The Weekend Makeover: Get a Brand New Life By Monday Morning

Diet Makeover

Do you wish you could lose those last 5 pounds? Do you wish your kids ate healthier foods? Are you overwhelmed by the terms “gluten free,” “organic,” and “cholesterol free”? Whatever your reasons for wanting to make a change, we could all use an overhaul in the diet department!

It’s easy to fall into an eating rut—whatever’s fast, whatever’s easy, whatever’s in the cabinet or fridge. Unfortunately, this pattern can lead to seriously unhealthy habits for you and your family. One study found that availability—or having certain foods in the house—affects what children eat. That’s why it’s especially important to keep fresh fruits and veggies stocked for kids, even those who already prefer the taste of chips and cookies. Telling kids they can’t have junk food while keeping the bad stuff in sight doesn’t solve the problem! The good news is that with a little jump start, you and your family will be on the road to better eating habits. By setting a good example and keeping a junk food-free kitchen, you can begin to change your entire household. You will have to be the one to make the decision, take charge, and implement the changes, but once that’s all in motion, you can support each other every day with delicious and healthy food choices.

You will need time this weekend to clean out the kitchen, go grocery shopping, and do some cooking. This might not sound too far off from your typical weekend, but we want you to look at this makeover as a fun adventure, not as your usual chores. This Saturday and Sunday, commit to eating foods you prepare yourself at home. (No, microwaving does not count as cooking!) It will be much easier to get on nutritional track without the distractions of restaurants and watching other people eating foods you are trying to avoid. (And, yes, this includes skipping Starbucks, too!)

If you live alone, invite a friend to join you for any or all meals. If you have a partner and/or kids, invite them to join you in eating healthy this weekend and beyond. This makeover isn’t about deprivation—it’s about doing something rewarding for yourself. By the end of the next 48 hours, you’ll have a new attitude toward eating right. It’s going to be great, so let’s get started!

FRIDAY NIGHT

Set the stage for the weekend by relaxing at home with a healthy dinner—whether that means preparing something yourself (if you have the proper groceries) or picking up something healthy on the way home from work (we understand that Friday nights can be tough, timewise, to cook). This is not an excuse to indulge in your last unhealthy meal (pizza and french fries)! Your weekend makeover starts now—savor your first taste of good health!

Once you are sated and the table has been cleared, the fun begins. Do you know the saying “Never go food shopping on an empty stomach”? Well, never clean out your kitchen when you’re hungry, either. You don’t want to be tempted to snack on items that are on their way to the trash bin. One last cookie, one piece of candy—you get the idea…no!

The ultimate goal is to have a clean, organized kitchen full of healthy meal and snack options. To achieve this, you need to purge your kitchen of all the junk. You won’t be tempted by what isn’t there, right? This means being hard-core about what needs to go. Don’t worry, we’ll get you on track and walk you through the process.

The most important guideline to follow in revamping your kitchen and your diet is this: Stick to what’s all natural. Look for foods that are closest to their natural state; in other words, whole foods (fruits, veggies, and whole grains). Avoid foods that are heavily processed from their original state and therefore devoid of most nutrients—including anything made from white flour (breads and pastas), meats such as hot dogs, and anything containing a ton of added salt and/or sugar.

In addition, buying organic when possible can be a plus. Organically grown foods typically contain none of the chemical pesticides of commercially grown foods—although one recent study claims that there is no nutritional difference between organic and conventional food, which is good news for your wallet if organic food is more expensive in your neighborhood.

If you have a dietary restriction, such as gluten sensitivity or lactose intolerance, note which foods you should avoid and purge your kitchen of those culprits now. If you have specific health concerns, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, you may want to think about reducing or eliminating meat (especially red meat) from your diet.

Start with the fridge. Anything past its expiration date must go. Even so-called healthy staples go bad, so look at everything in the fridge. Yes, everything! Old dairy products that may have curdled, leftover meat from you can’t remember when, fruit that has mold, or other lettuce or veggies with brown spots: Toss ’em.

TOP 10 CONDIMENTS’ SHELF LIFE, ONCE OPENED

1. Butter: 3 months in fridge

2. Chili sauce: 1 month in pantry, longer in fridge

3. Jelly/jam: 1 year in fridge

4. Ketchup: 1 month in pantry, a bit longer in fridge

5. Mayonnaise: 2 months in fridge

6. Mustard: 6-8 months in pantry or fridge

7. Peanut butter: 2-3 months in pantry, longer in fridge

8. Salad dressing: 3 months in fridge

9. Sour cream: 2 weeks in fridge

10. Vegetable oil: 1-3 months, best stored in fridge

Jill My mother needs to skip this paragraph. (Mom, if you are reading this, move on to Dana’s story!) Here’s the deal: My mama isn’t a great cook. Well, wait. I shouldn’t say that. She says she can make the best French onion soup on the planet (however, my brother and I have never had it!), and she does make delicious chocolate chip pancakes. Needless to say, she is the best mom in the world. But like many of us, I grew up eating a lot of pizza and takeout. Since turning 35, my body has changed, and I can’t, unfortunately, eat whatever I want whenever I want. If I were to splurge on even an order of fries now, I would feel it. (Ladies, I know you can relate.) So I have to be creative and look for ways to snack without gaining weight. My first rule is that I never keep anything I love too much in the house. I can’t eat just one cookie…. I eat the whole box. My second rule is to always ask other people for their tricks. Today nutritionist Joy Bauer taught me a potion that helps keep me out of snack trouble: Mix a plain Greek yogurt with a pack of sugar-free hot cocoa. Voila—chocolate pudding! It is nutritious, fills me up, and satisfies my sweet tooth.

Dana I am very good about not wasting food. I know exactly how much I need and what I will and won’t eat, so I never keep extra stuff in the fridge that could go bad. I always have everything I need for a snack or an actual meal. (Full disclaimer: I am a raw vegan, so all I have are fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds, and some raw dessert treats. Oh, and a freezer full of coconut water, but that’s a whole other story!) Regardless of what’s in there, my fridge and freezer are organized, and there is nothing old, rotten, moldy, or unidentifiable. However, when I visit my sister, I have a field day. As soon as I get to her house, I go straight to the fridge and start looking through containers, opening them, smelling things, and throwing things away. I think it drives her nuts (sorry, Sis!), but I can’t stand having that old stuff in there and can’t bear to ask if the kale is from the last time I visited.

Anything else that hasn’t spoiled but that you know is bad for you (pudding, cake, cookies) has to go, too. This includes processed foods that have been in the fridge for a while: If they haven’t spoiled, that probably means they are made of, or preserved with, a ton of chemicals. Either way, processed food qualifies as “junk” and therefore goes in the garbage.

Don’t forget to examine the condiments, too. We tend to overlook those random bottles and jars on the refrigerator door. For some reason, we think these products will last forever. Cleaning out the fridge door is the perfect opportunity to start fresh and start healthy. So unless you’re holding a recently purchased jar of quality mustard (think Grey Poupon, not French’s) or a brand-new all-fruit jam, you probably want to toss that condiment.

Don’t be afraid to really purge. It’s okay if your fridge looks barren—you just had a healthy, satisfying dinner, and tomorrow you are going to fill the refrigerator with all the right foods. If an empty fridge truly bothers you, think of this process as preparing to go on vacation: You wouldn’t want to leave anything to spoil while you are out of town.

Move on to the freezer. If you think your fridge door was a mess, the freezer can be a vast wasteland of forgotten items. Even though frozen foods essentially last forever, over time they do lose quality and taste.

Toss anything that has freezer burn and anything you haven’t used in the past 3 to 6 months. While freezing food can be a great way to preserve it, that old turkey burger with frostbite isn’t exactly an appealing dinner option. When and if you need a bag of frozen peas, you can pop to the store—or better yet, buy fresh peas. In addition, get rid of all the ice cream, sugary ice pops, and frozen desserts that are laden with sugar and fat. (If you find yourself hesitating, simply add up all the calories from each box and you’ll be eager not to have them around!)

TOP 10 FROZEN ESSENTIALS’ SHELF LIFE

1. Butter: 9 months

2. Fish: 3-6 months

3. Fruits/berries: 8-12 months

4. Grains: 4 months

5. Lean meats: 6 months

6. Nuts: 2 years

7. Sauces: 6 months

8. Seeds: 2 years

9. Soups: 6 months

10. Veggies: 8-12 months

Get into your cabinets and pantry. Dry goods must also be inspected. Check the age of your cereal. Have any boxes been left open? It’s important to keep boxes of cereal and other dry grains airtight. If dry goods haven’t been tightly sealed, or you can’t remember when you bought them, toss them and start fresh. Now, about those cookies, crackers, chips, roasted nuts, and candy . . . junk, junk, and junk! We think you know what to do with these by now–that’s right, dump ’em. (Thank you.)

Artificial sweeteners? Table salt? Refined sugar? Those can definitely go, too. And about the spices, teas, and oils—if you use them in your cooking, great; they can stay. But organize them in your cabinet, either by height with stacking racks or in clearly labeled containers, so you can quickly find the one you need. Your goal is to have a clean, fully functioning kitchen that you can restock with healthy items tomorrow.

Congrats—you are finished for the evening! You should feel lighter already and very proud of yourself for letting go of all the junk. Tomorrow will be an adventure in grocery shopping!

SATURDAY MORNING

As we mentioned, you don’t want to shop for groceries on an empty stomach, or you will crave everything in sight! Take the time to have a healthy and nourishing breakfast—perhaps some fresh fruit, Greek yogurt, oatmeal, or a smoothie. We know we asked you to trash practically everything in the kitchen last night, and hopefully you salvaged something healthy for breakfast. If that’s not the case, then go someplace where you can get a healthy, yummy meal before you start grocery shopping.

If you enjoy tea or coffee in the morning, by all means relax and have a cup. Just be aware that how you sweeten your hot beverage is another story. As part of your diet makeover, we’re asking you to switch to natural sweeteners, like stevia, instead of artificial sweeteners or refined sugar, and to use almond milk or rice milk instead of artificial creamers (organic cow’s milk is okay). A small change in your daily routine is a huge step in the right direction for your overall health.

Make your shopping list. The following are categories of foods that should be on your grocery list. Many of the specifics within the categories are up to you—we simply recommend filling your kitchen with a range of healthy options. Pick what you like, but branch out into items you may not have tried before. You’ll be amazed at the variety in the store and especially at farmers’ markets once you take the time to look. You might surprise yourself and find a new favorite!

Fresh Fruit

Think beyond just apples! Buy fruit that’s easy to reach for as a snack (grapes, blueberries, cherries). Buy some that you can use for smoothies (bananas and berries). Buy some to eat for breakfast (cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon). And don’t forget a sweet dessert treat (pineapple and strawberries). There are no rules here. All fresh fruit is good for you, so pick your faves! And experiment with more exotic types, like mango, papaya, and persimmon. The more healthy options you have, the more variety you will enjoy and the more satisfied you will be.

Fresh Veggies

Here, too, you don’t have to stick to carrots and celery. A world of delicious vegetables can be used for different snacks and meals. Instead of iceberg lettuce (which has zero nutritional value), try using kale or spinach as a salad base. These are both chock-full of vitamins, minerals, protein, iron, and fiber, not to mention they make delicious side dishes when sauteed with a little olive oil and garlic. You can experiment with baking your own kale chips—a perfect snack. Or make a chopped salad using radishes, carrots, snap peas, cucumbers, bell peppers, and jicama. These are all perfect snacking veggies, too, either plain or dipped in hummus or guacamole. Salad doesn’t have to be just lettuce and tomato—although tomatoes are a healthy addition to any meal (and cherry tomatoes make a delicious snack). Sprouts are a good source of protein, fiber, and vitamins. Avocado is a healthy source of fat (and provides nearly 20 essential nutrients), is supersatisfying, will fill you up, and feels as indulgent as cheese or meat in a salad or sandwich. Swap a hearty portobello mushroom for a burger if you’re looking to cut back on red meat.

Fresh and Dried Herbs

Herbs can make any dish go from just okay to sensational—and which you use is a matter of personal taste. Some to try are basil, mint, cilantro, rosemary, thyme, and parsley. These are great in salads, soups, sauces, guacamole, and any meat or fish dish.