How To Organize Your Environment At Home to Decrease Unhealthy Eating

Your home environment can significantly impact the choices you make, especially when it comes to maintaining your healthy eating plan. Eating a well-balanced diet is a critical part of healthy aging. It is the best way to ensure your body has the nutrients it needs to keep you energized and lower the risk of developing chronic illnesses often associated with your diet after 50 years of age. 

Home is where you spend most of your free time. What you have in the refrigerator and pantry is what you are likely to eat. Someone with a cabinet full of chips is easily tempted to grab one when they want something crunchy, for example, instead of munching on celery or a piece of fruit. What changes can you make at home to support your new healthy lifestyle? 

Start With a Purge

It’s time to get rid of those things that tempt you. First, sit down and make a list of pantry staples you need. Now, go pull what you have on that list out and set them aside. Those are items you will want to keep. 

Now, go through what is left and see what supports your fitness over 50 plan and what doesn’t. If you are not sure, check out the Mighty Health app and some resources available on it. You can set aside sustainable foods like canned stuff to donate to your local food bank. 

If not everyone in the house thinks eating right is necessary for them, then give them their own shelf. You can store anything you won’t be eating there for their enjoyment. Creating that limited environment for someone who eats less than healthy foods will isolate those choices. Try to find a remote space if possible. Save shelves at eye level for healthy foods that you can eat. 

Follow this same process throughout the kitchen, including cleaning out the refrigerator. Now, with all the junk food gone or out of sight, you can stock up with foods that fit your healthy lifestyle. 

Time to Shop

Now comes the fun part. Buying the healthy foods that you want to introduce into your home environment can be fun, but the grocery store can also be a minefield. Planning ahead helps you get what you need and pass on what you don’t. 

Meal Planning

The key to maintaining a healthy diet is planning ahead. That’s why creating meal plans makes sense for most people. 

Meal planning can be as complicated or easy as you want. Some people enjoy meal planning because it gives them a chance to look through new healthy recipes to see what looks good. It’s a way to experiment to find new favorite foods. 

It can also be a very simple task, especially if you eat pretty much the same dishes all the time. Maybe you are not a fan of cooking, or you’re a picky eater. 

Either way, planning your meals out will keep your healthy diet going strong. You can even cook dishes ahead of time and freeze portions to eat throughout the week. 

Meal planning is also a great time to go through local ads and coupons to see where you can save money. Ads can show you what produce is in season. 

As part of your meal planning, figure out what to do with leftovers. Decide if you can reuse them, save them for another meal, or freeze what’s leftover. 

Making That Shopping List

A grocery list is a must-have when you go to the store. It keeps you on track when you are buying while minimizing impulse purchases that can knock you off it. Remember, you can always refer to Mighty Health's color coded grocery list!

Use the meal plan to map out the foods you buy for the week. The more detailed your meal plan is, i.e., breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and drinks, the better. 

Also, put a running grocery list somewhere convenient. Use this list to note the staple stuff you need to get during your next trip to the grocery store. These are the items you usually have on hand anyway, so you wouldn’t add them to the list when doing meal planning. 

Spices are a good example. Most recipes call for some kind of spice. If you run out of something during the week, add it to your running grocery list. Combine the running list with the one created from your meal planning. 

Getting Ready to Shop

Most people have one or two grocery stores they like to use. You can use that to your advantage. Make a map of the store either from memory or the next time you visit. Where is the produce section? Is it the first one right after you enter the store? Maybe it’s the last one you walk through before leaving. 

Use your map to organize your shopping list. The goal is to make your shopping more efficient. The less time you spend in the store, the better. 

Make sure to plan your shopping trip after a meal, so you are not hungry. If you go to the store with a full belly, you are less likely to impulse buy junk foods. An even better option is to buy your groceries online and pick them up. This way, you never even enter the store. 

Use Your Environment to Encourage Healthy Eating

Setting some ground rules can help you change habits that might cause you to eat the wrong foods. A practical place to start is where you eat. 

The Table Is for Eating

Meals are for nutrition. That should be your focus when you eat. Distractions work against that purpose, and in today’s high-tech world, there are lots of distractions available. 

Make your first rule: No eating anywhere but the table and focus only on your food. That means no snacking in front of the TV and no devices at the table. 

Also, set your table ahead of time. For example, you might set it the night before. The preset table is just a reminder that this is the place to eat. 

The Kitchen is for Cooking

Now is a great time to declutter the kitchen. Lose the small appliances you never use and clear off the counters and cabinets. A neat, clean kitchen will make the idea of cooking at home more appealing. 

Keep healthy foods easily accessible, especially fruits and vegetables. Use them as colorful displays around the kitchen as a reminder that they are there should you feel the need to snack. 

Let Your Family and Friends Help

Even if they are not as dedicated to eating right as you are, they can support you in your effort. It takes just one to mess it up, too. That’s the friend that always wants to hit the drive-through or call for pizza. 

Surround yourself with people that want to see you be the healthiest you possible. They can be there to steer you down the right path. The supportive community on the Mighty Health app is full of people that want to see you succeed. 

Setting up your home environment in a way that supports your healthy eating agenda is one of the easiest ways to take control of your diet. It serves as a reminder that success is really up to you. A few neat tricks around the house here and there set you up for that success!