As you may have heard me say many times, improving your health and losing weight is not JUST about how much you eat; it’s also about how/when you eat, the quality of your foods and your ability to digest them well,and the environment in which you live.
To really jumpstart your journey to better health and weight loss, it helps to optimize your home, in particular, your kitchen.
Taking just a few simple action steps to better organize your kitchen can really make a world of a difference! So today i’m sharing some of my best tips to help you out. Start with one or two, and gradually work your way to implementing all of them!
Organize your refrigerator.
- Keep healthier items at first sight, and hide the tempting things in the back where they’re less visible, including your kids’ treats and/or your trigger foods (for me it’s the nuts and nut butters, which as soon as I see them, I feel I need a handful/spoonful)
- Minimize plastic. Store as much as you can in glass mason jars and Tupperware. Label as needed. See HERE for more tips on avoiding plastic / BPAs and other potentially harmful chemicals in your kitchen.
I like to store my washed veggies in organic cloth and mesh bags (and even label them with a piece of paper and tape), and then store all my nuts/seeds/superfoods in glass mason jars.
2. ALWAYS KEEP YOUR FRIDGE PACKED WITH FRESH ORGANIC VEGGIES and fruits!
Veggies never go to waste, because as soon as you find them starting to wilt, you can chop and freeze and use to make soup later on (or make soup right away before even freezing). Even lettuce can be used in a soup, just make sure you catch it BEFORE it goes bad. Some of my favorite tips include:
*Always have at least 2-3 green vegetables in your fridge.
These can be: lettuce (any/all varieties, preferable organic), kale, spinach, bok choy, swiss/rainbow chard or collard greens, green beans, cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, zucchini, cucumber, asparagus,…
And always keep fresh herbs such as parsley, cilantro, basil.
TIP: If you have leftover greens that are starting to wilt, make a batch of green soup asap. Sauté some onion/garlic, throw in the greens and water/broth, salt & pepper, and blend with a cup of cashews to add creaminess (or coconut milk) and voila a delicious soup you can freeze. Have extra basil? Add to your food processor with olive oil, place in a cube tray and freeze, then store you basil cubes in a freezer zip lock for later use (for pesto or to add flavor to almost anything). Have leftover parsley and cilantro, make a quick “chimichurri” and and drizzle on your foods that week. You can also freeze them like other greens and then add to soups and stews.
*Color the Rainbow: Stock up on a variety of veggies of all colors
Aim to have at least 2 other colored veggies on top of the green ones. Keep some veggies in the fridge and some in freezer, but if you’re not going to use something after two days, clean it and freeze it (either raw or cooked, your choice)Options include:
Purple: purple cabbage, eggplant
Red: red bell peppers, beets
Orange, butternut squash, orange sweet potatoes/yams, carrots
Yellow: summer yellow squash and other squash varieties like spaghetti squash, yellow bell pepper
White: cauliflower, parsnips, celery root, some radishes like daikon radish
* Don’t forget your FRUIT.
Always keep at least 2 different fruits in your fridge and/or freezer (as well as countertop; see tip 7). I personally love all varieties of berries, and then try to also eat in-season local fruits.
3. Stock up on organic spices and keep them organized and visible.
Keep your spices somewhere very accessible, ideally where you see them daily, and aim to use them all within a year. If it’s been a year, toss them and buy new. Aim to buy organic and those that you don’t have as often, buy them in smaller portions. Adding spices/herbs to all of your meals is a great way to add nutritional power to your meals and add a ton of (healthy) flavor, making that extra salt less necessary.
4. Do meal prep with healthy basics. I suggest once (or twice) a week.
Cook a bath of a gluten-free grain (quinoa, brown or wild rice, amaranth or millet, etc) and/or a batch of pulses/legumes (lentils, chickpeas, black beans) or just keep some bpa-free cans on hand. Note: if you eat little grains, do this every other week and don’t make so much. *optional to omit if you don’t eat any grains, and just meal prep with veggies
Roast a big batch of mixed vegetables; I like to fill 2-3 trays of veggies at a time, and mix up colors/flavors. Ex I may do a combo of a few of the following: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots or sweet potatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, peppers, red onion, brussels sprouts, etc.
Prepare portion controlled snacks, sweet and savory, ex:
Raw energy balls (combining for example dates, oats, nut butter, nuts and seeds of choice)
Kale and beet chips
5. Keep filtered water – in plain view.
Get a large water filter – try a ceramic filter or Aquasana pitcher or charcoal filter.
Also try experimenting with water pitchers of “naturally flavored” water, example adding one day slices of cucumber and lemon slices to the water, maybe try adding fresh mint, even rosemary.
6. Have at least 1 - 2 set(s) of measuring cups and spoons so that you’re more conscious when cooking and when serving yourself.
I’m not a believer in calorie counting but measuring out certain ingredients definitely helps. And they’re necessary when you start cooking more, which is a MUST if you’re prioritizing your health. Even with snacks, I find them useful. Measuring 2 tablespoons of nuts and seeds for example is eye-opening because we often times think we’re consuming less than we really are (or more).
7. Have fruit in a pretty bowl on your countertop.
That way, when you go into the kitchen for a snack, the first thing you see is your fruit bowl - and trust me, you’re much more likely to grab a fruit when its in sight.
8. Keep your chocolate and cookies (even the “healthier” ones) out of sight.
Keep them on a top drawer where you don’t easily reach/see them. This is good for the kids, too! Or keep your biggest weaknesses (that you know you can’t resist) out of the house all together. And make it a – conscious - trip to the ice cream shop or bakery once in a while when you want to treat yourself.
9. Freeze healthy food.
Keep an “emergency stash” of cooked veggies, soup, veggie burgers, and more.
I like to make homemade versions of vegan burgers and freeze them in glass tupperware or these awesome reusable silicone ziplocks or tupperware. Note: separate your “burgers” with a slice of parchment paper helps so when it’s time to defreeze you can just remove one (or just the amount you will heat up that moment). Even quinoa/brown rice are “freezable” though I find their consistency won’t be the same after, but still, it works!
10. Keep your pantry stocked with HEALTHY STAPLES.
Here are some on my list (and check out my Clean Eating Shopping List article):
Non dairy milk and yogurt. I always have homemade almond milk and/or cashew milk and canned coconut milk on hand, as well as my coconut yogurt. When I have access to it, I’m also a fan of oat milk (love oatly) and hemp milk (I’ve tried making my own but they just don’t taste as good as store-bought (yet!).
Healthy cooking oils. Note: we now know that common vegetable oils like soybean and corn are not only highly processed, they’re also full of inflammatory omega-6 fats that can trigger inflammation and all its resulting health issues. My favorites options of healthy oils include:
Extra virgin olive oil (cold pressed) – I like to have a few. A larger sized more mild one less pricey for everyday cooking and one or two stronger flavored very high quality olive oils for drizzling over foods *best when used raw or for low temperature cooking
Avocado oil (100% pure, organic or at least non-GMO) *best option for high-heat roasting / broiling or even light frying
Coconut oil (opt for organic, virgin or extra virgin) *great for sautéing and roasting
Ghee *also great for sautéing and roasting
Other amazing healthy options for occasional use include Walnut oil and Macadamia nut oil *best used raw for drizzling not cooking
Nut and Seed butters. Tip: when possible, choose almond butter and/or other nut/seed butters over Peanut Butter because 1) peanuts are legumes not nuts, and don’t contain all the wonderful omega-3 fatty acids found in tree nuts and most seeds; 2) they contain a byproduct of mold that is linked to health problems. A little peanut butter is usually fine, but I suggest upgrading when possible. My favorites include:
Almond butter
Cashew butter
Sunflower seed butter
Pumpkin seed butter
Mixed nut and seed butters (I love Nutzo)
Naturally gluten free grains, legumes and other dry staples. My favorites include:
Buckwheat (groats, as well as buckwheat pasta and flour)
Quinoa (I like red variety or mixed red/white)
Brown rice, black rice and wild rice
Millet
Amaranth
Black beans
Chickpeas
Lentils (all varieties, my new favorite is black lentils)
Mung beans and/or split mung beans
Black bean pasta, Lentil pasta, Chickpea Pasta and Brown rice/quinoa pasta Corn, Brown rice or Coconut flour tortillas
Gluten-free Seed bread or Sprouted Grain Ezekiel bread
Oats (I choose organic rolled oats or steel-cut)
*all of these are optional, skip if you live a grain-free legume-free keto lifestyle, but for most of us, having some of these on hand helps a lot to whip up a healthy macro bowl for lunch or dinner
Healthy Sweetener Options
Healthy tip: we all know that sugar is addictive and can risk putting our well-being at risk (and can easily trigger weight gain, gut issues, inflammation, and more serious conditions such as diabetes and more). That being said, I believe that a little bit of sugar is ok, as long as you’re sticking to the “smarter” options. There’s nothing wrong with wanting a little bit of sweetness as it makes many recipes so much more delicious, just try to choose the healthier options and keep them FAR AWAY AND OUT OF SIGHT, only for occasional recipes and consumed in small amounts. My favorite options include:
Stevia (100% pure organic stevia extract, not the little packets that come with many other ingredients)
Monk Fruit
Raw Honey
Maple Syrup (always organic and 100% pure)
Coconut Sugar and Coconut Nectar (organic)
Keep “clean” protein on hand always. You can always keep in your freezer to ensure they last longer.
Health tip: protein that is exposed to pesticides, hormones and antibiotics, and that is fed GMO-grains, can be more harmful than helpful to your health. So choose wisely. If you don’t have access to organic chicken or grass-fed beef, then eat them very moderately (or avoid)
My favorites include:
Local fish (wild-caught not farm raised)
Salmon (wild caught)
Ground turkey
Chicken (pasture-raised and organic where possible)
Organic Eggs
Organic Tempeh and Tofu
Veggie burgers (always choose those made with organic ingredients, naturally gluten-free and ideally soy free). Note: I only suggest soy in small amounts and always organic, but only as tempeh, tofu or edamame, NOT as an added ingredient in packaged foods. And for some people, its best to avoid soy all together.
Grass-fed beef (in small amounts) – both steak fillets and ground, grass-fed lean pork loin and lamb
See attached my healthy Grocery Shopping List as a FREE DOWNLOAD.
Update! One more thing I would add (#11) is to choose healthier cookware, getting rid of Teflon and using nontoxic pots, pans and bakeware. HERE are great options.
Try applying these tips and you’ll see how much easier it is to reach and sustain your health goals. For more personalized support, reach out to me HERE.
Love and Healthy Kitchens,
Mariana