With the start of each year, I think most of us crave a healthy lifestyle. Blame it on the Christmas cookies and all the couch time during the holidays I guess! But I for one, feel excited and motivated to think more seriously about what I’m putting in my body and also the message I want to send to Augustine about living a healthy life. Today I thought I’d share some of my go-to kitchen products that allow me to make healthy and nutritious meals, plus some organization tips!

My Healthy Lifestyle Kitchen Essentials

KITCHEN ESSENTIALS

Vitamix Blender– The Vitamix is a MUST HAVE! We use it almost every day, whether we’re making homemade almond milk, Augustine’s favorite smoothie, or using it for recipes. I love how easy and convenient it is. This blender isn’t the cheapest around, but you can usually find it on sale and let me tell you it is so worth it. We got ours as a wedding gift in 2011 and haven’t had to replace it yet!

Instant Pot– I got the Instant Pot for my birthday and I have been so impressed with it so far! It’s a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, yogurt maker, cake maker, egg cooker, sauté tool, steamer, warmer, AND sterilizer all in one! This multi-purpose kitchen tool will help you make lots of healthy meals. I’m excited to share some of my favorites next month!

On-The-Go Salad Container– I got a version of this in high school and it was my favorite because I LOVE salads! This is a great container to take to school or the office because you can separate your wet and dry ingredients + there is a special container just for dressing. So what this means is no soggy salads! Horray! And if you want to be extra on top of things, you can meal prep your salads for the week, and then divvy them out each night into these containers. By the way, here are some great snack containers for being on the go!

Air Popper– I have such a big sweet tooth at night so when I give up sugar I need another option. In comes popcorn! Popcorn fills me up fast and when it’s air popped, it’s a lot healthier for you! I like to add salt on top, or some nutritional yeast!

Cookbook: The First Mess– I’ve mentioned this cookbook several times before, and I’ll probably mention it again later this week in my Favorite Buys of 2018 post. This cookbook has been a favorite of mine and I’ve cooked so many great and healthy recipes in it over the past year. All of the recipes are plant-based but don’t let that deter you. I have so many favorites I’ve made, like the tandoori-rubbed portobello mushrooms, the master cleanse salad, every single soup, even the brownies that are surprisingly healthy with no eggs, no butter, no flour and no oil! It’s basically a breakfast food … wink wink!

Immersion Blender– This product might not be totally necessary but it is SO handy! If you make a lot of soups, you’ll love an immersion blender because it makes pureeing a breeze! I even use ours to blend our nut butters more easily. And with the included whisk attachment, you can easily make scrambled eggs or whipped cream {coconut whipped cream is a great dairy-free option!}. I’m planning on using our immersion blender when our new baby is ready for solids because it purees fruits and veggies really well too!

Spiralizer – I have loved using our spiralizer to make quick and healthy dinners – like our go-to 15 minute dinner! I have this spiralizer but this one has much better reviews! If you have the space for this, and think you’ll use it, I would get it. We bring ours out almost every week, and multiple times during the spring and summer!

SHOP THE POST

ORGANIZATION TIPS

In case you need some kitchen organization tips for the new year, here are some that we’re trying to focus on:

• Buy Only What You Need– Too often we stock up on all these things in our pantry that just take up space or we forget about them. I’m trying to train myself to only buy what we need unless they’re absolute staples. You don’t want to catch me looking for chickpeas, veggie broth or diced tomatoes!
• Meal Prep! Block out 30 minutes to an hour over the weekend when you can plan your meals for the week. For me, I plan on Friday night so that on Saturday mornings I have my grocery list ready for the Farmer’s Market. Anything else I’ll buy at the grocery store later that day or on Sunday. Sunday afternoon and evening I love to get ahead by meal prepping. That means I’m making almond milk, pressure cooking some beans, making a batch of quinoa, and roasting lots of veggies! When I worked in an office, I would also use this time to prep my lunches in containers for the week.
• Pantry Assessment– Do a pantry assessment every week, and definitely every month, to see what you have so you don’t overbuy. Also, look at expiration dates to make sure you’re using the oldest items first.
• Use Up Leftovers– Make a big salad, stirfry, veggie roast, or soup at the end of the week with anything left in the fridge. This is a great opportunity to use up remaining ingredients so they don’t go to waste.

If you’re looking to stock up your pantry, I recently shared my family’s grocery staples! Some of our favorite healthy recipes are this gluten-free granola, the almond milk we make multiple times a week, my family’s favorite soup, and this healthy mushroom bowl. I really love scouring Pinterest for recipe ideas and have a few different recipe boards I like to reference. But if you’re looking for healthy recipes {aka not my beloved chocolate chip cookies} then you’ll love this healthy lunch recipe board!

xox

P.S. What are your go-to tips for living a healthy lifestyle? I’m always looking for new wellness inspiration!

photos by Priscilla Frey