When you stock your kitchen with healthy and nutritious choices, you will be more inclined to make healthy choices consistently! So give your kitchen a makeover!
Where to Start:
Identify foods in your kitchen that support and don't support your goals. Identify foods that should stay, go and need modification.
Red Light Foods: Foods that can go:
Identify trigger foods, or any other type of unwanted foods.
Remove foods that don't support your goals and/or are expired.
Ask the following questions to help you make informed choices. If the answer is "yes", you may want to consider how frequently you incorporate those foods into your diet.
Does the food come in a bag, box or package?
Does it have more than a few ingredients on the label?
Is it hard to pronounce most of the ingredients?
Is the food product very far removed from what it started as? Example: Tomato sauce started as tomatoes. But what did Doritos start as? If you're not sure, decide if you want it in your kitchen.
Does the food have a long shelf-life? Many things that are good for you go bad quickly.
Yellow Light Foods: Foods you're unsure of or can be modified:
Is there a way to "upgrade" certain foods, such as making salad dressing from scratch instead of using store bought?
Do certain foods in small amounts make it easier to eat green light foods? Example: If a few croutons or a splash of store bought dressing make it easier to eat salad, keep it.
Green Light Foods: Foods You want to keep & add
Keep the foods already in your kitchen that support your goals, and stock any of these foods you're missing!
This is also an opportunity to buy kitchen gadgets that would be helpful such as knives, cutting boards, a slowcooker/Instant Pot, a blender, or food containers.
Having Trouble Identifying Trigger Foods?
If you need help identifying foods that should stay and go, use a food journal to help you see how your immediate environment shapes your eating habits.
Example: If you find yourself snacking on chips late in the evening, would it be easier to just remove them from your home?
Where Does Alcohol Fit In?
Keeping or removing alcohol from your home is your choice.
If you're hesitant to throw alcohol away, consider donating it to a friend!
Food Waste:
You'll most likely be getting rid of food in your kitchen. If you want to minimize food waste:
Take items you're removing to a food bank if possible.
Compost plant-based items.
If it's junk, it's not food. Toss it. No harm, no foul.
When You Share a Kitchen with Others Be collaborative! This is a great opportunity to:
Get kids involved in discussing healthy habits and to act as "kitchen helpers".
Get family/housemates on board with your goals
Find newer and healthier recipes to utilize
Check out these Recipes for simple & delicious ideas!
To help guide you we offer Nutrition coaching that starts with building sustainable habits then dials in your macros.