- Jan 7, 2020

52 weeks x Well Edited Co.

As we kickoff 2020, I'm excited to share this collaboration with Kelly Powers - registered dietitian and the creator of 52 weeks — a complete guide to meal prepping through the seasons. Kelly also designs workplace wellness programs for corporations and writes copy for food and health tech startups. Personally, I just used her shopping guide at Trader Joe's this past weekend and discovered some awesome new products.

I met Kelly at a coworking event and while working together on organizing her home office, we talked about the importance of habits for long term results in both of our professions — it was then we knew we had to collaborate!

Kelly is starting the year off with a12 Months of Sustainable Health Practices Challenge and January's topic is Kitchen and Food Organization. Check out the photos of Kelly's freshly organized kitchen and my top 10 clutter-free and organization tips below. As a bonus, Kelly has shared 10 health and wellness tips and the benefits of implementing these practices. We hope you enjoy reading this just as much as we enjoyed working on it together!

FOOD ORGANIZING TIPS:

1. Focus on one area at a time. Start at one place and pull everything out. This will help you avoid making a huge mess in case you need to finish at another time.

2. Compost/toss/donate. Get rid expired items and donate unexpired foods that you aren't going to use.

3. Sort. Categorize and place like items together.

4. Relocate. Find a home for items that don't belong in the space you are working in.

5. Get rid of packaging. Decant grains, lentils, spices, snacks, etc. in glass jars, remove bulky packaging and buy what you can in bulk.

6. Space plan. Measure your space and place categories where they make sense. Keep oils and spices close to the stove and items that are used often front

and center.

7. Keep it fresh. Store fruits and vegetables properly to keep them fresh. I'll admit, I'm no expert in this area but here are some helpful tips from the Edible Terrace and Life Storage.

8. Create a list. Make a shopping list and stick to it, buy what you need to keep your fridge, cabinets and pantry from overcrowding and food waste.

9. Maintenance. Do a sweep of your fridge every couple of days or weekly and a quarterly cabinet, pantry and freezer clean out.

10. Products. Check out your categories and inventory. Try not to overbuy, purchase what's useful now and look for items that can be reused in other spaces in case your food inventory changes. Place products in an aesthetically pleasing way and don't overcrowd it to where you can't find things. Also, when it comes to labeling - label where it's needed but don't over-label. With that said, here are my top organizing products:

KELLY'S HEALTH AND WELLNESS TIPS:

1. Have a meal or two to fall back on. A favorite of mine is pasta con tonno or tuna pasta. It uses minimal ingredients (think pasta, canned tuna, tomatoes, and fresh parsley if you have it) that are mostly shelf friendly. Check out the full recipe and nutritional breakdown HERE.

2. In the fridge, keep fruit and vegetables where you can see them. This is particularly great to do with items you need to use up. It’ll help you gravitate towards healthy, unprocessed items while you reduce food waste.

3. Have a countertop fruit bowl. Fill it with seasonal produce and stock up on citrus. It’s amazing what some fresh lemon or lime juice can do to a meal (lemon on fish, lime crema for tacos, lemon based salad dressing). Place it at your kitchen entrance for a colorful reminder to get your fruit in. Because we all know it’s a lot easier to grab a pear that’s in plain sight rather than one that’s hidden in a closed drawer. Especially when you have to bypass 5 less optimal options to get there.

4. Have two or three grab-and-go breakfasts ready. Weekday mornings are hard. Make them easier with staple overnight oats or a yogurt, berry, and muesli parfait.

5. Stock up on legumes, beans, and whole grains. They’re the foundation of many meals. They’re also great to batch cook, helping meals come together in no time. Lentils, farro, brown rice, barley, steel-cut oats, and couscous are great options. If you get canned beans, rinse them before you use them.

6. Follow FIFO. Practice first in, first out to reduce food waste and work through items you have.

7. Use your freezer. It’s a great place for bread, tortillas, seafood, meat, and smoothie essentials.

8. Batch cook. Twice a week for an hour or two can get you meals in less than 10 minutes Monday – Friday. Learn more HERE.

9. Keep your cookbooks in the kitchen. Use them for inspiration before you grocery shop and while you assemble meals or cook throughout the week.

10. Don’t stress. You don’t have to be so precise (unless you’re baking). This is a place to relax and reconnect with yourself. Put some music on and pour yourself a glass of wine. Play a little.