A physical education teacher from the Gold Coast has revealed why the secret to lasting weight loss and a good food routine is having an organised pantry – and how changing hers has completely transformed her health.
Mother-of-two Belinda Norton, 43, said you might think having an organised fridge and pantry is ‘an OCD thing’, but in fact it’s ‘the key to family nutrition and overall health’.
‘Our pantry is opened up to 50 times daily,’ Belinda posted on her Instagram page.
‘Your eyes and stomach are affected from this action – just like an advertisement.’
A physical education teacher from the Gold Coast has revealed why the secret to lasting weight loss and a good food routine is having an organised pantry (Belinda Norton pictured at home)
Mum-of-two Belinda Norton said you might think having an organised pantry is ‘an OCD thing’, but in fact it’s ‘the key to family nutrition and overall health’ (Belinda’s pantry pictured)
Belinda said that she has recently created the pantry space she had ‘always dreamed of’.
‘It’s not huge, but it’s superior in function – a bit like everything I try to do in life,’ she said.
‘This is not an OCD thing – the benefits of the time taken to improve your food organisation – impact OUR health faster and more dramatically than any other routine or diet,’ she added.
The 43-year-old (pictured) said keeping things she uses regularly at eye height means she’s not tempted to reach for items that are less healthy
Belinda (day on a plate pictured) said she keeps things like nuts, chia seeds and spices at eye level in the pantry so that they are ready to sprinkle on her meals
Belinda has organised her pantry so that she has the items she accesses the most frequently – like nuts, chia seeds and spices – at eye level, and then she keeps her grains, pulses and pasta just below.
‘The key to my pantry is keeping organic food staples at eye height,’ she told FEMAIL.
‘By opening all food storage spaces for healthy options it means you’re more likely to make good food choices.’
Belinda recommends buying decent glass storage containers, which will save you money in the long run and keep your food fresh.
Her pantry staples include sunflower and hemp seeds, rice bran syrup, almonds, peanut butter, cacao powder and coconut oil.
She then keeps her children’s foods at their eye height – meaning it’s easy for her two kids to grab a healthy snack without ‘feeling like they need mum or dad to get it’.
‘Clearing out your pantry does so much for your health and wealth,’ Belinda said.
‘It has completely stopped us from over-buying at the supermarket and so saves us money.
‘It also encourages better food choices and saves me time with my cooking in the kitchen.’
‘Clearing out your pantry does so much for your health and wealth,’ Belinda (pictured) said, adding that it has stopped her family from over-buying at the supermarket
Belinda is known for her health advice, and for adding healthy twists on classic dishes (pictured)
If you want to organise your own pantry at home, Belinda has a little advice:
‘Take some basic measurements of the pantry and then get your hands on some decent containers,’ she said.
‘All items I rarely used were placed on the top shelf to free up space for everyday items to be stored within easy reach.
To maximise storage, Belinda said she put all of the taller items together and then used wire baskets for any cans.
‘Removing shelves and adding stainless steel drawers added about 20 per cent more storage,’ she added.
To read more from Belinda Norton, you can visit her website here.