Sure, the kitchen is where you cook, but it can also be the heart of your home. It may be where you gather with family to share stories about your day over a meal. Or your kitchen may be the place where you share recipes, and good times with friends.
Many of the Blue Zones Power 9® principles – developed by studying common practices in the original blue zones where people live the longest – can be incorporated into your kitchen routine. These include making small changes to your daily routine like eating mindfully with the 80% Rule or moving towards a Plant Slant by adding more fruits and vegetables to your plate can make a big difference in your health.
Research has shown us that the world’s longest-lived peoples either were born into or tend to join social circles that support healthy behaviors. Spending time with your Right Tribe and putting Loved Ones First can be incorporated into your kitchen routine.
We hope you can incorporate some of these tips on making your kitchen a Blue Zones kitchen so that healthy choices are easier. How you have your kitchen set up can help you eat a nutritious diet and connect with family and friends in the heart of your home.
- Store all of your snacks in proportioned, small bags.
When buying snacks like pretzels, portion them into small bags to avoid overeating. Re-bagging your snacks will help you eat reasonably sized portions. - Dedicate the top shelf of your refrigerator to fruits and vegetables.
Get in the habit of keeping your healthy foods in the front of the top shelf of your refrigerator. Placing the healthy options at eye level will encourage you to snack mindfully. - Only own dinner plates that are 10-inches or smaller
Replace your oversized plates with smaller 10-inch plates. Eating on smaller plates can promote smaller portions; this is a longevity tip from Okinawa, Japan. Over the last few decades, the average U.S. dinner plate has grown to over 12 inches. During the same timeframe, we are eating 24% more calories. - Create a junk food drawer.
Put unhealthy snacks and food out of eyes’ reach on bottom shelves or behind cabinet doors. Label it “Junk Food.” Most junk food is consumed because you see it, and it looks good. If you’re going to have junk food in your house, hiding it from your line of vision will dramatically decrease consumption. - Pre-plate your food.
Before sitting down at the table, plate your entire meal and leave serving dishes on the counter. By leaving the serving dishes on the counter – not on the table, if you are hungry for seconds, you’ll be forced to stand up and walk to the kitchen. If you are accustomed to family-style dining, you can also adapt this idea by keeping the vegetables, beans, and healthier side dishes on the table and keeping calorie-dense foods like heavy entrees and bread on the counter. - Remove screens from your kitchen and dining room.
Remove the TV and other screens from your eating environment. When other things are going on in your eating environment, you are more likely to pay attention to them rather than the food you are consuming. Avoid multi-tasking while you eat by turning off the TV, mobile phones, and the radio. Try designating a place away from the kitchen table where everyone puts their phones during meals. Practice this habit while you’re at work, too—try not to work while eating and take some time away from your desk to eat lunch. - Put a filled fruit bowl on your countertop or kitchen table.
Take a fruit bowl you already have and put it on your countertop or kitchen table in a well-lit, prominent place. Placing healthy options in convenient, eye-level locations will encourage you to snack mindfully. Keeping the fruit bowl filled will also encourage you to buy various fresh produce items. - Use hand-operated kitchen appliances.
Get rid of your electric can opener and use a hand-operated one instead if you are able. Try squeezing fruit juice, mashing potatoes or beans, mixing items, and pressing garlic by hand. Manual kitchen tasks encourage hand and arm strengthening.
People in the blue zones don’t just eat to live; they also live to eat, and they look for ways to adapt their foods and customs to fit their lifestyles and family. Making small changes to your kitchen based on these tips will help make the healthy choice the easy choice.
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