
95% of all clients who come to work with me share that their biggest challenge is consistency with their nutrition. Workouts are sometimes a struggle, but most of the time, it’s nutrition that feels like the biggest hurdle. And this is for good reason! We eat multiple times daily vs. working out a few times weekly. The sheer volume of daily decisions we need to make related to our nutrition makes it harder to be consistent. Tack on the amount of ultra-processed foods, fast food, and a society that promotes working excessive hours in less-than-optimal settings to support healthy behaviors, and it’s no wonder my clients need help to stay on track with their nutrition!
One strategy I use with my clients to help them gain more control and feel confident navigating their nutrition is reducing the number of decisions they must make daily, especially regarding their physical home and their regular schedule and routines. One area that significantly impacts their diet is their kitchen. A well-organized kitchen can support consistency in maintaining a balanced diet, whereas a cluttered and disorganized kitchen can substantially affect your diet and overall well-being. In this post, I’ll dive into why a disorganized kitchen can impact your diet and what you can do about it.
Increased Stress and Anxiety
A cluttered kitchen can be overwhelming. The chaos of disorganized cabinets, overflowing countertops, and hard-to-find ingredients can create stress and anxiety every time you step into the kitchen. This stress can make cooking feel like a chore rather than an enjoyable activity, leading to a reliance on quick, unhealthy food options. When your kitchen is disorganized, finding the tools and ingredients you need is difficult. This lack of organization can reduce your motivation to cook at home, pushing you towards convenience foods and takeout, which are often less nutritious and more calorie-dense.
How often have you gotten home from work and know you have 30 minutes to get food on the table, eat, and get out the door before your kid’s evening activities? Welcome to every night in our home! Having less stuff around and knowing where everything is makes it easy for us to get meals out in 10 minutes or less so we don’t end up in the drive-through. My stress level has significantly lowered since I’ve edited our kitchen, minimizing what we keep on our counters and being thoughtful about where we store our food and tools so the kids and I can prep meals quickly.
Difficulty in Meal Planning
An organized kitchen is essential for effective meal planning. When you can’t easily see what you have, planning balanced meals and making grocery lists is challenging. Weekly meal planning is one of my clients’ top strategies to achieve weight loss and support their nutrition goals. An organized kitchen lets you easily plan your meals and prep a grocery order in under 15 minutes. How many of you end up running to the store multiple times each week because you ran out of something or forgot to order an item? Frequent grocery trips wasted food, and missed opportunities to prepare healthy meals can all be avoided with an organized kitchen. And let’s not forget the considerable cost savings when you can first shop your pantry, fridge, and freezer. Meal planning reduces your stress by providing you with fewer decisions to make each week and saves you time and money!
Temptation & Unplanned Snacking
“Out of sight, out of mind” typically happens with healthy food options like fruits, veggies, whole grains, and lean proteins when hidden behind piles of less nutritious options. If you can’t see the healthier choices, you’re less likely to reach for them when you’re hungry. A disorganized kitchen often means less-than-ideal snack options are in closer reach in your pantry. When you’re feeling hungry or stressed, these visible, easily accessible snacks are the first thing you’ll reach for, leading to unplanned eating sabotaging your diet.
Stress & Emotional Eating
As I shared in last week’s post, cluttered can increase stress and anxiety levels. A cluttered kitchen can trigger emotional eating. When you’re feeling overwhelmed by the mess, you may turn to comfort foods to cope with your feelings, leading to unplanned snacking and overeating. I also discussed last week how clutter can lead to decision fatigue, making it harder to make healthy choices. After a long day, the mental effort required to find ingredients for a nutritious meal can be overwhelming, causing you to opt for something less ideal.
Difficulty in Portion Control & Lack of Preparation Space
I sure do love a clear counter and some good containers. And there’s a reason why an entire store chain is dedicated to containers! Portion control is a big part of weight management. Having the proper containers to help you measure portions and store prepped meals makes it much easier. A disorganized kitchen can make it hard to control portions. When you can’t find the tools and containers, you’re more likely to serve larger portions, leading to overeating. Cluttered countertops and cabinets can leave you little space to prepare healthy meals. If you don’t have the proper space to make your meals, you may easily be less motivated and find yourself ordering DoorDash!
How to Organize Your Kitchen for a Healthier Diet
Declutter Your Space
Start by decluttering your kitchen. Remove items you no longer use, and organize your cabinets, drawers, and pantry to create more space and make it easier to find what you need.
Create Designated Zones
Organize your kitchen into zones based on activity (e.g., cooking, prepping, and storage). Keep frequently used items within easy reach and store less frequently used items out of the way.
Streamline Your Countertops
Keep your countertops clear of unnecessary items. Only keep essential appliances and tools out and store the rest to create a clean, inviting workspace for meal preparation.
Make Healthy Foods Accessible
Store healthy snacks and ingredients at eye level, both in your pantry and fridge, to make it easier to choose healthy options when you’re hungry.
Seek Out Support & Community
You don’t have to do this alone! My 4-week group program, Unclutter Your Life, is designed to help you make room physically and mentally to live the life you want. By the end of the program, you’ll have a well-organized kitchen that makes healthy eating easy and enjoyable. You’ll also gain valuable skills to maintain a clutter-free home and lifestyle, allowing you to consistently show up for yourself.
Don’t let a disorganized kitchen prevent you from achieving your health goals. Join Unclutter Your Life today and start transforming your kitchen and your diet. Together, we can create a space that supports your journey to better health and well-being. Sign up now and take the first step towards a healthier, more organized life.