The Ultimate Spring Cleaning Kitchen Swap Out

Spring is now in full bloom, so it’s time to stop smelling the hyacinths and give your home the spring cleaning it needs—starting with the kitchen. We’re not talking sanitizing counter tops and wiping down cupboards—although here’s tips on how to spring clean the surfaces of your kitchen. We’re referring to dumping the junk that’s claiming space on your shelves, and replacing it with nutrient-rich items that leave you feeling good both inside and out. Now is the perfect time to make your kitchen a place that encourages healthy eating habits, and just in time for bathing suit season. Here are our top eight foods to swap in for the items you currently have when cleaning your kitchen and diet this spring.

Refined grain foods are made with white flour, which you may have seen listed on a food label as “enriched” or “bleached” flour. This flour has been milled to remove the bran and germ, in order to give products a finer texture and extended shelf life. By doing so, many important nutrients, such as fiber, iron, and B vitamins are also removed.

Think you’re being healthier by buying the gluten-free version of your favorite pasta? Think again. Many gluten-free pastas are made from a combination of corn and rice flours, making them even lower in protein, fiber, and other important nutrients than their already nutrient-void, white flour-based counterparts. Instead, swap out your regular and gluten-free penne for ancient grains, like amaranth, sorghum, and quinoa, which also happen to be gluten-free if you do follow that dietary restriction. These ancient grains are rich in both fiber and protein to help fill you up without filling you out. If ancient grains aren’t a match for your palate, try pulse pastas, like Banza’s chickpea pasta, instead. They’re made entirely from pulses like chickpeas, beans, or lentils, and can pack in up to double the protein and quadruple the fiber for the same amount of calories as their wheat-based alternatives. 

We get it—the word “superfood” is often associated with healthy eating. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case, especially when it comes to bars. Bars that boast “superfoods” on their labels may indeed contain some amount of antioxidant-rich ingredients, but often at the price of a lot of added sugar. Be sure to read the ingredient label when purchasing any kind of bar to stock your pantry, and look for words like “agave nectar,” “brown rice syrup,” “cane syrup,” and “tapioca syrup”—all of which are different forms of sugar. If you spot one of these within the first few ingredients listed, you’re better off swapping the bar for something else. The same goes for bars labeled “organic”—another word that’s often associated with the word healthy. While organic foods can be healthy, organic sugar is still sugar, and an organic bar high in sugar isn’t healthy. Don’t get us wrong, bars can make for a convenient, nutrient-dense meal replacement. Just be sure to stock up on those high in protein and fiber, and low in sugar—the lower the better, but ideally less than 10g per bar. 

Instant oatmeal has suffered a bad rap for quite some time now as consumers become more aware of their high sugar content. Sadly, the big guys in the oatmeal industry have successfully one-upped us by placing enticing words like “supergrain,” “natural,” and “medley” at the front and center of their packages to revive instant oatmeal. Even better—or should we say worse—are the portable, microwave-safe cups you can find the oatmeal packaged in, making the already convenient breakfast food more on-the-go than ever. Don’t be fooled by these clever marketing tactics. Many of these instant oatmeals are still packed with sugar, some reaching over 20g of sugar (the equivalent of 5 teaspoons) for a single serving. Instead, look for instant oatmeal packages that are labeled as lower in sugar, ideally less than 10g per serving, or “lightly sweetened,” like Straw Propeller’s Maple Oats cups. Better yet, buy a large tub of plain, old-fashioned or rolled oats to store in your pantry for making overnight oats—an equally convenient and on-the-go breakfast idea. This way you control how much sugar goes into your breakfast, and you save money, too. 

You’ve probably seen or tried the brightly colored “vegetable” snacks found in fry and chip form by now, considering they’ve made their way into kid and adult lunches everywhere. Who can resist the idea of getting in your veggie servings while simultaneously munching on a crunchy, salty, chip-like snack? Well, besides all of the potato flour they’re made from, there’s really nothing “veggie” about them. From the looks of them you’d think you’re eating a good amount of tomatoes and greens. The lack of vitamins, minerals, and fiber content proves otherwise. Sure, they’re lower in fat than your average potato chip, but that’s no excuse to eat them as you please. Plus, there are plenty of healthier, low-cal alternatives with actual nutritional benefit available. If you’re looking for a crispy, savory, mid-afternoon snack, try JicaChips Jicama Chips or Snapea Crisps Harvest Snaps, which both provide at least double the protein and quadruple the fiber when compared to a serving of vegetable fries. Lightly seasoned, air-popped popcorns, like Boomchickapop or Skinny Pop, also make for healthier, crunchy alternative. You’ll get a large volume of snack for little calories, and quadruple the fiber and protein when compared to a serving of vegetable fries. For a sweeter treat, Bare makes crispy “chips” from your favorite fruits, all with at least 3g of fiber per serving. The trick to picking a crunchy yet healthy snack to stock your pantry with is to check the nutrition label for less than 150 calories per serving with at least a few grams of fiber to help fill you up. 

Meat is a great source of protein and some vitamins and minerals, so it’s not a food we recommend completely eliminating from the diet if it’s one you enjoy. However, meat can also be high in calories and saturated fat, and lack important disease-fighting nutrients that can be found in other protein-rich options. Instead, substitute some of your meat intake each week with seafood. Seafood options like tuna and salmon are not only high in protein, but also low in saturated fat and rich in omega-3s—fats that play an important role in heart, eye, and brain health. In fact, because of these fats, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that everyone, especially pregnant and breastfeeding women, consume at least two meals of a variety of seafood each week. So, swap out a package of ground beef here and there for some fresh fish and always keep seafood staples on hand—a bag of frozen shrimp in your freezer and canned and pouched tuna in your pantry. Canned or pouched seafood is a super convenient and cost-effective source of protein and healthy fats. Look to these healthy seafood recipes for dinner ideas.

This one may seem like a bit of a stretch, but hear us out. Canned beans or chickpeas can replace flour entirely in many baked goods recipes. By swapping them in, you’re cutting carbs and calories, significantly upping the protein and fiber the dessert, and turning an occasional indulgence into an everyday treat. Substitute a can of black beans or chickpeas for every cup of flour in your favorite brownie or blondie recipe. By eliminating the baking mix, you’ll also take control of how much sugar goes into your baked goods. As an added bonus, using beans or chickpeas instead of a regular baking mix cuts out the gluten, which means even those with gluten intolerance can enjoy your treats. Beans and chickpeas should be a pantry staple for other reasons as well. They’re an extremely cost-effective source of nutrients and a versatile ingredient that can be used in sweet and savory dishes alike, or simply enjoyed as part of a filling snack. 

It’s no surprise that most condiments like ketchup and barbecue sauce aren’t at the top of any dietitian’s recommended foods list. That’s because they’re often packed with sugar for little volume—around 4g of sugar per tablespoon of ketchup and up to 8g of sugar per tablespoon of barbecue sauce. Instead, keep your pantry or fridge stocked with jarred or fresh salsa to spice up your snacks and meals. At only 10 calories and 1g of sugar per 2 tablespoons, salsa makes for a flavorful and low-cal dip, condiment, or topper. Serve it as a dip with crunchy veggies, add it to a sandwich or burger, stir it into an omelet, or spread it on a chicken breast—the possibilities are endless.

Just like the other items in your kitchen, spices do expire. That cardamom you bought years back to season that one dish is likely no good. While it won’t harm you to consume old spices, they’re not as pungent as when used before the expiration date, ideally before the two-year mark after purchase. Spices are a pantry staple for seasoned chefs and novice “microwavers” alike, but are especially beneficial to those watching their weight. They add flavor and depth to a dish, and are particularly useful when masking lack of fat or sugar in a healthy dish. Using salt-free spice blends is also an effective way to amp up the taste of a low-sodium dish. If you’re ready to part ways with those expired spice bottles, replace them with the smaller, 1-oz versions, especially if it’s a spice you don’t use that often. It’s less likely to expire before you’ve used it up, and it’s cheaper, too.