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Now that spring is finally here it’s an ideal time to freshen up eating, fitness and lifestyle habits.
While ‘spring cleaning’ is traditionally thought of as a time to clean out closets and wash windows, it’s also a great time to push the reset button on our nutrition routines.
To help with that, Balance Bar is partnering with Sharon Richter, a nationally recognized Registered Dietitian, to help consumers make a fresh start this season as part of its Spring Into Balance campaign. Focusing on cleaning up our diets, Richter believes a food pantry clean-up should happen at least once a year to make sure our kitchens are stocked with the best food options.
“At least once a year, I highly recommend a thorough cleaning of your food storage areas. This is a great way to assess your eating habits and freshen up some of your go-to staples in the snacking and non-perishable categories,” says Richter. “The first day of spring is the perfect opportunity to mark your calendars and spring clean your kitchen pantry and cupboards.” Here are a few simple steps:
- Step 1: Empty everything out. It’s okay to start with a mess and you’ll be surprised what’s hiding in there!
- Step 2: Throw away anything that has expired, has been open for more than a couple weeks or you know you’re just not going to use.
- Step 3: Organize everything by category – snacks, meal starters, nuts and dried fruits, oils/dressings, cereal and carbs, etc.
- Step 4: Check the labels. Here are a couple ingredients you simply shouldn’t have in any foods: hydrogenated oil, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), monosodium glutamate (MSG).
- Step 5: Make sure you have plenty of portion controlled snacks readily available and at the front of the pantry. You tend to eat more of what is eye-level or easily accessible. I always stock up on delicious Balance Bar Dark Bars. They are the perfect snack in the afternoon to keep your energy levels high.
Balance Bar, the perfect afternoon snack or meal replacement according to Richter, offers over 20 varieties of bars for every taste bud and with its 40-30-30 nutrition principle – a proven formula developed by scientists to help maintain your blood sugar levels already within a normal range – they help fill you up and give you energy that lasts to accomplish that long to-do list for spring cleaning.