As a designer, my job is to make people fall in love with their homes and my favourite part of that is designing and renovating kitchens. The kitchen is where everyone gathers, shares laughs and where life happens. I love to know that I have become part of that for my clients.
A beautiful home is something to be desired; however, function is equally alluring and perhaps more of a necessity. A kitchen should be designed to be functional in several ways. One of these ways that is near and dear to my heart is health and nutrition. Your kitchen should allow you and your family to easily partake in decisions that will aide your overall health. Here are several tips, from large to small, that will help outfit your kitchen to enhance healthy living.
1. Fruits and veggies
Did you know that taking simple steps like placing your fruits and veggies in a bowl on the counter or any other regularly visited place in the kitchen will actually increase the odds that they will be eaten? Not only is this functional, but it looks great as well!
2. Small appliances
Invest in small appliances that will make being healthier easier. A blender is fantastic if you find yourself in too much of a rush in the morning to make breakfast. Smoothies are a healthy alternative and you can include fresh fruit along with spinach or kale. Blenders are also great when it comes to making soups, sauces and dressings. Another good investment is a juicer. Wouldn’t it be refreshing to start your family’s day off with fresh juice as opposed to the store-bought variety? Again, you may want to keep these small appliances out of sight, but that might mean they are also out of mind. If there is something you should be using or eating every day, it should be kept somewhere easily accessible.
3. Make it pretty!
We all know it is important to have items readily available to make sure we use them. That being said, the last thing you want is clutter on your counters, including protein powder containers, vitamins and boxes of tea. In these cases, the counter canisters of the 80s for pasta, rice and such are coming back to hold whatever you need. You can now buy beautiful glass canisters and then display your healthy wares on the counter where they will compliment your design but also remind you to stay healthy!
4. Mason jars aren’t just for jam anymore!
Mason Jars have made a huge resurgence and can now be spotted everywhere from dinning room centerpieces to bathroom organization to lunch ware. Mason jars come in multiple sizes and can be put in the freezer, fridge or cupboard. They are great for making and freezing soups, pasta sauces and even homemade chilies. Mason jars also make transporting salads back and forth from the office a breeze! It is simple, put in the dressing and grain first (quinoa, rice or pasta), then add your cut-up veggies and then the lettuce. This way, the veggies and grains get to marinate in the dressing and the lettuce doesn’t get soggy! When you are ready to eat just dump it in a bowl and mix!
Beauty is as important as function when it comes to the design of your kitchen. It may sound silly, but if you see your wares and healthy treats when you enter the kitchen, you are much more likely stick to a healthy lifestyle.
