Chefs Plate

The inside scoop from the team at Chefs Plate

  • Blog Home
  • Cooking School
    • Recipes
    • Test Kitchen
  • Inside Scoop
    • Behind the Scenes
  • What’s Chefs Plate?

Spring Cleaning for Clean Eating

March 21, 2016 by Christina Leave a Comment

Spring-Cleaning-Blog_CLEAN-V2

If you were like us this winter, we filled up on a lot of soups, heavy stews, pastas and feel-good desserts. Blame it on cold weather which makes us crave high fat, high carb dishes! Now that spring is finally here, the best part about it is getting out the clutter and starting fresh for the season. Forget cleaning out closets and scrubbing floors to welcome spring – instead, start by cleaning up your eating habits from all the heavy winter food! We’ve got some tips below to kick start your spring cleaning eating.

unnamed (1)

Time to spring clean that pantry! First off – get rid of anything in a box or can. Of course, feel free to keep tuna, rice, quinoa, peanut butter, bread (or wraps!), canned beans or lentils but toss out your pre-prepared foods. “Complete” meals like frozen TV dinners and Hamburger Helper are full of fat and salt that you just don’t need right now so clean those out! Tip: If it grows from the ground, you can (and should) eat it! 

unnamed (4)

Nutrient-rich food contains many vitamins and minerals but not very many calories. In the winter, it’s not uncommon for your body to naturally crave foods that are high in calories and low in micronutrients because it helps to keep your body warm. But it’s spring now so come out of hibernation and begin consuming more nutrient-rich foods such as whole wheat breads, brown rice, seeds, vegetables and fruit to provide your body and mind with nutrients.

unnamed (5)

Do you ever find that meals at home may not taste as flavourful as in restaurants? One of the main reasons why people are discouraged by cooking at home is that the food does not taste as good as in restaurants. Why? Because (besides the copious amounts of salt) restaurants know how to season! Tip: Avoid bland food at home by using spices and herbs to enhance the natural flavour of food (not disguise or obscure it!). Not only will these bursts of flavour keep your tastebuds happy, but spices are composed of an impressive list of phyto-nutrients, essential oils, antioxidants, minerals and vitamins that are essential for overall wellness.

unnamed (6)

Now that winter is finally over, it’s nice to see the first signs of spring pop through the ground! You’ll start seeing brightly coloured produce, such as apricots, green beans, broccoli and more, make an appearance at your grocery stores or farmers’ markets. The more colourful the fruit or vegetable, the more vitamins and minerals it has. Tip: When you’re going grocery shopping, try to buy everything from the perimeter of the grocery store and very little from the aisles. Fresh produce, meat, seafood and cheeses are typically all located on the perimeters of the grocery store while everything artificially made is within the aisles.

For the next few weeks, we’re taking advantage of the beautiful spring produce in a few of our recipes:

Sweet_Potato_Latkes_WEB

Arugula is featured in our Sweet Potato Latkes with Dukkah and Arugula Salad (available for delivery on the week of March 28, 2016). Arugula is an aromatic, peppery-flavored salad green. A full cup of arugula is only a whopping 4 calories!

Meditteranean_Pizza_WEB

Broccoli is one of the main veggies featured in our Hand-Pulled Mediterranean Pizzas (available for delivery on the week of March 28, 2016) In addition to being very low in calories, broccoli is full of fiber which helps to keep us feeling full longer, so in turn, we eat less!

Mustard-Crusted-Steak--with-Salt-and-Vinegar-Potatoes-WEB

Mixed Greens are featured in our Steak with Salt & Vinegar Potatoes (available for delivery on the week of April 4, 2016), features a mixed green salad. Spring’s rebirth of greens means you can put in-season salads back on the menu and reap the many health benefits of mixed greens – such as stronger bones, sharpening your eyesight, protecting your heart and reducing risk of diabetes.

Vegetarian-Pad-Thai-WEB

Snow Peas – featured in our Curried Pad Thai (available for delivery on the week of April 4, 2016), are chock-full of healthy veggies! Snow peas (or green peas) are known to be filled with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties to help you flush out any toxins in your body that you may have gotten from winter eating!

Kick start your spring cleaning by cleaning your diet.
Get 40% OFF your first order

Valid from March 21, 2016 – March 27, 2016

 

 

 

Share this

Filed Under: Test Kitchen

« How to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day – At Home!
Partner Spotlight: Kozlik’s Canadian Mustard »

About Chefs Plate

Chefs Plate is putting Canadians back in the kitchen. By delivering easy-to-follow recipes and fresh, perfectly portioned ingredients right to your door, we take the guesswork out of cooking! No more Sunday night grocery store lines, no more hunting for recipes – we handle everything so you can relax and enjoy the cooking experience!

Follow Us

Instagram

  • Watch us tonight on MasterChef Canada!

Top 10 home cooks battle it out in the Chefs Plate Mystery Box Challenge. 
Watch for winner reveal tonight 9/8PM mt on CTV!

You can pre-order the meal inspired by the @masterchefcda winning dish now! Go to chefsplate.com.
  • On the menu: maximum flavour! ✔️ 🥩Middle Eastern Rubbed Steak with honey-lime carrots and roasted baby potatoes (yes, you read that right - #instayum) 🍋 Lemon Chicken Pasta with broccoli and fresh penne (buh-bye boring noodles!) 🌮 Honey Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos with roasted potato wedges and crunchy ranch salad (a #vegetarian delight!)
  • We believe that food should never go to waste. That's why we donate leftover food to partners like @abbotsfordfoodbank and @2ndharvestto! 
#earthday #earthday2018 #zerowaste
  • HAPPY FRIDAY!  If you missed yesterday's video, the BIG reveal is that we're partnering with @masterchefcda and for the first time ever, Canadians can order exclusive recipes inspired by @masterchefcda winners!

BIG PRIZING!  Every time you order a @masterchefcda inspired dish you’ll be entered to WIN a year of Chefs Plate!

WATCH for the big winner reveal on the show, Tuesday, April 24 9/8 mt on CTV!

#masterchefsplate #masterchefcanada #cpchef #foodinspo #recipes
  • BIG NEWS! We’re excited to be the official meal kit of @masterchefcda! For the first time ever, you can order exclusive recipes inspired by @masterchefcda winners!

WATCH US on @masterchefcda on Tuesday April 24 9/8 mt on CTV.

STAY TUNED for more exciting news on this partnership!

#masterchefsplate #masterchefcanada
  • Spiced Fish Tacos and Lime Guacamole 🌮 This popular Mexican street food is now a North American phenomenon - for good reason! Our fresh and flavourful take layers smoky seared fish with a crunchy napa slaw, garnished with guacamole, green onions and pepitas, for maximum flavour per mouthful!

#streetfood #tacos #cpchef #mexicanfood #dairyfree

See more from @chefsplate

Categories

  • Behind the Scenes
  • Cooking School
  • Culture Night
  • Family Time
  • Holiday Fun
  • Inside Scoop
  • Ottawa
  • Recipes
  • Staff Pick
  • Test Kitchen
  • Tips & Tricks

Recent Posts

  • Staff Pick: Daniel Dundas
  • Staff Pick: Kent Deabreu
  • Staff Pick: Meredith Youngson
  • Staff Pick: Keenan Randall
  • Staff Pick: Hae-Ri Lee
Terms of Use  |  Privacy Policy
© Copyright 2015 Chef's Plate Inc.

Copyright © 2018 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress