Peek Inside a Nutritionist's Kitchen and Steal Some Tips for Yourself

Now that you've organized your pantry and minimized your kitchen clutter take a nutritionist's advice and stock it with the healthy and flavorful foods that will help you stick to your healthy eating goals.

March 12, 2021

By: Leesa Morales, MScN

Related To:

Shop This Look

Photo By: Leesa Morales

Tools of the Trade

As a nutritionist, food photographer and recipe developer by day, and renegade foodie by night, you could say I spend more time in the kitchen than most. Because this space serves as both my personal and professional kitchen, a few ground rules help keep me productive, inspired and sane through all the messes. In this kitchen tour, I’m sharing a few tips and tricks to help you stock the pantry with colorful ingredients ready to inspire healthy meals, a few tools to make things easier along the way, and routines you might find set you up for success in your own kitchen.

Learn More: 10 Ways to Eat Healthier in the New Year

Give Purpose to Your Pantry

My kitchen is situated right at the center of my home, making it all too easy to find a distraction when I least need it. Maintaining a sense of calm and order in this space keeps me on task and helps me resist the urge to dive into random cleaning projects throughout the workday. (Have you found yourself scrubbing cabinets when you simply went back to the kitchen for a coffee refill?) To maintain a functional workflow and begin every morning with a fresh slate, the last hour of each day is dedicated to tidying up and putting away the chaos of the day’s projects. If cleaning the kitchen is your least favorite chore, try turning it into something to anticipate: dim the lights, be mindful of the warm running water while washing dishes, listen to soothing music or an interesting audiobook or podcast and slow your thoughts to help you unwind.

Learn More: 60 Organizers for a Picture-Perfect Pantry

Stage Your Space

The pantry can be an ally or a curse to healthy eating, depending on how it’s stocked. My first rule of success: keep the most nourishing options at eye-level and within arm’s reach to make them your first or most frequent choice. In the next few slides I’ll take you through four of the most frequented sections of my pantry, and how I keep them stocked for specific purposes. Whether overdue for a trip to the market and in need of a quick dinner solution, hungry for a snack in between meals, or feeling inspired to settle in and create something new, the pantry should serve as a welcoming place for you and your crew, stocked and ready to accommodate any culinary mood.

Keep Pantry Staples on Hand

Dry beans, lentils, and peas, also known as pulses, are a pantry staple around here, and I keep a variety on hand at all times. Beyond contributing significant protein and fiber to meals, pulses are extremely versatile, inexpensive, and actually count as a serving of vegetables, according to the USDA Dietary Guidelines. Split peas and lentils cook the fastest and don’t require a pre-soak, making them the best option for a weeknight meal. However, with the help of a little pre-planning and a slow-cooker, you can have a large batch of tender, hearty, flavorful beans at the ready with very little effort. Find a complete cooking guide courtesy of the American Pulse Association here. Try braising lentils with white wine and fresh herbs, spice up beans with chipotle pepper, bay leaf and garlic, and puree cooked peas into a roasted squash or potato soup.

Make Spices Part of Your Pantry Mix

Dried herbs and spices instantly boost the antioxidant content of your meals and may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a recent clinical trial in the journal Circulation. Feeling spicy? Try aleppo pepper, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon or cayenne. Going Italian? Use basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano, sage and garlic. My spice cabinet is also home to a variety of oils and vinegars, which I use generously for homemade dressings, sauces and marinades. I like to pair sesame oil with rice vinegar, olive oil with balsamic or red wine vinegar and hazelnut oil with apple cider vinegar. Use this space in your pantry as an opportunity to play with flavor and get more comfortable preparing sauces from scratch.

Learn More: 10 Health Benefits of Ginger

Build a Solid Snack Station

Now that our living rooms, basements and spare bedrooms have been converted into the home office, our kitchens have become host to the break room. And to help satisfy cravings for a crunchy, salty, sweet or chewy snack, I keep a dedicated “grab and go” station in the pantry stocked with wholesome bites to fuel the next work session. To build one of your own, begin with seasoned nuts, heirloom corn kernels for freshly popped popcorn, dried seaweed, individual packs of olives, homemade croutons, unsweetened dried fruit, mushroom jerky, grain-free baked crackers, instant miso soup pouches and nut butters in fun flavors. To stay satiated between meals, reach for fiber, fat and protein-rich options, which help promote a feeling of fullness.

Learn More: Healthy Snacks to Keep at Your Desk

Simplify Dinner Prep

Preparing the daily menu of drinks, meals and snacks on repeat can make the arrival of dinnertime a bit daunting. To help combat the occasional “what’s for dinner” daze, one section of my pantry is dedicated to quick meal starters that help provide a little din-spiration when feeling stuck. Soup mixes offer a helpful starting point, especially when stored next to your favorite broth or bouillon cubes, I especially love this bone broth for extra protein. Keep a bag of whole-grain or grain-free pasta near canned tomatoes or a jar of marinara sauce. Tuck Indian simmer sauces and canned coconut milk next to brown jasmine rice or quinoa, and store ramen noodles near seaweed and dried mushrooms. Group your own favorite ingredient combinations together and right in your line of sight so that a quick and delicious end of week dinner is never far!

Create a Coffee (or Tea) Break Ritual

Beyond the pantry and onto the countertop, I house a little tea caddy in the corner of the kitchen to welcome me in for a moment of bliss when I need a break. You can also create one of these on a rolling bar table or in the pantry. Keep it stocked with colorful ingredients and treats to hold space for a daily hot (or iced) drink ritual. I highly recommend the following ingredients and tools for the ultimate workday reprieve: electric kettle, milk frother, French press, a variety of tea bags, herbs, spices and florals for creating your own custom brews. Raw honey and a bar of dark chocolate are there just to sweeten the moment. Tea and dark chocolate are rich in polyphenols that act as antioxidants in the body, which may have beneficial effects against cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and aging, according to a review in the scientific journal Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity.

Invest in Functional Cookware

I tend to function at my best when given minimal options, and my cookware collection is no exception. One cast-iron skillet, a Dutch oven and a ceramic-coated nonstick saucepan conclude the entire stovetop lineup, and a rimmed baking sheet, loaf pan and 8"x8" baking dish fill out the remaining bakeware. Cooking with cast iron has a bit of a learning curve in the beginning, but you will surely never look back once you get the hang of it. A cast iron pan may also lend extra iron to your diet, according to a systematic review in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, which is especially important for plant-based eaters. To season your pan, be sure to coat it in oil just after cooking, while it is still hot, and scrape away any remnants using a dry sponge and coarse sea salt, which will help polish the surface and keep it smooth and non-sticking.

Make Every Meal Matter

Beyond productivity, the kitchen has always been a place of solace for me. I feel a sense of adventure when I swing open the pantry doors on my way to a colorful and delicious meal, and I settle into a comforting ease when I wrap my hands around my favorite mug, full of warm tea. I find it just as important to feel good about the dishware I choose as the meals and drinks that fill them. Do you have a favorite dish? The one your hand seems to always reach for? Marie Kondo taught us that if it doesn’t “spark joy,” it may be time to remove it or replace it. Take a look around your cupboard and make note of which plates, bowls, serveware, and so on invite a sense of calm and comfort, and begin to minimize the rest. You don’t have to invest in pricey handmade ceramics for your entire lineup, although I do recommend supporting local artists as often as you can. Try thrifting or looking on used shopping sites first, to see what you can find.

Eat With Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a thought-based practice that encourages awareness of the present moment, and research demonstrates that incorporating this self-calming behavior into meal times can encourage a better understanding of internal hunger cues, may prevent weight gain and may support healthy weight management, according to a recent study in the journal Nutrition Research Reviews. The goal is to focus solely on the meal in front of you. A few tips to stay present throughout the course of the meal include: take a few deep breaths, chew slowly and thoroughly, put utensils down in between bites, notice the flavors, textures, and colors of the ingredients, remove distractions such as screens and enjoy your meal in a calm environment. My kitchen table is home to at least one mindful meal every day. I like to pull up a seat, light a candle and reflect on the day while maintaining a peaceful state of mind.

Peek Inside a Nutritionist's Kitchen and Steal Some Tips for Yourself

Related To:

Shop This Look

Tools of the Trade

Give Purpose to Your Pantry

Stage Your Space

Keep Pantry Staples on Hand

Make Spices Part of Your Pantry Mix

Build a Solid Snack Station

Simplify Dinner Prep

Create a Coffee (or Tea) Break Ritual

Invest in Functional Cookware

Make Every Meal Matter

Eat With Mindfulness

50 DIY Home Improvement Projects to Tackle This Weekend 50 Photos

How to Pick Kitchen Cabinet Frames

Front + Side Yard From HGTV Dream Home 2022 28 Photos

How to Build a Banquette Seat With Built-in Storage

25 Easy Ways to Upgrade Basic Kitchen Cabinets 25 Photos

How to Build a Concrete Countertop

Related Pages