Get Organized in your Kitchen.
A very important part of my wellness routine. It’s actually a must!
The same is true for your fridge and freezer. When it comes to meal prep and planning a certain degree of organization is required. You don’t need to be an ad for the Container Store, you just need to be able to see what you have. It’s that simple. If you are unorganized it will make it really difficult to stay on track of your inventory and even worse, you’ll end up wasting a lot of food, money, and time.
What I have found in my 16 years of Living Well is that it’s usually very simple things that make all the difference in my health and wellness routine. And while I have explored more complex solutions that have also benefited me greatly, it’s really the little things that go the furthest. You might be thinking, “If these things are so simple, then why can being well be so hard?!” … Like many things in life, logic isn’t the best measure here. The truth is, is that taking care of yourself requires work and effort, even if the task is seemingly simple. And like anything, when you’re just getting started, even the most simple task can feel difficult, overwhelming, and stressful when it’s something new. I get it. Trust me. I once threw a pan across the kitchen because I felt overwhelmed sautéing vegetables. It can be extremely uncomfortable making changes. But that’s that way it goes and I’m not going to let you off the hook just because of that, that’s not my jam. I’m here to help you stay motivated and positive! To move through the discomfort with as much grace as possible. You can do these simple tasks and overtime, just like anything, they become easy - even better, they become routine. Like brushing your teeth.
Be Realistic
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, don’t bite off more than you can chew when it comes to changing your routine and habits. You need to be honest with yourself with the time that you have to dedicate to a new habit as well as your willingness to be “all in” when it comes to tackling said habit. Don’t try and change too many things at once, it most likely won’t last because you didn’t really give the new habits a fair chance - think about it, when you bite off more than you can chew you either spit some out, don’t chew well enough (making it harder to digest), it can get caught in your throat and cause uncomfortable friction going down, or you may even choke and have to spit it all out and try again. Take small bites that you can chew, swallow, digest, absorb, and eliminate - let go of what is no longer needed. Metaphorically and literally. (I love metaphors if you haven’t noticed already)
Shift Your Perspective
Sometimes all it takes is a shift in perspective. Rather than thinking about cooking, eating healthy, and meal planning, think about being systematic and organized in your kitchen. Be creative with how you get the job done. The first and most important step of cooking at home is having the inventory to do so. If you like lists, make a list. If whiteboards in the kitchen work for you, use one. If you like clear containers, go buy some. And if you don’t know what works, trial and error! Figure out what works for you and what doesn’t and don’t give up until you find your unique way. There is a system for everyone! Recently, I’ll open my fridge and pantry and shout things out to my husband. He writes it down in a text, adds his list of items, and then sends it to me. It’s super easy.
Take it Slow
Take the time to actually achieve your new habit - be as involved in the process as you can be, outsource only what you have to. Meaning, don’t look externally for too many answers. It’s a personal thing and it’s also not rocket science. Don’t overthink it. This is more of a just get it done kind of a thing. You just need to know what you have. I’m not one to be super crazy Container Store organized so I don’t have aspirations of a beautiful pantry. Yes, that would be nice, but it’s not me and if I get hung up on waiting to have a pantry that is both beautiful and organized, I would still be waiting to get organized. Focus on the true task at hand. An efficient kitchen, beauty is optional.
New habits can be like learning a new dance, you have to really get the steps first, understand the rhythm, before you can add your own flare to the routine. And then here is where the honesty comes in. We aren’t all good dancers, in fact some of us have zero rhythm. Same is true for this. We can’t all be good at everything, unfortunately, but we all can do our best. If being routine and organized isn’t your thing, this habit might be hard for you and that’s OK. Other habits will be easier. Maybe Suzy is great at getting organized and this part of her wellness path is a piece of cake. Great. Good for her. She might not be so good at the next part and maybe that’s where you excel. We are all different, unique, with our own gifts and talents. Maybe you can’t dance, but you can write music - don’t worry about what Suzy does unless it’s helpful, supportive, and inspiring. Following people that make you feel like shit won’t help your wellness. Let those people go. (even if it’s me)
Getting started
Start with these simple steps and then make them your own once you’ve built up the confidence to do so. Feel free to edit the steps, create new ones, and to add your own flare! Just remember, small bites. Stick with it. Commit to creating an actual new habit and p.s…. it takes time so take the time you need to do the job properly. This will make it exponentially easier to keep it up. Creating a good system doesn’t happen over night. You have to give it time, test it, make tweaks, etc.. When I say take your time, that’s what I mean. Take the time to refine your system into something that you will actually keep up.
1. Clean out
If you’re new at this, the first time will take the longest. But good news, once you do it really well once, it’s way easier to keep it up. If you haven’t read the book by Maria Kondo, “The Life-Changing Magical of Tyding Up”, I recommend it. Even if you aren’t interested in being so organized, the idea and philosophy offer a great perspective on keeping organized and freeing yourself of clutter.
Throw out any old or expired items from your fridge, pantry, and freezer. This also includes spices and sauces tin your pantry.
Wipe down surfaces
Put back in an organized fashion, preferably in a way that you can see what you have. If you like containers and things, great. But don’t wait for the containers to do the project. You can put things away and as you are putting things away, take note of items or things that might be helpful. If they are in your budget, purchase. Once they get there, use them, but don’t wait. That’s just another form of procrastination. You don’t need the containers.
2. Create an inventory list and system
Once you’ve put everything away in an organized fashion, make a list of what you have. This is your inventory. What you have on hand, ready to be used. Next, jot down these categories to act as a template for your inventory checklist. I like these simple categories when taking count of my inventory. It helps me remember all the things that I need to make a healthy yummy meal with out having to plan out an exact menu every week.
And at this point, I don’t actually have an inventory list, my kitchen is organized in such a way I can tell when I am out of something that I need. I’ve been organizing my kitchen long enough I know my categories by heart… maybe it’s background in restaurants, but keeping track of your inventory, making sure it’s fresh, good quality, and that’s its being used is crucial to the success of any restaurant - same goes for your kitchen. As long as you have items in these categories there will always be something that you can eat.
spices
canned items
dry goods
frozen foods
dairy
protein
vegetables
fruit
oils and fats
nuts and seeds
condiments
3. Tools, dishes, devices, and electronics
Just like the food, you also need to take a look at what you have in terms of tools for getting the cooking done. This can be tricky as there are tons of fun things that you can get for your kitchen, it’s easy to get overwhelmed/excited! Start with necessities always. You actually don’t need much to make delicious healthy meals.
If you’re new to cooking all together, you’ll need to build up your supplies over time. If you are more experienced in the kitchen and have many tools, it’s equally important to take a look and reorganize your stuff. Donate duplicates, write down a wish list of what you’d love, and again, consult your budget and purchase items from your wish list over time.
Here is a list of a few things I use all of the time!
le creuset ceramic pan
cast iron skillet or grill
small pot
large pot
large strainer
baking pan or glass pyrex
hand held blender and/or high-power blender. I love my Vitamix and my All Clad hand held blender. I use them all the time.
mini food processor like this KitchenAid food chopper.
smart oven or air fryer
containers for food storage - try for glass or other non toxic materials
my lunch bag - there are so many options, choose a style that suits your needs
Practice makes perfect
That’s it. That’s all you have to do to get organized. But this is where the commitment, discipline, and the dedication come in. Practice makes perfect! If you do this every time you go to the store it does become habitual. It does get easier. It does work. I can’t go to the store with out reorganizing my fridge, freezer, and pantry - and I’m definitely not a super overly organized person, but with food, you have to be. Creating a system and routine that helps you stay organized and on track of your kitchen makes cooking and meal prep SO much better.
Once you’ve cleaned out and organized your kitchen, you’re ready to either make a list and go to the store OR you’ll find that you actually do have something that you can whip up with the inventory that you already have on hand!
Happy Organizing!
I’d love to hear any questions, comments, or feedback!