Cleaning the kitchen is an endless chore. No matter how diligent we are about it, it never seems totally clean. The bigger your family, the more food and traffic is involved. The sink, counters, floors, appliances, and cabinets take a beating.

Here’s one simple way to keep your kitchen cleaner: Don’t eat anything that makes crumbs. Much of the mess in the kitchen – or elsewhere if you or family members eat beyond the kitchen – is caused by food that makes crumbs. Coincidentally, almost all food that makes crumbs is stuff low in nutritional value.

Name anything that makes crumbs – bread, most cereals, chips, cookies, cake, pie, crackers, donuts, pretzels, and almost anything that comes in a box or airtight bag – and you’ll find something that is dirtying your home, attracting pests, and making you fat. All of this food should be eliminated to live lean.

This is not to say that vegetables, fruit, and lean proteins aren’t messy. The difference is we tend to notice the mess from slicing these food sources and clean it up immediately. Plus, there tends to be less mess with these whole foods. Crumbs tend to go unnoticed.

This also is true of drinks. You can spill water pretty much anywhere in your home and not do damage. But spill a soft drink, milk, coffee, or alcohol (especially red wine, as we’ve learned!) and you’ve got a sticky mess – and possibly some permanently damaged upholstery or carpeting.

By eliminating stuff that makes crumbs, you’ll also clear out lots of space in the refrigerator and pantry. In fact, you might no longer need a pantry. Food that makes crumbs is produced to last for months, even years, on supermarket shelves – and in your pantry. It’s a natural attraction for bugs and rodents. So, too are crumbs in the home.

The key to eating lean, saving money and time while maintaining a lean physique, is eating fewer foods. The easiest way to cut back is eliminating the ones that make crumbs. Clean the diet and your home naturally will stay cleaner and you’ll spend no time dealing with crumbs.