Making better, healthier choices is on a lot of people’s new year’s resolution list. We want to be more intentional about getting more exercise, choosing better snacks, and having enough sleep and our home can have an influence on our decisions. When it comes to making healthier selections for what we eat, one of the first things we try to limit is going out and cooking more at home instead. Many find this difficult because their kitchen layout is not functional or even motivating. Your kitchen design can impact your willingness to follow through with your resolve to eat better by cooking at home. Just like a good home office design influences productivity and the ability to focus, a good kitchen design can assist you in sticking to your plans for a better you. Let’s talk about essential design elements needed in your kitchen that can help you make better choices for your health and stick with it. 

More counter space

When you cook at home it is essential to have enough room to spread out and not feel like you are tripping over yourself. If you have limited space and struggle to prepare for a meal it can reduce your motivation which is one of the main ingredients to healthy living. When you have sufficient counter space to spread out all of your ingredients and cutting boards, it helps you feel inspired to create that amazing meal. Some things to consider when designing a healthy kitchen are:

• Move appliances off the counter
• Use the wall space for pots and pans
• Have large, uninterrupted space

When planning your counter space it is important to think about what needs to be done in the kitchen and what items can be eliminated. A built-in microwave in the lower cabinet area or island allows you to have its convenience without taking valuable space. Hanging your pots and pans above the stove means you have easy access without clutter. Think about adding a kitchen island, it provides a large area for you to spread out all the healthy ingredients for your meal in one space making dinner prep effortless. Get a few more helpful tips on keeping your countertops clutter free from the Simply Organized Home.  Keeping it clear of clutter also helps you feel less stressed and overwhelmed. A large, open countertop gives you the freedom to spread out your ingredients and makes it easy to let those creative juices flow as you make those delicious, healthy meals for your family to enjoy. It allows you to feel inspired and productive, two essential ingredients for a healthy kitchen.

Functional layout

Another key ingredient to healthy living is your kitchen layout. A kitchen that blocks the traffic flow and feels cramped with people bumping into one another will quickly hinder any ambition for making healthy food choices. Consider adding these things to your kitchen layout renovation list:

• Good traffic flow
• The work triangle
• Open floor plan

Traffic flow is a critical part of the design planning phase as it controls how easy it is for the family to interact in the kitchen together. No one enjoys getting pushed against the counter while prepping for dinner because someone needed to get through. Make sure that there is enough space between the counter and your island for people to move around. Another critical feature in a functional kitchen layout is the work triangle. This dictates the amount of space between the appliances such as the refrigerator and stove from the sink. These are the three main areas of cooking in the kitchen and they need to be within close proximity if you want to make things easier for meal prep. Fewer steps between these areas means less mess and more time saved plus fewer accidents from turning around on someone or burning a person with a hot pot. Connection is an important element in the home but especially in the kitchen as we like to stay involved with what’s going on with our family but a closed kitchen can make us feel secluded. Open floor plans are a popular option with homeowners who want to cook but be connected at the same time. It’s easier to stay motivated to cook healthier meals for your family when surrounded or near them while you are cooking. A good kitchen designer can help you create the perfect layout for you that can inspire you to be healthy in the kitchen.

Good kitchen appliances

A delicious meal can be ruined if you have faulty appliances or ones that have poor functionality. No one looks forward to cooking on a stove that doesn’t work properly or using a microwave that is outdated. This can even extend to the type of faucet or refrigerator you have. Storing the fresh ingredients used to make those healthy meals need to be stored somewhere and at the right temperature but if you have an old refrigerator or one that lacks the necessary storage you will become frustrated. Think about upgrading to one that has enough room for all those nutritious ingredients. A good stove can also do wonders not just in cooking your food evenly but in motivating you to want to do it. You can weigh the options between a standard four burner or a six burner with griddle option. Maybe you want gas over electric, the choice is up to you. The kitchen sink matters, including the faucet as most of your prep work is done there, rinsing the vegetables and such. Select one that is easy to turn off and on as you may have hands that are covered in olive oil or something else. Another good faucet option would be a nozzle that streams or sprays, a sprayer is perfect for rising salads or dirty dishes. Your kitchen appliances matter when cooking so invest in ones that will make the job of cooking healthy meals easier for you. 

Organized kitchen design

Knowing where everything is makes any task easier to accomplish and the kitchen is no exception. Nothing nixes motivation like a disorganized kitchen, a healthy kitchen is one that is organized and has a place for everything. Things most used in a healthy kitchen include:

• Spices
• Cutting boards
• Pots and pans
• Baking sheets
• Cutlery
• bowls

These items should be within easy reach and have a designed area. Spices will almost always be needed near the stove so consider designing cabinets with roll-outs where you can place your favorite spices. Cutting boards and baking sheets stay neatly tucked away in cabinets with dividers in them. Adding deeper drawers to your lower cabinets makes storing pots and pans effortless and simple to put away when done. Kitchen organization is a must because it reduces stress, allows you to find everything needed for making a healthy dinner, and makes it easier to put things back where they belong. A healthy kitchen is one where you can find things when needed and keep it that way. Our design team is experienced with assisting our clients in creating a kitchen that is exactly what they need for their home.

A healthy kitchen design

These are some of the things you can do to make sure you have a healthy kitchen ready for you to create those dishes that are not just delicious but good for your family’s health. We know that it is not always easy to stick with the decision to be healthier but with a well-designed kitchen it can be. With over twenty years of experience our design team is well-versed in planning a kitchen design that functions well for your specific needs while at the same time looking like the style you will love. We serve more than 15 counties and invite you to visit our 5,000 square foot showroom where you can walk through multiple kitchen displays to get a feel for the possibilities that await you. Connect with us and let’s start planning a healthy kitchen design.