How to Stay on Track with Healthy Goals for 2017

Many of us started the New Year with the resolution of eating healthy and trying to stay fit. Although it is only mid-January, how many of you are still on track?

If you’re like me, you’ve probably wavered a bit already.  Well, I want to share some ideas with you that focus on giving your kitchen a makeover to help you stay on track.  No, it’s not a construction makeover, just some simple ideas to make sure that your kitchen supports your efforts.

1. Clean the Clutter: Take an afternoon to clean out and arrange all of your food, storage, and cooking items so that they are easier to access. This will make it easier to cook and help motivate you to spend more time in the kitchen.
2. Remove Food from the Counter (unless it is fruit): Find a place for your food in drawers, cabinets, and glass containers and place them out of sight. Remember, out of sight is out of mind.
3. Have Your Kitchen Utensils Close By: If you’re not sure of yourself as a cook, put measuring spoons and containers where you can easily access them until you are comfortable eyeballing portion sizes.
4. Invest in Good Cooking Utensils and Cookware: You don’t have to purchase everything at once, but over time, invest in measuring cups, non-stick muffin pan, vegetable steamer, slow cooker (very trendy right now), blender, 12” skillet pan, 2-quart sauce pot, chopping and cutting knives, cutting board, glass storage containers, mixing and serving bowls. It so much easier to prepare meals when you have the right tools.
5. Plan out your meals for the week Create your shopping list around the meals you have planned for the week. It’s easier to stay on track in the grocery store when you shop off a list.
6. Do some of the prep work on the weekend Try to prepare some of the foods for you meals on the weekend. You can freeze portions or store them in the refrigerator. Then, when you get home from work it will take much less time to prepare dinner.
7. Have Clean, Cut-Up Fruit and Vegetables Ready: Clean and cut up half of your produce and place them in storage bags or containers for easy grab and go. If you do this twice a week, you will have fresh fruit and vegetables available all week long.
8. Hide the Snacks: You are more likely to reach for the food that you see first, so make sure the healthy choices are the first ones you see.
9. Use Smaller-Sized Plates: By downsizing, you may find that your portions automatically decrease and you eat less.
10. Keep Water with Lemon on the Counter or in the Fridge: Drinking water between meals and during food prep can help eliminate snacking.