Designing Spaces That Support Healthy Eating
Did you know the environment you cook in heavily affects your eating habits? Kitchens are often underestimated, merely taken as a place for cooking.
However, they’re a powerful tool for establishing healthier living. If you’re ready to achieve your goal of clean and nutritious eating habits, keep reading and find out the tips I’ve created to help you out.
Maximize Natural Light
The benefits of natural light are never-ending and we often neglect it the most in kitchens. To make your kitchen a place of wellness and aid us in our well-being, natural lighting will play a great role.
Large pane windows that allow natural light to stream in are a great addition to your kitchens. You can also consider installing skylights to flood the space with natural light.
Water Filter
A high-quality water filtration system is essential for a healthy body and mind. Water filters tend to remove contaminants such as chlorine, bacteria, and heavy metals.
You can also opt for a separate water faucet, keeping the other basin for cleaning purposes only. A water filter system installed under the sink is a great alternative to packaged plastic bottles.
Functional Cooking Zones
Distinct work zones for cutting, prepping, cooking, and washing in the kitchen play a great role in streamlining the entire process. If you’re someone who struggles with maintaining a healthy diet throughout the week, having multiple zones will help.
How? Well, with different zones at hand, you can easily prep for the upcoming week without creating a mess, encouraging you to implement this cooking strategy often.
Compost System
When talking about wellness, we sometimes ignore the elephant in the room, that’s all the mess we leave behind during cooking dinner or lunch. When waste materials are not disposed of efficiently, not only will it lead to a dirty environment but also have a direct impact on your health.
Invest in compost bins and place them in accessible areas. Another great trick in the book is to set up a separate compost bin for organic waste such as vegetable scraps, egg shells, and coffee grounds.
Some of these organic materials can be used in gardening.
Plants and Herbs
Similar to natural light, plants also liven up a space immediately. And to upscale things, go for a small indoor herb garden right in your kitchen.
Fresh herbs like cilantro, basil, and parsley will not only add flavor to your dishes but these fill the kitchen with a mouth-watering aroma providing an instant sensory boost.
Efficient Layout
Set up your kitchen with an efficient layout that promotes healthy eating habits. Go for a design that provides you with ample space and enough range to move from the sink to the oven with ease.
A casual dining option coupled with a breakfast nearby helps foster interaction and makes different zones accessible.
Healthy Smart Appliances
The market is full of energy-efficient kitchen appliances that keep your health requirements at the forefront. The tools that we use in our kitchen will ultimately determine our everyday eating habits.
Blenders with advanced features make it easier for you to create nutritious soups and smoothies while steam ovens are great for retaining the freshness and nutritional value of your cooking.
Fridge and Pantry Organization
For a healthier lifestyle, do a fridge and pantry cleanout. Once that’s done, improve your storage system by storing your food in airtight containers to maintain the freshness of produce, leftovers, and other food that’s easily perishable.
Smart pantry organization involves the use of stackable bins, shelf-organizers, and lazy susans. Group similar food items together, so, for instance, keep all the grains in one place, and pasta in another, with a separate corner for the baking items.
Easy-to-Clean Surfaces
For a hygienic and low-maintenance environment, you need to opt for surfaces that are easy to clean. Examples include quartz, stainless steel, etc.
Both these materials are known to be non-porous which means they resist stains and don’t hold on to germs and bacteria. Stainless steel comes with anti-microbial properties that actively fight against the growth of bacteria.
Healthy Cooking Tools
Sometimes it’s not the food we’re eating that’s causing problems, it’s the tools we’re using to stir and bake that are at fault. Non-stick pans require less oil reducing your fat intake.
Ditch the plastic cutting boards and opt for bamboo materials that are resistant to bacteria and easy to sanitize. These high-quality materials not only play a functional role but also help in setting up a sophisticated and luxurious look.
Comfortable Seating
If you don’t invest in comfortable seating for your kitchen, you won’t enjoy eating the food, no matter how yummy it is. Comfortable seating encourages active and enjoyable social experiences.
Bar seating around the island or counter area can become your kid’s favorite place to munch on the fruits you cut up for them while catching up on their daily activities.
Color Scheme
Colors play a great role in determining our mood and if you want to use colors strategically, it should be in your kitchen space. Calming blues set up a serene environment and help reduce stress.
Such a color element can be helpful for those who suffer from binge eating due to stress. Green on the other hand is a perfect choice for a place that prepares nutritious meals.
Personalized Touches
For your kitchen to be a place of relaxation where you feel at home, it should hold items that are unique and personal to you. Cookbooks that showcase cherished family traditions with hints of culinary heritage should be placed in your kitchen.
Customized kitchen towels with your initials and uplifting quotes that encourage healthy and wellness-centered eating are great additions.
Air Circulation
With all the cooking, frying, and baking your kitchen is bound to turn stuffy. Therefore, you need to focus on creating a space that has clean and fresh air all the time.
An efficient range hood is great for venting out cooking odors, smoke, and any excess heat that disrupts the proper circulation of air. Take a look at this article on Best Makeover Tips for Fresh and Airy Kitchen for inspiration.
Child-Friendly Features
If you want to foster healthy eating habits among your children, turn your kitchen into a healthy and inviting place for them. Rounded-counter top edges, child-proof drawers, and lower countertops are thoughtful additions.
Children are curious creatures and they want to touch everything. So make sure, while things are accessible to them, hazardous tools are stored far away from their curious little hands.
For inspiration, you can check out these Kid-Friendly Kitchen Makeover ideas.