Being organized and efficient within the kitchen is a must for stress-free maintenance of a special eating regimen for autism, ADHD or food allergies.
When things get uncontrolled and chaos takes over, it isn’t nice to work within the kitchen. You usually tend to avoid it and make a run for the closest restaurant, ‘fast food drive through’ or pre-made processed foods.
When coping with food restrictions on account of allergies or intolerances, those conveniences aren’t an option. And whenever you do have allergen-free options, they’re still less healthy than home cooked meals with increased risk of cross-contamination.
Here is my top 5 list of suggestions to maintain your kitchen and pantry organized and clean:
- Keep a shelf or place within the pantry, fridge or cabinets designated for allergen-free foods and utensils only. This helps avoid confusion with other members of the household, saves time when on the lookout for items, and prevents cross-contamination with foods that do not belong. *Especially essential if living in a household with mixed diets!
- Place appliances and utensils where they’re most utilized in the kitchen for convenience. For instance, I keep my juicer and blender near my sink for quick and straightforward clean up. It’s easier to make use of this stuff for green juices and smoothies once they are already out and able to go. I even have a strainer/basket that hangs within the sink. I rinse off the juicer parts after use, put them within the basket to dry, and easily put the basket in the cupboard to store once dried, while the principal juicer unit stays on my counter top. I’m much less more likely to use these appliances once they are put away and out of sight.
- Put foods you desire to eat less of in hard to achieve places. Higher yet, do away with them entirely. Not able to do a whole clean out or have a member of the family who still eats them? Put things like snack foods and sweets on the very best shelf within the pantry or behind the highest cabinet. Perhaps even move them to an area within the garage! Do what it takes to make healthy MORE convenient.
- Label every part. Even when you’ve a chosen storage place for allergen-free foods, it’s still a very good idea to label every part to avoid mix-ups. If someone absentmindedly puts an item within the unsuitable place, you possibly can catch the error by having the foods labeled. For instance, if everyone eats almond butter, but not everyone in the house is gluten free, you want a jar of almond butter that is devoted gluten free in order that children aren’t contaminating the jar with bread crumbs. Keeping it labeled, and teaching everyone in the house what that label means, will prevent accidental food ingestion and keep yourself organized.
- Keep it Clean. It’s hard to maintain up with house responsibilities and the children, I do know! But, should you can maintain one thing, I like to recommend keeping your kitchen clean. As a mom to 4 young children, personally speaking, I am unable to sustain with all of it by myself. But I need to keep my kitchen clean. If I walk into a large number, it makes me need to walk right out. You’ll be able to’t cook and prepare food if the counters are cluttered and dirty dishes are in every single place. That is the one place I need to hold myself accountable to keeping clean. The one time I leave dishes within the sink overnight is that if the dishwasher is full and running and I shall be putting them in very first thing within the morning.
Try to clean those dishes by hand that do not go within the dishwasher, wipe down all surfaces, and sweep the ground every evening. Taking the time to prep for breakfast or school meals will make the morning much easier as well. You do not have to be Martha Stewart, but a clean, inviting kitchen is great motivation for healthy cooking!
Put aside a while, perhaps a morning while the children are in class or a night while they’re with Dad or Grandma. Undergo and take out what you will not be using anymore after which follow the following tips for re-organizing every part that may stay. Once the initial makeover is completed, the upkeep is straightforward. And it should make your life much easier as well!
