In the last blog post, I covered some quick changes you could make to your fridge to have you automatically eating better and getting leaner. (you can see that here)
Today, let’s turn to…
The Freezer
Anyone who has walked the freezer aisles at the store knows how plentiful frozen temptations are. How does your freezer measure up?
Dump this: Ice cream. We may as well get this one over with. Unless you find yourself throwing out full containers of ice cream that went bad–because you never eat it, hiding a gallon or two (or even a pint) of your favorite ice cream is NOT a good idea. Save yourself from that temptation and don’t buy ice cream.
* Add to your shopping list: Frozen berries. When your sweet tooth starts acting up, warm some frozen berries and mix them with some cottage cheese. This makes a high-protein, low glycemic index, nutritious snack. What other ice cream replacement ideas do you have? Please comment below!
Dump this: Frozen Pizza. This is another one of those items that is just too tempting to keep around. Why would you bother to make a healthy dinner when a frozen pizza is calling your name? Ban frozen pizza from your home and watch your waist start to shrink.
* Add to your shopping list: There are some amazingly tasty, low calorie, healthy frozen dinners at Trader Joe’s that aren’t insanely high in carbs (this is rare–be really cautious about most frozen meals!). Here are a few of my personal favorites: Roasted Poblano Peppers (with shrimp), Misoyaki Turbot, Chicken Gorgonzola, and Chicken Serenada. For quick dinners keep your freezer filled with healthy, balanced options.
Dump this: Frozen Breakfast Food. French toast, waffles and pancakes are popular items in the freezer aisle. Don’t fall for the pretty photos and tasty-sounding names. These items are highly processed and contain loads of unnecessary sugar.
* Add to your shopping list: Frozen single servings of ready to reheat steel cut oatmeal (the kind that takes 30 minutes to cook originally). Trader Joes actually sells these, too. Or you can just make a batch of steel cut oats, and freeze single servings. Then eat them with a good portion of protein (like eggs or cottage cheese) to have a quick, tasty, perfectly balanced breakfast.
What other solution have you found? What other impossible temptations are lurking in your freezer? Please comment and interact below.
And in a few days, I’ll be back to discuss the last area of your kitchen to go through … the pantry.
Cheers,
Chad