work, family, school, health, etc. that the thought of having to prepare homecooked meals 3x a day, 7 days a week seems an impossible and exhausting feat.  We also have been sold on the convenience of processed and fast foods as a way to give us time back and been grossly misinformed for decades on the nutritional value of these foods and the cost to our health.  Our culture of convenience has also created a loss of knowledge on how to prep, cook and store foods, so that the learning curve of just knowing how and what to cook becomes too daunting to get started.

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I want to reassure you though that whether you are an experienced cook who finds their obstacles in other areas or if you are in the majority of people who feel like a stranger in their own kitchen, there are simple incremental steps that you can take that will make monumental and lifetime changes in your health and the health of your family.  I am admittedly the laziest cook I know, I love food, but I want to spend my time eating and adventuring, not cooking.  The following tools and tips should get you moving in the right direction to save you time and help you make healthier food choices.

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Pantry Prep and Organization:

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• Every person or family tends to have certain foods that they gravitate towards based on their tastes or culture.  Make a list of these foods or the ingredients needed to make these dishes.  These are your family staples.  You want to be sure these items are always on hand for whipping up a quick meal and these will be the base of your shopping list.

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• Take stock and clean out your pantry/cupboards/fridge seasonally.  Consider donating older unopened items to a food pantry.  Move items you would like to eat that are going unused, so they will be visible when doing food prep.  Utilize placement strategies and organization tools (exp. turntables), so you can easily access the healthiest food options and can quickly take inventory. 

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• Strategize where you place items in your fridge and pantry.  Always keep leftovers at eye level right when you open the fridge or right on the door.  If you have a refrigerator with French doors and are right handed keep leftovers, healthiest food options etc. on the right and vice-versa if left handed.  

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• Keep your least healthy food options, cookies, snacks, sodas, alcohol on the highest shelves at the back, out of first sight in your pantry or fridge.​

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Storing Produce:

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First and foremost, don't over-buy produce!  As a general rule, if you can't eat it within a week, don't buy it (unless you are doing some canning/fermenting/freezing).  It tastes best and provides the most nutritional value fresh and over buying produce is an enormous contributor to food waste. 

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That being said, here are some GREAT TIPS to maximize the longevity of your produce.

Watch this Video on:  How to Store Produce

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Apples / Pears - keep on counter for best taste, but can be refrigerated in a bag or air tight container

Avocado - keep on counter, store cut avocado (add olive oil/lemon juice to top) in fridge with air tight wrap

Bananas - keep the top of the bunch wrapped, hang away from other produce, refrigerate or freeze when ripe

Beets - cut greens off about 1"-2" from beet root, store in bag in fridge with all air removed

Berries - always refrigerate, be sure they are dry and in a container that circulates air to slow mold growth

Cherries - refrigerate, be sure they are dry and in a container that circulates air

Carrots, unpeeled with greens - submerge in water and keep in fridge

Carrots, peeled w/ no tops - store in an airtight container

Celery - wrap entire stock in aluminum foil and keep in fridge, it will stay crisp for weeks

Citrus Fruits - keep on counter for best taste, but can be refrigerated in a bag or air tight container

Corn - keep in husks and store loose in fridge

Cucumber - wrap in paper towel and place on fridge door

Garlic / Onions - store in a cool, dark, dry place; once onion is cut open, store in glass container or foil in fridge

Green Onions - wrap roots in wet paper towel and store in bag or keep in a glass of water on the counter

Herbs - treat herb bunches like fresh flowers, see directions for Green Onions

Lettuce / Greens, whole head - wrap in aluminum foil and keep in fridge

Lettuce / Mixed Greens, loose - store dry in an sealed container with a paper towel to absorb moisture

Mango - for best flavor, keep on counter to ripen and refrigerate once ripe if not ready to eat

Potatoes - store in a cool, dark, dry place in a paper bag (away from onions, if possible)

Radishes - store in bowl covered with damp paper towel in fridge

Tomatoes - best not refrigerated as they will lose flavor, but can be canned or frozen for later use

Zucchini - store in a paper bag in the crisper drawer, leave bag slightly open for circulation

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Shopping Tips:

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1.  Always shop with a list and try not to shop when hungry. 

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• When making a list, always check the quantity of your staples first and then add in other items you may need for specific recipes that week.

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2.  Buy in appropriate quantities and stick to your list. 

• It's not a good deal and you aren't saving money if it is just going to get thrown away.

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• Approximately 40% of food produced in the US is thrown away.  When we purchase more than we can consume, that means more has to be produced to keep up with demand which in turn wastes additional energy, water, land and resources.  

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3.  Avoid buying produce in bulk (unless canning, fermenting or freezing).  

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4.  Shop the perimeter of the store. 

• Most real, whole unprocessed and minimally processed foods are around the store perimeter. . . if you have items on your list from interior aisles, make a bee-line for just that product.

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5.  Do take advantage of Bulk Bins.  Watch this video on:  How to shop Bulk Bins

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• Buying dry goods and staples from the bulk bins can save money and is far more sustainable.  

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6.  Buy local as much as you can.

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• If available in your area, try and buy your produce, meats, eggs and dairy from your local farmers market or select options in your grocer that say 'local' or are from your same or neighboring states.   

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• Buying local, organic foods may feel like they have a higher price tag, but you will be much more apt to buy appropriate quantities and will be making healthier choices that will save money in the long run in terms of your health and the health of the environment.

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7.  Understand what you are buying.  Watch this video:  Deciphering Food Labelling - What does it all mean?

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• It has become increasingly difficult to identify what the best choices are when there are so many terms (often unregulated and misleading) slapped on signs, labels and food packaging.  All natural, organic, non-gmo, reduced-, low-, non-, -free, good source of, lean, extra lean, less, lite, pasture raised, free range, cage free, enriched, AA, A, B, prime, choice select, natural flavors, no artificial flavors/additives, BPA free, phthalate free,  PFAS free, "yada, yada, yada". . . it can be mind numbing.

Watch the Food Labelling video and read some of these articles to learn more:

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ASN  l  Interpreting Food Labels: Natural versus Organic

Organic Valley  l  What Do Cage-Free, Free-Range and Pasture-Raised Eggs Mean?

Sauder's Eggs  l  Everything You Need to Know About the Egg Grading System

USDA  l  What’s Your Beef – Prime, Choice or Select?

EWG  l  Dirty Dozen Guide to Food Chemicals

Watch our Toxins in our Food & Water Playlist on YouTube

Non-GMO Project  l  FAQs

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Meal and Success Prep:

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• Be kind to your future self by prepping food and snack items for the week.  Get the family involved and have easy to prep or grab 'n' go snacks ready for after school/work.  Have meals ready that only need to be heated.  Check out our Recipes page for meals/snacks you can prep in advance.

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• Make it easy to make healthier choices by placing the healthiest items right in front at eye level in your fridge or pantry/cupboards.

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• Keep a snack list on the outside of your fridge.  Winning life hack for THIS super snacker !! :)

Here is an example of the list on my fridge (customize to your own tastes):

Reminder:  DRINK WATER FIRST

- Apples and Cheese

- Avocado Toast

- Celery & Nut Butter

- Cottage Cheese & Berries

- Carrots / Vegis & Hummus

- Dark Chocolate

- Popcorn

- Salsa & Corn Chips

- Leftovers !!​

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• New to cooking?  Any meal prep can feel daunting if you aren't familiar with cooking or aren't comfortable in the kitchen. . . visit our Kitchen and Cooking Basics page for quick tutorials and helpful tips that will have you up and running in no time. :) 

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Organizing you kitchen, properly storing food, becoming a better shopper and prepping for success will save you time and money, build confidence in your food choices and help improve your and your families health and relationships with food.