Health & Wellness: Set your kitchen up for success!

If you set yourself up for success, anything is possible.

-unknown

Wouldn't it be nice if you didn't have to be so (quite so) mindful when enjoying a nice meal?

Wouldn't it be nice if you could just fill your plate, sit down at the table, talk with your family and not count every calorie, analyze every morsel, breakdown every nutritional bit?

Truth is, we need to be mindful. (Drat!) If you don't know what is going into your body, you can't make the necessary adjustments when needed. Understanding food, and your relationship with it, requires the ability to be self-reflective, analytical and willing to educate yourself on the facts; this is incredibly important.

Truth is, to live every meal with that analytical take is... exhausting. There needs to be a balance. 

Without getting into an extensive nutritional breakdown (you can check out the blog of Registered Dietitian, Kirsten Oilund, for an in depth look into nutrition), let's talk about some things you can implement in your kitchen that will allow you to healthily eat, drink, and be merry, minus the headache-today!

Photo Credit: Hieu Lu

• CREATE a safe space! Try to avoid bringing in any of the guilty pleasures that you know are going to result in a guilty-binge. Craving something? Go out and get it. Make it a treat, something special, that just doesn't mindlessly appear out of the kitchen cupboards.
• LOSE the oversize plates! Research has shown that by dropping just 2" off the plate size can result in 22% less calories(1) It all comes down to what you are seeing on the plate...if you see a full plate, you are more likely to feel full once finishing it off. This includes bowls & mugs. 
• PROVIDE access, as often as possible! Cut up a plate or container full of veggies and have them accessible (front of the fridge, kitchen counter or at your work space) and ready to eat so that when hunger strikes, you've got it covered. 
• GET the good stuff! Keep your favorite, healthy, foods handy and accessible. Don't bother packing that fridge full of food you don't intend on (seriously) eating...what a waste! Instead, pack it with some of your favorites. As you get used to eating healthier foods you can slowly add in/experiment with fruits and veggies that aren't typically first on your mind when you think of "yummy food". 
• PORTION control it, as you cook! Hate leftovers? Then don't make more than you are going to reasonably eat. Love leftovers? Fill those containers up as you are serving up your dinner plates. This way you can ensure you have just enough for dinner, and enough for the next meal. 
• PLAN it out! Create a meal plan for a few days to a week ahead of time and shop to ensure that you have the appropriate ingredients on hand. (Make sure that when you are planning you keep it mind the longevity of your ingredients.) 
• KEEP hydrated! Make sure that you are sipping on water or tea throughout the day to maintain hydration. 
• REMOVE distractions! Sit down and savor the flavors (and enjoy your company). Research has shown that eating while distracted can lead to weight gain (2). 
• HALF your plate, that's for the veggies! When serving your dish up, try and stick to half a plate of veggies, half for "everything else" (fats, carbohydrates* & proteins). 
• I also like to think of the hand rule: a palm of protein, a fist for veggies, a cupped hand for (complex) carbs and your thumb for healthy fats. You don't have to carry extra containers as your hands go with you everywhere...use them as a tool to eyeball the appropriate amounts of food intake. Of course, remember that a handful of quinoa vs a handful of macaroni noodles, for example, is going to look differently when nutritionally broken down. This is just a helpful guideline to help manage excessive eating without getting too technical. 
• PLAY with seasoning! Flavor is key. You can take a simple 'boring' dish and create some magic with the use of herbs & spices (less salt). Play around with combinations of flavors, really savor them as you enjoy your favorite dishes. 
• STILL HUNGRY??? Eat some veggies first...slowly...give your brain time to decide how hungry it actually is. 
• CLEAN it up, clean it out! Minimalism is all about creating a space and place to do and have more of what you want in life, and less of what you don't...keep the appliances and tools that will help you eat healthy and lose the rest. Lose the duplicates. Lose the headache. Want to eat healthily? Create a healthy kitchen! You are more likely to go into your kitchen and cook if you can work, maneuver, find tools, and easily clean the space. (Having that blender that you thought you might use to make smoothies (surprise, turns out you hate the texture), but instead takes up space in the back of the cupboard, only adds guilt on your psyche and makes it difficult for you to want to pull out the food processor that you (may) use far more often!)

Your home is your safe space. Your haven. Your sanctuary. (At least it SHOULD be.)

When you walk into your kitchen right now are you overwhelmed? Inspired? Do you feel anxiety ridden? Do you feel confident? Supported? 

Your home is either set up to help or hinder the goals you have for yourself and your family...what is your kitchen doing for you right now?

Isn't it time to just enjoy a meal, without all the drama?!?

* Vegetables are carbohydrates. Because they are so good for you, and most of us don't get enough, I include them as their own entity! 

(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smaller_Plate_Study

(2) http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/distracted-eating-may-add-to-weight-gain-201303296037