Get Ready For The Post-Christmas Fridge Detox

It might be that you’ve got a determined New Year’s resolution to lose weight or you’re just hoping to eat more healthily in 2019, but either way, you’ll need to do a fridge detox. Despite eating so much over Christmas, it’s amazing how many decadent treats remain in the fridge and quite frankly, they’ve got to go.

To make sure you start 2019 in the right way, don’t leave your fridge detox to the last minute, as you’ll suddenly find it’s January 3rd and you’re just eating up those leftover profiteroles. Spend some time between Christmas and New Year’s Eve preparing your fridge for success.

Food waste is a big problem and you certainly don’t want to throw away anything that you’ve spent money on that is still edible. Take a look at what is there and work out how you and your household can use up ingredients without undoing January’s good habits before it’s even begun.

There’s a good chance that many of the delicious Christmassy things you’ve got left in your fridge can be incorporated into your cooking. For example, you could use that tasty cheese for a rich pasta dish or as the topping for enchiladas. This means you’ll be using it up, but not eating it on its own as an extra calorific snack.

In a similar way, chocolate can be used in desserts that the whole family enjoys together and not guiltily eaten on your own after the kids have gone to bed. For anyone planning a dry January, it’s important not to have the temptation in the house. Use up the wine in spritzers made with sparkling water that will keep the units to a minimum, but still be refreshing.

Once you’ve rid the fridge of the potential New Year’s resolution-busting items, it’s time to give it a good clean. This is a great tool psychologically, as well as hygienically, as it marks the change from the old habits as you embrace the new. Pop a fridge freshener in there too to keep things smelling good well into the new year.

With all the rich temptations leftover from Christmas gone, it’s time to fill the fridge up with the good stuff. Be careful how you do this and make sure that what you’re putting in is things you will enjoy eating. If you’re not a fan of celery, then don’t buy it, as it will simply wilt at the bottom of your fridge until you eventually throw it out.

Think about the fruit and vegetables that you really like and how you can utilise them in dishes that will make you feel good and you’ll enjoy at the same time. Hummus and crudites is a great snack to have on hand for those moments when you want something in a hurry and it threatens to break your resolve.

Most people think carrot sticks when they see hummus, but you don’t have to stick to the humble orange veg. Chop up some sticks of cucumber or bell peppers in various colours to keep things varied. Having just one option soon gets boring and that means turning to other snacks, so prepare yourself for this.

Even if you are determined to live by the ‘new year, new me’ mantra you’re only human and there will be times when you want to treat yourself. This can easily be done without eating a family-size bar of milk chocolate. Keep dark chocolate in the fridge, as it’s better for you and its intense flavour makes it harder to eat as much.

Stock your fridge and freezer with treats that have a healthier element like chocolate-dipped strawberries and frozen yoghurt instead of ice cream. These little indulgences will make it less likely that you break your resolutions in the long run