By Judith Hurley, M.S., R.D.
The ancient Chinese art of
feng shui is the practice
of arranging the physical
surroundings of a home or
building to help balance its energy,
or chi. It’s said that good chi can
help you and your family be
healthy. However, you don’t have
to practice feng shui (pronounced
fung shway) to arrange your home
in a way that supports good health.
You can gain practical benefits by
considering how and where you
place the items in your home,
especially in your kitchen.
Most families spend a lot of time
in the kitchen. A cluttered kitchen
can bring chaos to mealtimes. An
organized kitchen can be a peaceful
haven where you and your family
can create quick, healthy meals.
These suggestions can help you
prepare tasty meals in no time.
Give everything a home. Designate a location for your pots,
pans and utensils. Think about your
cooking habits and kitchen layout
as you arrange items. For example,
you might store dishes and glassware
near the table, potholders and
utensils by the stove and spices in a
cool place.
Clear away clutter. Most of the
time, we use only 20 percent of the
items in our kitchen. Give away
extra mugs and utensils you’ve
been collecting but never seem to
use. Also, clear your pantry of old
canned and dried goods. All of that
freed-up space can be put to use.
Divide your kitchen into zones. Where possible, create set areas
where a major activity often takes
place. A food preparation zone has
cutting boards, knives, mixing
spoons and bowls for ingredients
within easy reach. A serving zone
keeps dishes, flatware and table
linens handy. A breakfast zone
groups coffee maker, cereal bowls
and toaster. If you bake often, store
flour and other ingredients, measuring
cups and baking pans here.
Keep countertops clear for food
preparation. The convenience of
zones makes it easy to prepare
healthy meals when you’re hurried.
Use kitchen organizers. Wire
shelf racks can double your cupboard
space. Lid organizers, baking
tray racks and pullout shelves tidy
the jumble of pots and pans. A lazy
Susan keeps condiments and spices
within easy reach. Drawer dividers
make it a snap to find the utensil
you want. Then you won’t waste
time hunting for seasonings and
equipment.
Placement counts. Place items
in your kitchen for maximum convenience.
For example, keep olive
oil in an airtight can by the stove,
handy for quick sautéing. Put
seldom-used foods, dishes and
appliances in the out-of-the-way
cupboards.
Store with style. Store dried
goods, such as dried fruit, nuts,
beans, grains and flour, in airtight
containers to keep them fresh and
discourage bugs. Use clear containers
so that you can identify foods at
a glance, then place healthy foods
front and center. Store dried fruit
and low-fat pretzels in clear containers
on the kitchen counter for
quick, healthy snacking. Keep some
vegetables and fruit (like baby carrots
and melon cubes) on the middle
shelf of the fridge, where you’ll
see them right away. Put chips and
cookies out of sight in a hard-to-reach
cabinet.
Get the right gear. Certain
kitchen items make fixing meals
and snacks easier. Nonstick frying
pans and saucepans make for
easy food preparation and quick
clean-up. With a vegetable steamer,
you can add a healthy serving of
vegetables to dinner in minutes. A
salad spinner makes preparing a
fresh green salad quick and easy.
For a healthy snack that’s ready in
minutes, consider a hot-air popcorn
popper. And freezer-to-oven glass
baking pans come with plastic lids
for easy storage of leftovers. You
don’t need to spend a fortune to
arrange your kitchen. Keep an eye
out for sales.
With just a little effort, your
kitchen will artfully support your
healthy lifestyle.
Create a healthy shopping list of fun and
healthy foods that you can check off
before you shop. Here are some ideas.
Dried and canned goods:
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