eating

Designing Kitchens for a Healthy Lifestyle

As we approach the second anniversary of Covid-19 entering our lives, it feels appropriate to reflect on how we can become the best, healthiest version of ourselves. Since the start of the pandemic, the focus on our wellness has been more prevalent than ever. Most of the general healthy living advice is simple: eat mostly whole & nutritious foods, exercise regularly, sleep well, and manage stress.

 

In recent years, Americans have stopped cooking at home and it is costing us. Obesity has been labeled an epidemic in the United States since the 1990’s. It is a multifaceted issue with many contributing factors, but the most important ones include lack of activity, a shift in dietary patterns (including larger portion sizes and unprecedented food marketing), and overall busier family lives than ever before. This combination of factors has made healthy, homemade meals feel out of reach for most families. To make matters worse, only 10% of American enjoy cooking!

 

Sometimes, the most daunting part of cooking a meal includes the preparation and cleanup. Luckily, there are many products available to simplify the process. The goal is to make your kitchen work for you, instead of fighting it! Here are a few examples of how you can accomplish just that:

 

●      Ensure your countertops stay free of clutter to allow you to start preparing food right away.

●      Keep spices close by! You can keep them organized in a drawer, a cabinet, or inside of a door to easily add flavor to every meal. Balanced, healthy meals do not have to be boring or bland!

●      Designate about an hour of your time for preparing produce once a week. This allows your family to have washed, sliced, and ready-to-eat snacks.

●      Put knives, utensils, and cutting boards in the same spot with this handy organizer.

●      Take another step out of the preparation process with this cutting board drawer. There is a stopper that can be removed to allow you to dispose of the produce scraps directly into the trash bin below.

●      Keep pots and pans organized so you can always access exactly what you need without needing to rearrange your entire cabinet.

●      Finally, restore some order to your kitchen by organizing your food storage containers! Having accessible bases and lids means no more rummaging around for a place to keep your leftovers.

 

These products will all help simplify the food preparation process, from start to finish. Some other helpful tips: maximize storage space and visibility with clear plastic containers in your refrigerator and pantry, plan out your weekly meals to simplify grocery shopping, and (most importantly) be realistic. If you eat out for most meals right now, then gradually scale that number back each week. Remember, perfect inconsistency is better than inconsistent perfection when it comes to living a healthier lifestyle. The foundation of these good habits begins in the kitchen.

 

What are your favorite tips for healthy eating? Do you have any must-have products for preparing meals at home?

Customizing Storage for Each Kitchen Work Zone

by Linda Fennessy of Kitchen Magic

A kitchen zone is mainly defined by the appliances that are dispersed in the space: the fridge, stove/oven and sink areas. Moreover, these three zones are what make up everything we do in the kitchen, whether it be cooking/baking, cleaning up, washing, or eating. Now that we got that out of the way, let’s segment the 3 zones of kitchen storage.   


The Fridge // Kitchen Zone 1

The refrigerator sees a lot of activity, becoming a prime zone for these 3 purposes:

  • Storing leftovers

  • Eating + snacking

  • Accessing food + ingredients for meal prep

+ Air tight leftovers keep food fresh for tomorrow’s school or work lunches. A storage container organizer will ease the pain or hunting down matching lids and containers.

+ Food storage wraps stored in an organized roll out keep them organized.

+ Placing glassware storage adjacent to the fridge will provide easy access to casserole dishes and lids custom made for leftovers, providing ease or reheating and serving leftovers. An accessible lazy susan puts these dishes at your finger tips.

Storing the staples used most near the fridge makes it easy to incorporate them as you get in and out of the fridge to prepare meals and snacks.


The Sink // Kitchen zone 2

The sink is a highly used zone, seeing the most traffic over other areas of the kitchen. An uncluttered kitchen is always a goal, but sinks should be the most uncluttered of all since its uses include soap detergents and food preparation. 

Discarding trash or recyclables can be a quick task when it’s adjacent to the sink. The best option is a pull-out version, integrated by matching cabinet doors.  

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+ Creating spaces for sponges, steel and other utensil cleaning items makes washing dishes and meal clean up a breeze. The Tip-Out Tray at your finger tips, keeps your countertops clean and clear.

+ Organized drawers dedicated to flatware, as well as cabinets designed to house dishware and cups, creating access between the dishwasher and everyday dishes will make putting away dishes less of a chore. The dish-peg drawer system keeps your dishes organized.


The stove // kitchen zone 3

Last but not least, the super busy range + oven area. If you have an open floor plan or a doorway from the kitchen to the dining room, it makes sense to locate the range/ovens nearby.

+ The Pot/Pan Organizer basically eliminates you having to crawl into the cabinet to find a pot. Imagine a world with no clanging pots at the start of dinner prep!

+ The Cloud allows for smooth flowing glide out feature for small appliances. Place warming appliances like Crockpots, mixers and blenders in the ‘cooking zone’ zone.

+ Stowing away ‘flat items’ like muffin trays can take up precious real estate. Having these items together on their sides can double your storage space. These tray dividers are designed to do just that.

Most kitchen consultants and designers will tell you, it’s not the space you have but how you use that space. Having quick access to your kitchen tools and storing them properly may make all the difference in how your perform in the kitchen.
— Linda Fennessy, Marketing Manager with Kitchen Magic.