9 ways to arrange your pantry and fridge to help you lose weight

Do you want to lose weight but aren’t sure what’s holding you back? It could be due to your kitchen…

It can be so easy to just grab anything in your pantry or fridge but sometimes it can be the easiest thing to eat or prepare, instead of the healthy option. This can lead to too much snacking and not enough control. So how can you optimise your kitchen for your weight loss goals? We’ve found 10 tips that you can try today.

1. Put healthy foods in your eyeline

It’s simple but it’s very effective: put the most tempting foods in the hardest-to-reach places. Go to your fridge and put your healthy foods in your eye line, and make them look appealing. By keeping healthy foods out in the open and attractively displayed, this will make you want to opt for them instead of having to look for your chocolate or lollies.

2. Portion out your snacks

Right now, your favourite snacks might be chips, chocolate and biscuits, and the reason you probably reach for them is because they’re all ready to go. Instead, make up little snack packs of your favourite healthy foods such as nuts or dried fruit.

3. Keep your pantry stocked

Although this may sound counterintuitive if you’re trying to lose weight, it actually helps. Making sure you have a heap of healthy foods ready to go makes it less likely that you’ll be tempted to pick up fast food on the way home.

4. Update your storage containers

Food storage containers need to be easy to use, easy to clean and easy to store. If yours are not, replace them immediately. Use clear canisters for pastas, nuts and granola to help them stay fresh and give them more visual appeal by sorting by type.

Empty boxes of healthy snacks into baskets and by day to give you some variety.

5. Organise with labels 

Set up a shelf for items like cereal, oats, crackers, rice and pasta. Then a section for go-to health snacks. Make your very bottom shelf where you keep your unhealthy snacks. It may help to put them in a container that is hard to open.

Using labels or stickers to identify what’s on each shelf will help you feel more prepared and in control of your meals.

6. Declutter your freezer

Freezers tend to build up with stuff and it’s only when it’s overflowing that we do anything about it. Clear it out and instead keep beef and chicken in there. You could even make up your meals in advance and freeze them, instead of purchasing pre-made frozen meals.

7. Clean out your pantry and start again

There’s more to junk food than potato chips. Toss items packed with sugar, sodium and preservatives, and anything that is really unhealthy. It might just be time for a clean-out any way and will give you more visibility over what to eat and where to get it from quickly.

8. Prep wet snacks

We tend to reach for chips and crackers because they’re easy and right there. Make fresh fruits and veggies just as easily accessible by washing, cutting, and storing them in containers at eye-level in your fridge!

9. Make a meal plan

Losing weight is about taking time to plan as much as it is about eating right and exercising. If you know you’re eating eggs and bacon for breakfast and a salad for lunch, then you only need to think about dinner. Spend time over the weekend looking over healthy recipes and planning out your week’s dinners. As above, you can meal prep and do it all in bulk then freeze for the week ahead.

What is your tip for losing weight?