How your kitchen can help you eat healthier
Swimsuit weather is coming! You’re working hard to slim down and tone up, and you’ve been doing a great job. But do you ever find yourself wandering into the kitchen, feeling slightly hungry for a snack — and leaving with three or four cookies from the cookie jar that were calling your name, or a bag of potato chips that were the easiest-to-grab item? We all fall victim to our kitchen at one time or another. But don’t worry! I’ve got some sure-fire ways to make sure your kitchen is on your side!
Behold, the fruit bowl!
Get rid of that cookie jar, and replace it with a fruit bowl. Keep it filled with a variety of colorful fruit. When we wander into the kitchen, we are most likely to grab what’s most visible. Decreasing the power of junk food by making sure your healthy snacks are the most visible foods. Keep those unhealthy snacks in the cupboard; or better yet, don’t buy them in the first place.
Give produce a front row seat.
How many times have you bought a bunch of fresh vegetables at the grocery store with the best of intentions, only to forget about them in the produce bin until you have to search for the source of that funky odor? When you get home from the store, wash and prep your produce. Chop up vegetables to be eaten as snacks, and make a big salad that you will eat throughout the week. Keep these foods on the shelves so you see them as soon as you open the refrigerator. Make the healthy choice the easy choice!
Pre-measure and pack your snacks.
Those 100-calorie snack packs sure are convenient, but they’re expensive! When you bring home foods you intend to be snacks, portion them all out, and put them in individual snack bags. Not sandwich bags. Don’t forget to look at the label so you know what an appropriate portion of that food is. Now when a snack attack hits, you’ll be ready to beat it at its own game!
Rethink your dinnerware.
Studies show over and over again that the larger your plates, bowls, and glasses, the more you are going to eat and drink. Instead of using that giant dinner plate, try eating from a salad plate. They are plenty large to accommodate appropriate serving sizes. Watch those wine glasses, too! A typical wine glass might hold 12 or more ounces of wine, but a serving size is just five ounces! Measure your foods until you get a good idea of what appropriate servings sizes look like.
Keep your kitchen clean and organized.
This may seem like a no-brainer. But if you come home from work and your kitchen in a mess, you will be more likely to just opt for take-out instead of wading through it to create a meal. Likewise, if you can never find the tool you need, you may become frustrated and give up. Make your cabinets and drawers work for you. Keep frequently used items, like measuring cups and spoons, cutting boards, mixing bowls, and knives at the ready so you don’t have to send out a search party every time you want to make dinner!
What are your favorite tips to help you stay on track?
