Healthy and convenient refrigerator makeover

When your  fridge is packed with delicious, convenient, healthy foods, eating the better is a snap. To get there, do this pantry makeover project. Here's how to get started.

The day before trash pickup, so discarded food won't sit around, release unpleasant odors, attract pests, or go bad.

• A sturdy step-stool, so you can safely access high cupboards and hard-to-reach spots at the backs of shelves.
• Trash bags.
• Zipper-seal bags to contain messy items you're keeping — or tossing.
• Cleaning supplies for pantry and refrigerator shelves.

• Two to 10 hours, depending on the size of your kitchen.
• You can break the job into small, manageable chunks if it seems too big to tackle all at once.

• Clear off your kitchen table and countertops so you have room to temporarily place items.
• Designate one area for foods you'll keep and one for items you'll discard.
• If you can't bear to toss food that's still edible, take unopened treats to a social event or donate it to a local food pantry.
• Consider designating one shelf for items you'll use up and not buy again.

There are more convent health choices for your shelve than you think. Start with these:

• Low-fat or fat-free milk, half-and-half, cheese, yogurt, cream cheese and cottage cheese
• Low-fat canola-oil mayo
• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs, turkey breast, ground skinless chicken or lean beef
• Eggs high in omega-3 fatty acids
• Jars of chopped garlic
• 100 percent orange juice, Concord grape juice or pomegranate juice
• Seasonal fruits such as berries, cherries, oranges, tangerines, peaches, grapefruit, grapes, kiwifruit, plums, peaches and watermelon or other melons
• Seasonal vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, cucumbers, romaine lettuce, mushrooms, radishes, snow peas, sugar snap peas, cabbage, carrots, green beans, asparagus or tomatoes
• "Convenience" fruits and veggies: Presliced carrots, pineapple or salad bar fruit; shredded cabbage; prechopped broccoli and/or cauliflower florets; red and green bell pepper slices from the salad bar; boxes of cherry tomatoes; single-serving bags of baby carrots; prewashed salad greens; precut green beans
• Single-meal portions of boneless, skinless chicken or turkey; lean beef; ground skinless chicken or turkey; frozen fish (plain — not breaded or in sauce), shrimp or lobster
• Bags of frozen unsweetened fruits such as blueberries, cherries, peaches, raspberries or strawberries
• Bags of plain frozen vegetables such as spinach, edamame (green soybeans), corn, green beans, peas or mixed vegetables
• Healthy frozen dinners for occasional quick meals — look for brands with less than 400 calories, no trans fats, and less than 25 percent of the recommended daily intake of saturated fat and/or sodium.
• Low-sugar fruit sorbets and pops — look for brands with just four to eight grams of sugar per serving

These refrigerator and freezer items belong in the discard pile — or can be used up and replaced with healthier choices.

• Soda, fruit punch, sweetened commercial tea and other sugar-laden drinks
• Full-fat milk, cream, half-and-half, cheese, cream cheese, cottage cheese and yogurt
• High-sodium processed cheese spreads and slices and processed meats
• Margarine with trans fats
• Full-fat mayo
• High-sodium condiments
• Fatty ground beef, cuts of beef with visible streaks or margins of fat, pork (even "lean" pork has more fat than chicken), bacon and sausage
• Full-fat and premium ice cream as well as high-sugar sorbet and fruit pops
• Frozen dinners and side dishes that contain trans fats or more than 25 percent of the recommended daily intake of saturated fat and/or sodium.

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