Clean Your Kitchen and Your Cravings

April 1, 2022

How to Spring Clean Your Pantry Tools and Mind for a Healthier You

Spring is coming, which means it’s time for the annual “let’s clean everything” movement. Some people love it. Others of us see it as another chore that somehow always drops to the bottom of the weekend to-do list. But if you’re looking for a fresh start, I’ve got your easy button right here.

Let’s begin in the most important room of the house. The kitchen. It’s where we eat, connect, and form our daily food habits. And no judgment here, my kitchen has definitely looked like a frat house a time or two. But just like we’d never want to eat at a sketchy restaurant, we should ask ourselves the same question about our home kitchens. Would you eat there?

Start with a clean-out. Check the fridge, freezer, and pantry. Toss expired condiments and the things you bought for that one recipe two years ago and never used again. Give yourself permission to let go of the clutter. Next up, the tools. How many knives do you actually use? Probably one or two. Same with spatulas, mixing bowls, and storage containers. Stick to the essentials. Donate duplicates and anything that no longer serves you.

Once you’ve cleared the decks, take a look at what you’re missing. A sharp knife, a sturdy cutting board, maybe a set of glass storage containers with lids that actually match? Choose high-quality tools that can handle heat and last a long time. Lifetime warranties are your best friend here. When your tools are solid, you’re more likely to use them, and maybe even enjoy the process of cooking again.

Take a look to make sure that you’re keeping the right things in your personalised food-haven too. Caveat: this checklist focuses on kitchen fundamentals. If you’re a home chef, you’ll probably have more, but for the typical family, this is a quick cheat sheet to cover your bases.

Now for the fun part. Restocking.

Before heading to the store, plan. Think about what meals you want to make and what staples are most helpful.

When it comes to produce, go for what’s in season and what looks fresh. I like to buy organic when I’m eating the whole thing, think apples or berries. Bananas and pineapples? I’m less concerned.

With meat and fish, the goal is clean and lean. Choose cuts with minimal visible fat and stick to 90% lean ground meat or better. Organic poultry is always a good bet, and when it comes to fish, go for omega-3-rich options like salmon or sardines. Look for wild-caught, not farm-raised, and yes, smell it. Fresh fish should never smell fishy.

Even your oil needs label reading. You’d think something like olive oil would be one ingredient. Sadly, not always the case. Check the nutrition facts and ingredients to be sure. When you get to herbs and spices, fresh is ideal. Dried can be great too, just give them a little rub between your palms before adding to your dish. That simple friction reactivates their flavor. And remember: you don’t need as much dried herb as you would fresh.

Once you’ve got your food, tools, and ingredients ready, let’s talk about staying organized. Restaurant kitchens are clean and efficient for a reason. Use containers. Store similar items together and label things so you’re not guessing what’s in that mystery container from three weeks ago. Clear countertops make it easier to work, and harder to snack mindlessly. Keep your essentials out: coffee maker, toaster, paper towels, maybe a utensil jar. Put the rest away.

Now for the part no one talks about. Your emotional pantry.

This concept came to me from my friend Ana Vucetic, a psychologist and nutrition coach. The emotional pantry is about the feelings and past experiences that influence how and why we eat. Maybe you were rewarded with ice cream as a kid. Maybe you were told sweets were off-limits, and now you sneak snacks or feel guilt around eating them. Our eating habits are often emotional habits, not just physical ones.

Cleaning out this pantry means paying attention. What’s your starting point? Do you eat when you’re lonely, bored, stressed, or sad? Can you observe your behavior from a distance and identify what’s going on before you reach for a snack?

Try using a hunger scale. Before eating, ask yourself how hungry you are on a scale of 1 to 5. Are you physically hungry? Or are you looking to fill something else?

Journaling helps too. Track what you eat, how you felt, and what worked. You’re not aiming for perfection, just progress. Patterns will emerge, and you’ll learn what works best for you.

Most of all, learn to untangle those food signals. If your body says “chocolate” but you just ate lunch, maybe you’re not hungry. Maybe you’re tired or overwhelmed. What would actually meet that need? A 10-minute walk? A cup of tea and a break from your screen? Replacing food with the thing your body and mind truly need is a game-changer.

Don’t forget to enjoy life now. So many people think happiness comes after weight loss or the milestone. I encourage my clients to flip that script. What can you do now to enjoy your life more? What are you putting off for some future version of yourself? Start living like that person now, it will actually help you become them.

We learned our behaviors. That means we can unlearn them too.

So go ahead. Clean out your kitchen, refresh your tools, restock your pantry, and take a peek at the emotional habits that live in the background. It’s not about having the perfect kitchen or perfect meals. It’s about making space — physically and emotionally — to take care of yourself. Start with one step. That’s all it takes to change direction.