You need to make your kitchen your ally and partner in restoring your relationship with food. Although my eating disorder has set up a special obstacle course, there are many other hurdles, large and small, that prevent people from achieving their goals in the kitchen. It may be limited time, limited space, limited skills. Or maybe the space lacks enough organization, light, space, tools, and personality.
I consulted a nutritionist, therapist, and several interior designers to get advice on how to make the kitchen more family-friendly. Key Takeaway: You need to be honest about what you want from your kitchen and what is keeping you from it.
“What we're seeing is a focus on design. Kitchens don't look immaculate and lived in. That's not helpful and it's not realistic. It should work for you,” says Jessica Sprangle, a therapist who specializes in eating disorders. “Think of the kitchen as your command center. You're the pilot and you need to know where all the buttons are, what you're flying, and where you're flying.”
Look for emotional disturbances
“With clients, I usually start by asking, 'What is it about your kitchen that causes you to avoid it?'” says Dallas-based eating disorder and intuitive says Christina Johnson, a registered dietitian specializing in diet.
“Is it emotional? Is it physical? If you can't change the physical landscape of your kitchen, how can you at least make it more functional and more appealing?” ” she added. “The goal is to utilize this space. And if that means putting up your favorite songs or displaying fun prints, then by all means do it.”
Interior designer Marie Cloud starts by asking her clients not just how they want their kitchen to look, but how they want to feel and interact with it. The Charlotte-based founder of her Indigo Pruitt Design Studio uses an emotion wheel pillow that features concentric circles of primary, secondary, and tertiary emotions., To help people find the words.
Once she recognizes those emotions, she uses design principles to find ways to eliminate, or at least reduce, the negative emotions and increase and strengthen the positive ones. For someone as intimidated as I am, Cloud will rely on color theory, color psychology, and Mother Nature to change the mood. “Be sure to include the right colors to help promote calm and balance,” she says.
D.C. interior designer Shauna Underwood says that placing grains and beans in glass jars (like the Kardashians layer Oreos, or lentils) adds both organization and a soothing, earthy tone. talk. “This is a particularly appealing trend for kitchens with open shelving,” she says.
Lighting is also important in setting the mood, softening edges, and regulating emotion. Bright overhead lighting is often the norm in kitchens, and for good reason. This is because you will be handling sharp objects and hot food. But for many, it can make an already intimidating space feel cold and sterile.
The solution, experts say, is to layer lights overhead, under cabinets, above cabinets and on countertops so they can be turned on or off depending on what you're doing. Cloud offers customers at least 12 bulbs to choose from, so they can find a combination that provides warmth in some areas and specificity in others. Simply washing your windows and opening or changing your curtains to let in more natural light can help.
Sprengle, like many of her clients, is a neurodivergent who considers overhead lighting the “kiss of death” and is grateful for the Philips Hue LED smart lighting strips her husband installed under the cabinets. . You can change colors, settings, and brightness using your phone.
Jamie Gold, a San Diego designer and author of Wellness by Design, replaced harsh recessed can lights in her kitchen with soft pendants.
For a while, I went full Nancy Meyers and placed a lamp on my dark kitchen counter. This is a trend that was popular a few years ago. Now that I'm cooking more, my toaster oven has taken its place and gives off a warm glow while in use.
…and physical obstacles
Atmosphere doesn't help if there are physical obstacles. In order to identify more three-dimensional various hurdles, Cloud lets clients experience the actual operation. She asked for a snack to observe how they behaved within the space. She also asked for a reenactment of a busy part of the day and a detailed play-by-play. “Do you find yourself bumping around the counter every time, fumbling for a mug that's not in the same place you use it every morning?” Cloud asks. “Once you find your flow, don't fight it. Support it with design and organization.”
Good flow to maximize efficiency is a core principle of kitchen design's long-standing “law of triangles,” the idea that the sink, refrigerator, and stove should be in close proximity to each other in a triangle. However, evolving family dynamics and kitchen design trends mean that kitchens are now home to more people, more furniture (islands and bars), and more activities (socializing and homework). became. Triangles don't work well for everyone these days. Gold instead focuses on creating work zones by category, such as preparing, cooking, consuming, and cleaning.
Ideally, she says, things should be “within reach” to ease navigation and prevent frustration. “Keep your cardio elsewhere. I like to be on the move, but I don't want to be in a hurry or waste time with glassware.”
Take inventory and organize
Once you've addressed the big picture obstacles, designer Anna Gibson, owner of AKG Design Studio in Reston, Virginia, recommends auditing the contents of your kitchen. That means emptying, cleaning, and reorganizing your refrigerator and cabinets. When returning items, she establishes new rules and systems. “Make sure you have healthy foods and snacks within reach, and the things you don't really want to eat might be at the bottom or in the back of your pantry,” she says. . “It pays off. Keeping things clean and tidy makes your space more inviting.”
And before you splurge on a bunch of gadgets and appliances, identify the tools that will help you achieve your goals and decide where to use them based on how and how often you'll use them. please. Multi-purpose appliances such as food processors and air fryers are good for people with tight spaces or people who value accessibility, such as people with disabilities.
At first, I cringed when a source mentioned the idea of ”out of sight, out of mind.” Because I equate hiding food with shame. But putting important items like your water bottle front and center can encourage healthy habits.
“When I talk to clients, I ask, 'How can I use visual cues to my advantage?' For example, when I see a blender, I think, 'Okay, I need to make a smoothie.' ,” said Sprengle, who serves customers in New Jersey and Texas.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, think about what you love about your kitchen and yourself. This will help your space look and feel like a reflection of your life.
“Think about what would be a more interesting experience for you. A situation where you're like, 'I'm in the kitchen.' I'm wearing a fun apron. I'm listening to my music and dancing, and I'm in the process.” ,” Johnson says. “For me, it makes cooking less draining and puts me in a more neutral mental space.”
Lean into what excites and comforts you, experts say. If that means adding extra seating so you're not alone, hanging your favorite art print, using heirloom plates, or bringing in an anti-fatigue mat, do it.
“We don't believe in treating the kitchen like many other rooms, where the priority is to make it personalized for the user,” Sprangle says.
The only thing left behind is other people's expectations. “If you don't like cooking or even washing dishes, don't waste your money on pots and pans and fun bowls,” says Johnson. “Be honest with yourself about what you want to accomplish. If you want to throw a frozen dinner in the oven, that's great. You can still eat and not have to spend time and energy preparing and cleaning. No. It's your kitchen. Make it work for you.”
Amanda Long is a writer and massage therapist living in Falls Church, Virginia.
