Spring Cleaning: 5 Tips to Clean Up Your Diet this Season

“Spring Cleaning” is a phrase many of us are familiar with, and we often use the first warm days of the year to deep clean our houses, update our wardrobes for spring weather, or even reorganize various aspects of our lives. Why not also take this time  to reexamine the foods we eat and swap them out for healthier, more humane, and environmentally-friendly options? It’s easy, and we’ve got five simple steps to help you “spring clean” your diet.

1. Kick meat to the curb, especially the processed stuff: A new study shows that eating processed meats like hot dogs, salami, and bacon increases your risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and early death. Thankfully, it’s easy to get a healthier version of these foods. Just opt for the veggie dogs, fakin’ bacon, Tofurky deli slices, and other meatless meats instead.

2. Crack the cruelty with egg replacements: Behind the vast majority of every egg sold in grocery stores today is a hen so intensively confined inside a wire battery cage, she can hardly even move. But from breakfast to dessert, replacing eggs is as simple and delicious as using egg-free recipes. Or you can use an egg-replacer such as the Vegg or the new Hampton Creek Foods product, Beyond Eggs.

3. Moove the milk over. The dairy industry has consistently shown its lack of regard for animal welfare and the environment, but eschewing dairy is also better for our health. Check out this short video listing reasons to choose plant-based sources of calcium over milk.

4. Practice Meatless Mondays or Take a 7-Day VegPledge: Los Angeles and Baltimore City Public Schools are practicing Meatless Mondays, so why not you? You can also sign up to go 100% meat-free for 7 days as part of US VegWeek. You’ll get daily emails and a free Vegetarian Starter Guide to help you through your pledge.

5. Add some color to your diet: Choosing meat-, egg-, and dairy-free foods is a great way to get more variety in your diet. From manicotti to black bean burgers to acorn squash, check out TryVeg.com for recipes to try today.

So whether your fridge is going to get a deep cleaning or not, use these five tips to replace some of its contents. By doing so, you’ll make  a positive and lasting change for your health, the environment, and animals.