Spring Clean your Diet

With Spring just around the corner, it's time to ask yourself... Does my diet need a spring clean? After indulging on winter comfort food, the answer for many is 'yes'! With the start of a new season comes the perfect opportunity to 'spring into action' and give your body a spring clean from the inside out.

1. Start by "healthifying" your fridge:

Aim to fill your fridge with plenty of antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables, lean meats, eggs and low fat dairy products. Avoid putting unhealthy food and drinks in your fridge, such as chocolate (except dark chocolate which contains at least 70% cocoa), cakes, energy drinks, fruit juices and alcohol.

2. Give your pantry a makeover:

The kitchen pantry is often where unhealthy foods hide... think biscuits, cereals, crackers, chips, 2-minute noodles, white rice, white flour, sugar and creamy jar pasta sauces. Many of these foods are highly processed, have a high glycaemic index and are high in saturated/ trans (unhealthy) fats and sugars.

Aim to fill your pantry with higher fibre, lower glycaemic index foods such as;

• Ryvita crackers
• Vita Weat crackers
• Tinned tomatoes (reduced salt)
• Chickpeas
• Lentils
• 4-bean mix
• Rolled oats
• Wholemeal pasta
• Brown rice
• Quinoa
• Pearl couscous
• Unsalted nuts
• Wholemeal flour
• CSR smart sugar
• Tomato based pasta sauces

3. Planning and preparation:

So, now that you have healthy food in your fridge and pantry, you are  as ready as ever to eat healthy! Eating healthy takes planning and preparation. Spend a few minutes before you do the groceries to think about what dinners you will cook for the week, which helps create your shopping list. Save both money and calories by making lunch to take to work the night before. Some healthy lunch ideas include 4-bean mix with salad, boiled eggs on low GI crackers, tinned tuna/ salmon on wholegrain/ rye wrap with salad or leftover lean meat with salad.