They say you are what you eat, but did you know that what you eat is a function of your environment? Research shows that we can use prompts and cues from our environment to nudge us toward desirable behavior. People understand this at an intuitive level. If you want to work, you know the kind of environment you need. If you’re going to sleep, you know the type of environment conducive to sleep. Unfortunately, most people don’t alter their environment to nudge them toward better dietary choices. So let’s talk about how kitchen design can inspire healthy eating.
Kitchen design can be used to nudge us toward healthy choices and behaviors. For instance, an ample counter space nudges you to prepare meals more often. Whereas if you have limited space, you are discouraged from preparing meals. The sense of space creates a possibility that simply does not exist when you have little space to work with. Let’s talk about functional layouts, which are possibly the most crucial consideration for you.
Functional Layouts
A kitchen’s layout can influence how much meal preparation is done in a home. It may even inspire your family to stay for longer meals. Ease of use is one of the most important features your kitchen needs if you are going to be able to sustain a desire to prepare meals every day. Humans are fundamentally lazy, or more nicely put; humans go for the quickest way to do something. So you need to create the least possible number of impediments to cooking.
One element of this is spacing. You need to be able to move freely throughout the kitchen. One way to achieve this is by creating a triangle of the cleaning, cooking, and cooling stations, far from the traffic flow. Or, you could add a designated pastry center closer to the oven to make baking easier.
Open layouts are becoming very popular. They allow you to prepare very complicated meals, something which can be very good for your nutrition. This can be done while engaging with your family. Because of the open plan, it’s easy to chat with family and move food around, from the kitchen to the dining areas.
When you remove obstacles like this, it’s easy to prepare nutritious meals rather than looking to eat the easiest thing possible -which is often not the healthiest.
People have realized that they can customize their counter spaces to suit their cooking style. For example, you can add a galley sink to your counter space, allowing two people to work together while preparing a meal. In addition, you can add other sections to your counter space to fit in cutting boards, drying stacks, and other things. Visit Creative Cabinets and Fine Finishes for ideas about how to optimize your counter space.
Upgrade Appliances
Technology is changing at a ferocious pace. In addition, you often very difficult to decide what kind of technology you need. A good guide is that you should look for technology that makes your life easier. The easier you can make your meal preparations, the more likely you will prepare nutritious meals.