Pre-planning what you eat on a regular basis will save you money and inches off your waistline. The problem that most of us face is that we don’t take, or think we have enough time during the week to eat right. There are a few things that you can do to keep your weight under control and spend less time eating junk food.
Tip One: Eat more leftover meals.To make sure you don’t forget to eat your leftovers designate a shelf where they always be kept, a leftover shelf, so to speak. The best shelf will be the one closest to eye level. When family members are rooting around for a snack or you need a quick lunch on the go, you will find the tasty leftovers that are ready to provide a quick solution.
If the leftover shelf will be shared with other food items, make sure to keep the containers in the front portion of the shelf. Leftovers that are pushed to the back of the fridge typically never see the light of day until they turn green.
Tip Two: Create organized zones within your fridge and keep them consistent. The best way to create zones for fridge items is to take everything out and begin anew. Begin with a clean slate. Think about the types of before you begin placing items back into the fridge. DO not put things back in automatically until you determine your family’s eating habits.
For instance, should the eggs and butter be kept side by side? Should the marmalade be also in the same vicinity? Some fridge manufacturers have thought these questions through and others have not.
Where items are best stored depends a lot on your lifestyle. For instance, if you rush into the kitchen and dash out the door with barely a piece of toast, you might want to consider placing all items related to breakfast into one area. I like to use large plastic bins for breakfast items. When everything is contained in a bin, it is very easy to pull it out, make toast, grab a yogurt and head out the door.
A bin in the freezer will keep all sticky smoothie fruit bags contained and easily accessed for your morning smoothie ritual. This bin also keeps the sticky fruit residues out of the freezer and off the kitchen countertop.
The same procedure can be used if you eat lunch on the go from home. Keep meats, cheese and condiments all stored together in a plastic bin large enough to hold all related items together.
Tip Three: A great way to simplify your life is to eat alternate between original cooked dinners and leftovers every other night. This practice cuts down on your time in the kitchen and also helps make certain that your leftovers are eaten before they become a science experiment.
Tip Four: Prep-cooking staples rice, beans or meat on Sunday night or while you cook dinner will save you money and time during the week when you cone home too tired to cook. When you are exhausted from a long day these items can be turned into a healthy dinner in a flash.
Don’t feel badly if you don’t get your new fridge zones perfect the first time around. It takes 4-6 weeks of practice before you and your family members will understand where things are stored and where they need to be returned after use. The main idea is to save time, eat better food and have less fattening carryout food in your weekly menu. A little planning will upgrade your food lifestyle and probably also downsize your waistline!
For more fridge storage ideas, watch this NBC News segment.
