Eating healthy during a kitchen remodel

Kitchen remodels can be disruptive to your healthy lifestyle.

Your routine is off, your space is limited, and the last thing you want to worry about is how to eat a healthy meal. During this time, convenience is the most important thing. In the event you do not have access to a refrigerator, try these tips to help you get through those several weeks, or even months, without one.  

Use smaller appliances 

You don’t need a full kitchen with a refrigerator to eat balanced meals. Keeping things simple and realistic to meet your basic nutrition needs is important. Utilize appliances like a microwave, toaster, air fryer, toaster oven, blender, or a George Foreman grill to make life a little easier. These tools allow you to heat, toast, and assemble meals with minimal prep and cleanup. Having just one or two of these appliances can make eating well feel much more manageable. 

Make sure your temporary kitchen set up is safe as you may have to use the appliances in other parts of the house. For example, be careful not to create any potentially dangerous scenarios like setting up a hot toaster near flammable curtains.  

Bonus Tip: In the winter, you can store perishable food outside in a cooler! Just make sure animals cannot get into the cooler by storing it in a shed or some type of storage box.  

Healthy Takeout Tips 

If you are relying on takeout more often, here are some key areas to focus on:

Start with protein.

Choose grilled, pan-seared, or broiled options when available, such as grilled chicken, fish, or lean cuts of steak like sirloin. Protein supports fullness and helps meals feel more balanced and satisfying.

Be mindful of added fats.

Cream-based sauces, soups, and butter-heavy vegetables can significantly increase saturated fat intake without adding much volume. This doesn’t mean these foods need to be avoided altogether, but they can make meals much more calorie-dense. To help manage calories and saturated fat, consider choosing dishes that aren’t prepared with cream-based sauces, opting for broth-based soups, requesting sauces on the side, or pairing your meal with a side salad and dressing on the side.

As a reminder, the American Heart Association recommends keeping saturated fat to about 6 percent of total calories, which is roughly 13 grams per day for many adults. You don’t need to track this closely, but it can be a helpful context when choosing entrees. 

Be strategic with carbohydrates.

Rice, pasta, or a baked potato are good sources of complex carbohydrates when part of a balanced meal (protein, veggies, complex carbs, and a little dietary fat). A helpful approach is to treat them as a side rather than the main portion of the meal.  

Choose vegetables you will actually eat.

Steamed or cooked vegetables are often the simplest option. If ordering a salad, ask for dressing on the side. When possible, limit fried vegetables. Can you still eat french fries? Yes, just be mindful of portion size. Choose a smaller size fry (or split the fries with someone else) and add a side salad or vegetables to make the meal more filling.

Pantry and Counter-Stable Items. These foods require little prep and no refrigeration.

• Just-add-water oats and pancake cups

• 90-second rice packets, precooked quinoa, lentils, or pasta, rice cakes, whole grain crackers

• Canned tuna, salmon, chicken, beans, nuts, seeds, nut butter cups, beef or turkey sticks

• Counter-stable vegetables like avocado, tomatoes, potatoes

• Canned peas, carrots, corn, green beans, artichoke, olives, banana peppers, jalapeños, red peppers

• Counter-stable fruits such as apples, oranges, bananas, pears, unsweetened dried fruit

• Unsweetened applesauce pouches, canned fruit (packed in fruit juice rather than syrup), fruit cups

Frozen foods

If you have access to a freezer, that can be a huge help. Keeping a few frozen meals on hand makes it much easier to put together quick, balanced meals. Aim for options that provide at least 15 grams of protein and 3–5 grams of fiber per serving to help keep you satisfied. Brands like Evol, Healthy Choice, Whole & Simple (Aldi), and some Trader Joe’s frozen meals often meet these guidelines.

You can also utilize frozen produce. Things like:

• Frozen chicken breast, fish, chicken/turkey meatballs, lean ground beef

• Frozen potatoes, brown rice, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, sweet potatoes

• Frozen edamame, broccoli, zucchini, spinach, carrots, cauliflower, green beans

Fun fact, frozen vegetables are picked and frozen at peak freshness, which helps preserve nutrients! 

If you have time prior to your remodel, prep some meals that can easily be frozen and reheated.

Using containers like Souper Cubes to freeze meals in portion sizes is a great option for:

• Soups

• Pasta dishes

• Egg bakes

• Breakfast burritos

• Smoothie ingredients

• And so much more!

**When choosing jarred soups and frozen meals, keep an eye on sodium if you’re sensitive to it, and saturated fat if heart health is a priority.

Simple meal examples

Here's a simple way to achieve balance with your meals:

• One protein

• One carbohydrate

• One fruit and/or vegetable

Examples:

• Breakfast: 1–2 packets of microwave instant oatmeal, ¼ cup nuts, and an apple

• Lunch: Canned tuna mixed with seasonings and avocado, served with whole-grain crackers, plus a fruit pouch

• Dinner: A 90-second microwave pouch of rice or quinoa with canned chicken and canned peppers. Eat as-is or roll into a tortilla fajita-style.

Avocado Mash Salad

Try this quick recipe using convenience items like

tuna pouches and leftover condiment packets!

Ingredients

• Two 2.6 oz pouches of chicken, tuna or salmon

  • Try pouched or canned chickpeas or lentils for a vegetarian option

• 1 whole avocado

• 2 tsp yellow or brown mustard (one packet) 

• 2 tbsp light mayo (two packets) 

• ½ whole pickle or 1-2 packets of relish

• Garlic and pepper seasoning

• Whole grain crackers, bread, wrap, or rice cakes

• For a higher-protein option, use 1 Tbsp light mayo + 2–3 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt, or replace the mayo completely with ~¼ cup plain Greek yogurt.

  
  

Instructions

Add avocado, mustard, mayo, and seasoning to a bowl and mash together. Drain canned protein and mix into the avocado mixture. Dice pickle and add along with a small amount of pickle juice to thin the texture or use 1-2 relish packets if it's easier. Serve on crackers, rice cakes, bread, in a wrap, or as a vegetable dip.

Tip: Use ½ of a ranch or taco seasoning packet for a different flavor

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