If you want to stick to your new eating plan then you have to be willing to exorcise the food demons living in your kitchen
That’s right!
It’s time to purge and recreate your kitchen so it can become a C-LEAN eating kitchen.
Let’s get started!
Step 1: Get rid of all the clutter in your kitchen.
What does clutter have to do with calories? I actually mentioned this in my post last week. A cluttered kitchen can lead to stress and stress can lead to eating.
Think of it as damage control. You don’t need any excuses for falling off the wagon.
Get rid of unnecessary papers and junk that may be floating around your kitchen counter or table. This includes bills. If you keep your bills on your fridge then consider relocating them to an office or a hallway bullitin board. Your kitchen should be a stress free haven. Clean and organized. A sink loaded full of dishes isn’t going to create that vibe so you have to keep it up. Any mess can cause stress which can lead to cravings etc.
Baskets and cupboards can be great for keeping things contained and or out of view.
Step 2: Purge it all!
Remove anything processed or refined. White bread, white pasta, packaged treats, canned fruit, canned vegetables, canned soups, frozen meals and all the junk food you can find. This includes all the obvious junk too. Chips, chocolate, cookies, pastries etc.
Don’t forget your freezer.
Throw it all in the garbage. Don’t delay. You need to take action now!
Step 3: Get the essential tools and organize them.
You’ll be getting into meal planning and cooking foods in advance as part of your fat loss goal. It is a necessity if you are to succeed.
In order to this, you’ll need to be sure you have the right tools on hand to make meal prep and storing a breeze.
What you’ll need:
- measuring cups
- a variety of knives for cutting
- electronic scale for measuring food portions
- measuring spoons in multiple sizes
- a blender and or food processor http://www.buythebullet.com/
- glass containers for storing food and heating food in the microwave
- good quality pots and pans
- a cooler bag to pack your food to take it with you. http://www.sixpackbags.com/
- good quality containers to carry food. I prefer glass for if you are reheating or putting hot food in them.
- Nice plates, bowls and cups to maximize the eating experience at home.
- shaker cups for protein. http://www.smartshake.com/bodybuilder/
- ziploc sandwich bags, freezer bags and plastic wrap
- Vitamin holder to hold your vitamins when you are out and about.- The Smart Shaker above actually has compartments in it for holding supplements. Pretty smart eh!!!
I have provided some links to some products that I have tested and that I feel hold up to what you need for your new lifestyle.
A fridge full of precooked bodybuilding friendly foods is where it is at.
Step 4: Hit The Grocery Store and stock up.
When shopping for your foods you will find that the healthiest foods that are the mainstay of your eating are usually on the outside aisles of the grocery store.
Try to stay away from the inner aisles as much as you can. You may be tempted by brightly colored packaging that is characteristic of processed, refined junk food.
Food manufacturers are smart and know that these bright colors scream “buy me..I’m yummy.” You just need to tell yourself that what they are really saying is “don’t buy me as I will make you fat.”
Below is an outline of some foods to start stocking in your fridge, freezer and pantry. The list is not exhaustive but it includes many of the best foods you need to be lean and mean.
You should get into cooking foods for several days at a time (bulk cooking) You can stock up on meats and freeze them so they can be bulk cooked when needed. You can also liberally buy most of the complex carbohydrates as they can keep for quite a while as well. Vegetables and fruits will need to be purchased frequently as they spoil. I recommend refridgerating most nut butters and raw nuts to preserve them but all fats have a set shelf life before they begin to spoil.
Protein:
- skinless, boneless turkey breast
- skinless, boneless chicken breast
- egg whites
- omega 3 eggs
- tuna packed in water- not albacore
- salmon steaks
- lean fish such as tilapia, orange roughy, sole etc.
- fat free cottage cheese
- fat free greek yogurt
- Whey Protein
Carbohydrates:
- Brown rice
- steel cut oats
- quinoa
- sweet potatoes
- lentils
- squash
- cream of brown rice
- cream of wheat
- corn
- ezekiel bread
- red potatoes
Vegetables:
- brocolli
- green beans
- red, yellow, orange, green peppers
- asparagus
- spinach
- kale
- swiss chard
- cucumbers
- celery
Fruits
- grapefruit
- apples
- all berries
- grapes
- kiwi
- mangos
- oranges
This is just a list of a few top fruits. There are many other amazing ones out there.
Healthy Fats:
- extra virgin coconut oil
- natural peanut butter, almond butter and other natural nut butters
- extra virgin olive oil
- raw almonds, pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts etc.
- avocado
- olives
Herbs and Spices: Stock up on any spices for flavoring food. Many spices can offer health benefits too. Consider growing your own herb garden for fresh food flavoring or buy it as fresh as you can from the grocery stores or markets.
Herbs and spices will be the primary flavoring agents for all your foods and boy are they tasty.
Condiments:
- Salsa- can be made at home
- guacamole- can be made at home
- mustard
- dijon mustard
- honey mustard
- horse radish
- ketchup- in moderation
Supplement cupboard: The bare minimum
- A good multi vitamin- I recommend Progressive Nutritional Therapies http://www.progressivenutritional.com/
- Whey protein- I recomend Precision Sport Supplements or Progressive Nutritional Therapies http://www.precisionsupplements.ca/
- Vitamin C – Progressive Nutritional Therapies has an excellent one
- Glutamine- Gluta Plex by Precision Sport Supplements
- A good Greens product such as Vege Greens by Progressive Nutritional Therapies
Now…you have everything in your kitchen that you need to make healthy and delicious foods.
My last recommendation would be to start collecting some bodybuilding friendly recipes. Clean Eating magazine has lots of great, fit friendly recipes. It is one of my favorites. http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/ I also like to look through Oxygen magazine, Muscle and Fitness Hers, Flex Magazine and Muscle Mag.
If you have cooking savvy then you can also play with making healthier versions of some of your old favorites. That is what I love to do.
So get that kitchen cleaned up if you haven’t already. It will be your first big step in changing your eating habits.
On my next post I will discuss 5 ways that mindful eating can help you lose fat fast!
