7 Upgrades to help your kitchen coach you!
To make healthy eating a natural part of your lifestyle you need to set your environment up for success. Whatever surrounds you impacts you physically, emotionally, and mentally in some way, shape, or form.
Your environment is a strong catalyst in who you spend your time with, how active you are, your social circles and relationships, and how you create healthy (or destructive) habits. The same can be said with your kitchen, pantry, and fridge.
So, why not have your environment do the hard work for you?
Here are some upgrades to instantly make your kitchen an environment that creates healthier behavior and causes less stress for you.
1. Keep your kitchen as clean, pleasant and as clutter-free as possible so you feel relaxed when you enter it. Stress. Equals. Cookie. Binges. Organize the pantry, fridge, and counters in an attractive and convenient way that works for you.
2. Have fresh, healthy whole foods prepared in plain sight. Fruits and veggies on the countertops and/or front n' center in your fridge; that’s a good start. Poor hemp seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, quinoa, and rice in mason jars on your countertop so that you are more likely to use when your cooking or making a smoothie.
3. Invest in kitchen tools and appliances that make cooking more convenient and enjoyable for you. A high speed blender, nice set of knives, a crock pot or Instant Pot, large and small nonstick, ceramic, stainless steel, or cast-iron sauté pans are all items that come to mind.
4. Upgrade your bowls and plates to smaller sizes, especially if you are trying to lose a couple inches or for those who struggle with overeating. Let's be serious, most of us will eat everything that is on our plate or what we're served.
5. Avoid having a TV in your kitchen! Ever start snacking while watching TV, and after a couple minutes find yourself staring at an empty bowl? Exactly.
6. Pump up the tunes! Try listening to some of your favorite music or an interesting podcast when you are in your kitchen or while cooking. I have plants, colorful cookbooks, and a bluetooth speaker for music that makes my kitchen a welcoming area that sparks enjoyment and creativity for me.
7. Make the fridge door a “vision board” with post-it notes reminding you of your goals or fill it with inspiring pictures or loved ones. That picture or note might just help you set a positive intention whenever you open the fridge.
When you set up your environment to work for you instead of against you, you will be making healthier decisions without even thinking about it. Instead of reacting to your environment which takes up a lot of mental energy, you will be on 'healthy auto-pilot' and have the headspace to think about more important tasks at hand that require your immediate attention like your family or relationships.
If you like this post you will love related posts that I have coming out soon for you like 'Kitchen Essentials', 'Stock Up: Pantry and Perishable Staples', and more!
Coach Cameron