Happy Monday, all! If you haven’t heard by now, I started Whole 30 again this year on January 2nd. It’s my favorite way to kick off the year – and I’ve loved having you all join me in it! Remember you can sign up for my wellness newsletter to get extra exclusive content each week as we go through Whole 30 together. To kick things off, I wanted to give you guys 5 kitchen essentials I rely on, especially during Whole 30. It does take a little preparation, but these things are sure to set you up for a successful new year wellness perspective!

Storage Bowls – A huge essential just in general, but especially during Whole 30. A fridge can get extremely crowded an messy with bags of lettuce, plastic containers of things you’ve meal prepped, and the list goes on. I picked up these copper + gold storage bowls from World Market – there’s 3 sizes, they’re stackable, and not to mention keep your fridge looking stylish. Rather than keeping all of my greens in their plastic bags (they tend to get moldy quick), I transfer them to these essential bowls when I get home from grocery shopping. They’re also great for salads or using to take for lunch at work!

2. Cruets – I like to keep my products where I can see them, because then I’ll actually USE them! These oil and vinegar cruets are pretty enough to keep on the counter, and so much nicer than the bottles you buy at the store – especially if you buy large ones from surplus stories like BJ’s or Costco. Cruets come in all shapes + sizes, so find something that you like and keep them out on your counter. I keep mind in a little wire basket, like this one, right near my stove for easy access while I’m cooking. I also keep my salt + pepper shakers in it!

3. Baking Tins – This might seem like a no brainer at first, but honestly I think a lot of people forget the versatility of baking tins. There’s more to them than just cupcakes, girls! I make breakfast bites in them during whole 30 + it’s an easy way to bang out a week’s worth of breakfast in about 20 minutes. I also grabbed this loaf tin to make a meatloaf or spaghetti squash layered bake. Have essentials like this on hand to get creative with your recipes + foods!

4. Cookbooks – another seeming no brainer, but cookbooks are seriously a lost art. We’ve gotten into the habit of buying pretty books for decoration, but do we actually use them? I used to keep mine stuffed in the cabinet above my stove and found that I NEVER reached for them. How about you? Let’s change that! Put your cookbooks where you can see them and use them – cookbooks are an absolute kitchen essential! Reach for them when you’re meal planning or need a splash of creativity for a mid week meal. Using a cookbook doesn’t mean you have to follow the recipe to a T. I actually look through my cookbooks sometimes just to get some creative ideas going about what I CAN make, and some of the best random mixes I’ve made have come from a random mish-mosh of recipes. Cookbooks are an old school kitchen essential, but let’s bring them back + put them out to use!

5. Prep Bowls – I’ve found that prepping my foods really helps when I’m in a pinch or just needing to whip things together quick. It cuts down so much time when cooking! I grabbed these tiny prep bowls (to match my larger storage bowls) and prepped things like onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, chives, etc. to use in recipes during the week. I make omelets every morning so I grab a mix of those things + throw them into the pan. It makes cooking breakfast super quick. If you have a hard time making breakfast before running off to work, this will definitely help! They’re also great for putting a bunch of toppings in for a taco or chili night + then keeping the rest in the fridge for a salad leftover the next day.