It all starts in the kitchen. Eating healthy is good not only for our body, but our mind as well. We may know this, but if you grew up on boxed meals and canned soup like I did, you may be completely overwhelmed at the thought of actually cooking real food.
Before we even get into cooking techniques or recipes, lets start with the foundation of being able to create healthy meals at home… a well organized kitchen. Yup, your kitchen. There are a handful of things that you will need to set you up for success and make it easy for you to keep up with your new healthy habit. Let’s break it down.
A clear work space
If you have counters overflowing with ‘things’ there will be no space to stop and whip up a quick meal. Keeping your space clear not only keeps your workspace open, it also will help to calm your mind while you are in there. Physical clutter adds to mental clutter.
Here’s what I like to keep out on the counter:
- the tools I use at least once a day like my Vita mix, electric tea kettle, coffee grinder…
- bowls for fruit
- a caddy for cooking utensils and knifes
- a bin for compostable items
Everything else has a home in cupboards or drawers.
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Quality Tools
You may be starting out with some cookware that leaves much to be desired. That’s okay, but you do want to start building your collection of good quality cookware. If you can splurge and do it all at once, go for it, otherwise just add them in as you can. Here are my favorite kitchen ‘tools’ that will seriously make a difference in how you cook.
All Clad Pots and pans. These are a bit pricey, but soooo worth it! Start with the basics and build up your collection. I have a set like this, and use them all almost daily. I love how with a little bit of oil, nothing sticks to these. Which reminds me, it you are currently using pans with a non-stick coating, switching them out sooner than later is a good idea, and if any are scratched, toss them now! The chemicals used in the coating are not good for you at all, and can leach into your food as you cook! So really, you’re not splurging, you are investing in your health! There are of course other quality stainless steel pots and pans out there, All Clad are just my favorites.
Cast Iron. There is just something about cooking in cast iron, it can really make a dish sometimes. Lodge is a good reasonably prices brand that can be found in many locations. I really like to pick up vintage cast iron at yard sales and secondhand stores. You can get an amazing deal this way, and the quality of older pieces is amazing!
Glass or Ceramic baking dishes. I love Pyrex for this one, especially the cute vintage ones! Corningware and Le Crueset are also good brands.
Wooden or metal cooking utensils. Getting rid of all those old plastic utensils will make you feel so good. Plus they look a lot prettier and of course work so much better.
Sharp Knifes. This is huge! We have a set of these knifes and also some like this. Keeping them sharp is key, so do it yourself with the sharpening wand that comes with your knife set, something like this, or take them to a local knife sharpener regularly.
Vita Mix. This is something I use every single day. I start my day with a smoothie and then will use it for sauces, soups, blending bulletproof coffee… It’s an essential in our house and often times even comes with us when we travel. There are a few different models, I’m sure they are all great, I have this Vita Mix and it does everything I need it to. I also purchased a separate stainless steel pitcher for blending hot things like coffee and soup.
Food Storage
Now that you will be cooking more, you will likely be storing more prepared food as well. Glass is the way to go for food storage! I love these Pyrex storage containers, and I use Mason jars for just about everything. I love how versatile and affordable they are. And, you always know the lid will fit, because they are all the same!
There are some great stainless steel containers out there too, but I really like being able to see my food, so I prefer glass. There are some amazing stainless lunch boxes that are great for packing food to go, because sometimes glass just isn’t practical (I doubt you want to send your 6 year old to school with a glass bowl)
Spices
I’m not going to dive into food choices here, but I do want to touch on this real quick. There are a handful of spices I always have on hand, and others I buy only when I need them. I like to buy my spices from the bulk department at my grocery store, and I only buy what I will use in the next month or so. Spices will keep for quite a while, but they are much better if they are fresh! So, don’t stock up on a years supply of anything, buy just what you need, especially if it’s something you only use once a year.
Here are my must have spices to have on hand (I’ll keep it simple)
- Sea Salt (pink Himalayan is my favorite)
- Peppercorns in a grinder
- Garlic (fresh is best)
- Cumin
- Smoked Paprika
- Oregano
- Cinnamon
A few others I usually have on hand are
- Thyme
- Basil
- Parsley
- Chili powder
- Chipotle powder
- Curry powder
If you do not have a store with a bulk spice section, look for organic spices in the regular spice section. They are becoming much more common in stores now.
That’s it! Those are the bones you need for a healthy kitchen. Of course there are things that you could add in to make things a bit easier, like a food processor, mandolin, spiralizer, and all kinds of fancy tools, but theses are the basics and what you need to get by.
Have questions about any particular product or need a solution for something I didn’t mention? Leave a comment below.
