A healthy kitchen is the first step to a healthy you! Are you trying to improve your health? Whether it’s losing weight, building muscle or being intentional with your food choices the kitchen is the first place you should start. There’s a saying that says “muscle is made in the gym but revealed in the kitchen”. Food is the pinnacle of our health and today I’m going to help you setup your kitchen so putting your health first is easy.
Why does my Health Journey Start In the Kitchen
The kitchen is the first place you should start on your journey to better health. If you can focus on cleaning up your diet you will likely see your medicine cabinet clear out. For reference I’m a 41 year old female with three kids. I eat a whole foods diet made up of mostly organic produce, lean proteins and very little processed foods. The only thing in my “medicine” cabinet is supplements and acetaminophen. This is not to brag or make you think I’m better, this is to show you what can happen if you are intentional about your food choices.
Cooking At home
It’s not easy or convenient but I make almost all of my meals at home. Why? Because even at health focused restaurants you still don’t know what kind of oils and extras are put into the food. Don’t get me wrong, I love going out to eat and I do! But those times are usually social or a date night. On most days you will find me in the kitchen cooking or baking something. If you work out of the home this can be a challenge but it’s not impossible especially if you setup a healthy kitchen! Prepping meals on Sundays and packing lunches in the evening are great ways to give back to your future self. At the end of the day it’s all about being intentional and planning.
healthy Kitchen cooking tools
Since I cook most of my meals at home I have a collection of tools that make it easier. This is one of my big tips, if you’re going to cook at home get the necessary tools! Here’s a list of tools I think everyone should have in their kitchen to help them with their health goals:
- Food Processor (nut butters, shredding veggies, blending mixes)
- Glass measuring cup
- Blender (smoothies, egg cups)
- Dutch Oven (breads, soups)
- Crockpot (soups, pulled chicken)
- Air Fryer
- Instant Pot (rice, hardboiled eggs)
- Green Nonstick Pans
- BPA Free Silicone Spatchulas
- Mixer (if you want to bake breads etc)
- Veggie Chopper
- Glass Storage Containers (jars and containers)
- Stainless Mixing Bowls
- Digital Food Scale
Shop my favorite kitchen items here.
Why Glass Storage is Good For Your Health
You’ll see I’ve mentioned glass storage containers. These will replace your old school tupperware and plastic containers. Plastic can leak chemicals into the food you’re storing, nuts and seeds go rancid in plastic and plastic absorbs the flavor of some foods leaving them with a scent. These are just a few reasons to switch to glass. But in my opinion the number one reason is to avoid chemicals leaking into your food, especially if you have children. These chemicals are carcinogenic and endocrine disruptors (ie can mess with your hormones, no thank you!).
If you don’t have the budget for a whole new set visit your local thrift store. I often find glass jars and containers there. I also save nice marinara jars for nut and seed storage.
How to setup your Healthy kitchen
Now that you know what to put in your kitchen let’s talk about how to set it up. Take it from me there is nothing more frustrating than trying to get a meal on the table and having to run all over the kitchen to find what you need. First, group like tools and ingredients together. For instance, I have a few drawers that are only for baking. The top drawer contains measuring cups, sourdough tools etc, the second drawer contains glass jars of flour, sugars, baking soda. Then the bottom drawer contains a basket with bags of different flours like oat, almond and extras. When I’m ready to bake I setup on the counter right next to those drawers!
You can take this tip and use it in the pantry as well. Group like items together for instance proteins like beans, then dried pastas, then maybe a lazy susan with your oils/vinegars and finally glass jars of nuts/seeds. If you start cooking and you feel like you’re running all around start making note and think through how you can move some things around.
What To Keep In Your Kitchen
Having a few staples in your kitchen will allow you to pull together a meal without having to run to the market. These are some of the things I always keep on hand and often buy in bulk at Costco. When I buy our meat and fish during the week I will use the following to pull meals together.
- Chicken or Vegetable Stock
- Tomato Sauce
- Diced Tomatos
- Tomato Paste
- Marinara Sauce
- Bread Flour
- Flour (almond, oat, gluten free)
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder
- Dried Rice
- Beans
- Canned Fish
- Canned Coconut Milk
- Dates, Coconut Sugar
- Dark Chocolate Chips
- Frozen Veggies (broccoli, corn, riced cauliflower)
- Frozen Fruit
- Dried GF Pasta (jovial is our favorite)
- Nut butters
- Nuts (almonds, walnuts)
- Seeds (chia, sunflower)
- Honey and Maple Syrup
The Healthy Kitchen Setup
The bottom line is if you want to change something about your health you’re going to have to change something about how you’re eating. Organizing your kitchen will be a huge help when you’re getting started. If you’re a beginner start slow and meal prep a breakfast that you can grab and go. I love this chia pudding for taking on the go, sometimes I’ll bring it for lunch to my kids sports games so I don’t eat from the snack stand! I also love to meal prep these cookie dough balls to have on hand when I get a craving for something sweet.
If you’re trying to jump start your new healthy life check out my Free 7 Day Gentle Detox Guide that has meal ideas for 7 days and a shopping list!
Happy Cooking!
-Amanda