How to Organize Your Kitchen to Reclaim Your Health

You might not imagine the organizational state of your kitchen has anything to do with the sate of your health, but the two are inextricably connected! So, I want to share with you, from my own kitchen at Dream Acres, how to organize your kitchen to reclaim your health!

In my experience as a professional organizer, I have found that what is going on internally – whether it is health or spirit related – is manifested externally in our spaces. Therefore, a disordered kitchen can point to disordered internal health. Recently, on More Good Day Oregon, I shared a few tips on how to organize your kitchen to reclaim your health.

Make Eating Well Easy

On Your Counters

Keep frequently used appliances handy. One thing my family uses every day to stay healthy is our blender. Smoothies are an easy way to get in your daily quota of fruits and veggies and serves as a quick way to make breakfast or have a healthy afternoon snack. For my family, this means our blender sits out on the counter at all times. What appliances do you use to keep your family healthy? What appliances do you want to use to prepare healthier food? Keeping them readily available makes it easier, whether it’s a blender, a food processor, or a spiralizer.

Centralize vitamins and supplements. There’s a funny fact about medicines, vitamins, and supplements: they tend to nomadically travel throughout your home. Some live in the bathroom, some on your nightstand, some in your kitchen. Simplify your daily routine by locating all of your pills, powders, and liquids in one place. In my kitchen, they all live in a bin on my counter. This makes them easily accessible and easy to remember. Since 85% of us are visual, this is a big deal so they don’t become out-of-sight-out-of-mind.

Store fresh foods on your counter. The strategy of an organized kitchen is really making it easy to eat healthy. One way to do this is by keeping fresh foods on your counter. Keep them in cute bins for looks, but an assortment of fresh fruit (and even fresh herbs to flavor your food!) can be not only visually appealing, but can make it easy to choose an apple or banana instead of chips or crackers.

In Your Fridge and Freezer

Organize your fridge. Tackling your fridge to keep it orderly is a huge key in reinforcing healthy habits.

Of course organic, real food is best! Simplify your food and return to eating the way we were intended to eat.
A good ratio of foods to keep on hand is: 75% fresh fruits & vegetables, 10% meats and other proteins, 1% dairy.
Prioritize space in your fridge for healthy foods. Keep less healthy items out of site.
Utilize glass for storing items to avoid the chemicals from plastics leaching into your food and water.
Anything past due or unhealthy? Just throw it out! Leftovers should only be kept for 2-4 days.
Refrigerate seeds and nuts to prevent oils from going rancid. Also refrigerate probiotics.

Stock your freezer with healthy food options. To make those smoothies mentioned earlier easier, keep bags of frozen fruit in your freezer. Your freezer is an awesome space you can utilize to save money by freezing fresh perishables like fruit, veggies, and meat.

Reclaim The Kitchen Table

A cluttered kitchen table makes family meals difficult to impossible. Prioritize family meal time and take back your dining table! The family meal has been shown to contribute to overall health – both physical and relational. So, if your kitchen table has become a landing strip for paper and piles, get your paper systems in place and restore the intended purpose of your table. Re-route clutter that lands on the kitchen table to the appropriate room in the home.

Once the table has been cleared, reclaim the real estate so it doesn’t get cluttered again! Talk to family members about not using the table as a dumping ground, and add beautifying pieces – such as a table cloth, centerpiece, or even set the table if you must – to make the space beautiful and restful and ready for family meals.

If you’re on a mission to reclaim your health, take these steps today to organize your kitchen. For more details on these tips and more, watch Vicki’s segment on More Good Day Oregon now: