Why Food Prep? The Key to Clean Eating

The key to a successful SCD and clean eating lifestyle is simply planning and preparation.

First: Yes, this is my actual refrigerator!

Second: Yes, it does look like this to some degree all the time. (This photo was taken right after we came back from vacation so what you are not seeing are my favortie glass containers with leftovers.)

If you are following the SCD diet or simply a squeaky-clean lifestyle, much of what you buy is fresh, whole foods from the produce aisle. All of these gorgeous fruits and veggies do no good, however, unless you make them accessible and appealing.

Sure, it takes a little extra time. But spending 45 minutes washing, chopping and packaging fresh produce right when I get home from the store makes the rest of the week SO much easier. If you have kiddos that follow this lifestyle, food prep is even more important. Kids snack a lot. Their friends snack a lot! They need food to toss into their lunchboxes quickly. Even if you are not following the SCD diet, food prep is equally, if not more important! When you make fresh, healthy snacks easy and available guess what?! You AND your kids will reach for a handful of juicy grapes instead of a bag of chips.

So, what is the best way to prep fruits and vegetables?

Here are some simple tips for the quickest preparation AND that will keep your produce fresher, longer.

Berries, grapes and other small individual fruits:
- Soak the fruit in a bowl full of fresh water for 5 minutes. (Pick the grapes off the stem first.)
- Drain the fruit in a colander and rinse with running fresh water.
- Dry the fruit completely, by spreading on a clean towel. If you seal the fruit while it is still moist, it will get soggy and rot more quickly.
- Cut stems off strawberries and cut larger berries in halves or quarters for quick snacking.
- Place a paper towel in the bottom of the container with more delicate berries to soak up excess moisture.
- Seal in an airtight container.

Larger fruit like watermelon, canteloupe, mangos, etc:
- Wash the outside of the fruit. Do not skip this step. Even though you don’t eat the rind, there can be germs and dirt on the rind that will get onto your knife and into the flesh while cutting.
- Only cut half of the melon into chunks at a time. The second half, I cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Once cut into cubes, the melons should be eaten within 3 days. It will start to go bad after that.

Fresh leafy greens or fresh herbs on the stem (kale, parsley, cilantro, etc):
- Pull the greens/herbs off the stem and soak and rinse them in fresh water.
- Lay out the greens on a clean towel to dry completely.
- Store in a big ziplock or airtight container.

Crisp vegetables (carrots, celery, sugar snap peas, peppers, etc):
- Wash and cut these crispy veggies into the size and shape your family likes. And make sure you have yummy dips like this Red Lentil Hummus for quick snacking.
  - Peel and cut carrots into spears.
  - Cut celery into sticks.
  - Cut ends off sugar snap peas if desired.
  - Slice sweet peppers into spears.

Now that you’ve done the work, make sure all those colorful fruits and veggies can be seen. Put them in clear containers in the front of your fridge. (We use THESE clear glass containers daily.) Finally, step back and admire your fridge masterpiece. You did it! In less than an hour you have created days of healthy snacks that you and your body will enjoy!