How Kitchen Design Impacts Your Health

The kitchen has been called the heart of the home. But as it turns out, the design of your kitchen may actually impact our hearts — and the rest of our health, as well. Most people move into homes with layouts they like, and they don’t try to change them too much. But even if our kitchen’s “footprint” is fixed, there are some things we may be able to do to improve the design. In turn, that design change may make our overall health better. Could you improve your health by remodeling your kitchen?

Why Does Kitchen Layout Matter?

A growing interest in wellness and advances in technology have combined to make people more focused on the layout of the kitchen. Because of that, modern-designed kitchens are now a big part of a home’s resale value. But the additional value when we sell the home isn’t the only reason for a modern look and feel. 

The right layout may also contribute to healthier habits that improve well-being and therefore the quality of life for the people who live there. Kitchen layouts may contribute to ease of use when finding and fixing healthy options for better eating habits. Some layouts may also encourage movement and socialization, both of which can have big health benefits.

Should You Consider a Kitchen Remodel?

For people who don’t have an upgraded kitchen, considering a remodel may be the right choice for a higher resale value and better health. A great place to start is looking at meal prep. When we don’t have to dig through crowded cabinets for containers or that crockpot that we rarely use, it takes less mental and physical energy to choose healthy options.

We can design the kitchen in a way that makes it easy for people to use it. The more effortless it is to find things and move from station to station, the more likely people may be to use the kitchen to its full potential. Having a more open plan for a kitchen/dining combo may also be beneficial, to make it easier to move food from kitchen to dining room and to interact with other people while cooking.

Change Your Counterspace Usage

The counter space in our kitchens may feel like it’s at a premium, but even small kitchens feel roomier when the counters aren’t crowded with appliances, tools and spices.  Only keeping what’s used in almost every meal out on the counters helps the kitchen feel like a more welcoming space. It’s also easier to make meals when we don’t have to move things off the counter. A remodel might include an added island or a butcher block for chopping copious veggies, or a better place to stow the pressure cooker and air fryer.

Another great way to focus on counter space is to add a galley sink for filling pots and washing veggies and to make cleanup faster and easier. The more optimized a food prep station is, where you can move smoothly from cleaning the produce to chopping it to getting it in the pan, the more likely people will be to use the space for actual cooking instead of just opening a box or popping something in the microwave.

Is it Time to Upgrade Your Appliances?

Taking a careful look at the appliances in a kitchen is also important. Appliances are constantly changing, and new features come out all the time. But that doesn’t mean we need the latest and greatest thing in every kitchen. Instead, we may want to look at what we will actually use and what will encourage us to prepare and eat healthy meals. 

Would a wall oven be feasible and make life easier as well as encouraging you to bake instead of fry? Would a quieter dishwasher let you stay in the kitchen instead of driving you away due to the racket?  There are Wi-fi connected refrigerators that can help you know what's inside to make for easier shipping. There are also voice-command faucets, a steam oven for the countertop, and more than most of us have ever even considered. By determining how we use the kitchen, the right appliances may be easier to choose.

Plan Some Thoughtful Organization Opportunities

Organization is a huge part of the kitchen for many people. If we can’t find what we need when we need it, we may give up and order takeout or eat something unhealthy because it’s faster and easier. Food storage and small appliance accessibility are two of the biggest things to consider when organizing a kitchen for better health.

We may use that blender for smoothies and all those containers for meal prep a lot more if we can access them easily. Reorganizing the pantry and fridge, and adding additional storage to both are also excellent ways to create a health-focused space. Consider: What if your fridge were full of colorful (visible) cut veggies and fruits? Would you reach for them more readily?

No matter the size or layout of the kitchen, there are plenty of ways to make it more convenient. That convenience may — we hope — translate to making healthier meals and choosing better options. Over time, that means the potential for a healthier life, and there’s a lot more than just resale value in that.

Copyright 2021, Wellness.com