By Taylor Sutton, MS, RD
United Supermarkets’ Lifestyle Desk
The end of summer cleaning doesn’t have quite the same ring to it like it does in the spring, but think of this like your halfway check point. What things have you been holding on to or accumulating? Since summer vacations are wrapping up and school is about to be back in session, let’s take a second to do a “clean sweep” of our kitchens to set us up for the second half of the year.
In your pantry: check expiration dates, get rid of/donate food that you don’t care for, clean up any crumbs/spills/leaks, and organize by grouping things together. We suggest pulling everything out of your pantry to do this task. So clear some time in your busy calendar, about two to three hours, to get this project done. If you feel so inclined to put together a fancy organized system, be our guest. This is an excellent way to see everything, keep stock of items that are running low, and create a “happy place.”
In your refrigerator, go through the same process: check expiration dates, get rid of/donate food that you don’t care for, clean up any crumbs/spills/leaks, and organize by grouping things together. Depending on how big your refrigerator is or how many you have (we’re looking at you deep freezer and garage refrigerator) this may take one to two hours.
We can’t forget the cabinets, drawers, and appliances. Here are some questions to ask yourself as you go through these things: does everything have a lid that should; do I still use this tool or appliance; how sharp is my knife set? Much like the pantry and refrigerator, organize by grouping similar appliances together or how you use them by meal or how often you might use them, clean any residue or buildup that has accumulated on or in appliances, empty the toaster crumb tray, clean the inside of the oven and microwave, and declutter the counter space. A clean space is a happy place not only from a safety point of view but also a joyful point of view to be able to “work” in a neat environment.
Now that you’ve cleaned out, let’s fill in the space with things that are helpful! Create a snack bin in your pantry. Whether it’s for a busy mom during breastfeeding sessions or kids after school, having some pre-prepared snacks in individual sandwich bags are great to have on hand in a pinch. If you like the idea of meal prep but haven’t yet delved in, this is a fantastic “no bake” option to start. Try shelf-stable foods in the pantry, or a clean container in the fridge for cold foods.
Now that your refrigerator and freezer are a little more freed up, think about pre-cooking and pre-portioning your proteins! This is a huge timesaver for weeknight meals and can be universal from curries to Italian to Mexican food. Precooking your proteins be it ground beef, chicken, turkey, or pork is great to cook and then freeze in individual family sized portions for an easy grab from the freezer.
5 Ingredient Pasta Dinner
What You Need
1 box Banza Pasta
1 jar (21oz) Signature Reserve truffle sauce (or a marinara of your choosing)
1 lb ground turkey
1 box, fresh zucchini zoodles (or 2 large zucchinis)
4 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese
How It’s Made
1. Brown the ground turkey
2. Boil the pasta according to package directions
3. Saute vegetables according to package directions
4. Grate parmesan cheese
5. Combine pasta, meat, sauce, and zoodles in a bowl and divide amongst 4 plates and sprinkle with cheese
