An engineer takes a thoughtful approach to gaining more control over how we eat.

In a world obsessed with diet culture, Alin E. Steele addresses our relationship with the kitchen. It affects so much of our lives.

In Re-Engineering the Kitchen, she shifts the focus onto improving nutrition and discussing how finances and environmental impact play a role in consuming and purchasing food. With our fast-paced lives flying by, it’s common for people to feel out of control when it comes to how their kitchens operate. Steele suggests that it just takes a bit of re-engineering to get us all back on track. Is it a simple solution? I’d say yes and no.

While Steele doesn’t attempt to make this look like a cake walk, she does a tremendous job of breaking down the thoughts and ideas that go behind people’s actions in the kitchen and provides the answers on how we can change things with just a little more intention and the right tools on our side.

Re-Engineering the Kitchen is a standout among food & nutrition books, offering a logical solution to the problems that create our bad eating habits.

You’ve probably heard of the saying “You are what you eat.” Steele doesn’t attempt to reinvent the wheel by disputing that claim. She does, however, challenge us to think of our food in a new way when she says “…you eat what you buy.” Simple, yes, but it speaks to so much. Another feature is learning how to tackle and control food waste. Labeling foods as preferred foods and paying attention to food longevity can be the building blocks to avoiding the dreaded bag of uneaten greens at the end of the week.

She also dives deeply into getting daily nutrients through fresh foods, which is not something that is often accomplished. Then she provides the stats you’d need to attain those goals. Using herself as an example, she goes into detail about how to accomplish your food goals and ensure that you’re eating the foods that will pay off the most for your health.

What I liked most about this book is that Steele doesn’t just stop at suggestions in her book but works to provide readers with ways to take action. She’s not shying away from the monumental task she’s asking readers to do: address their hopes and fears about how they run their own kitchen. But she also provides readers with the information they need to do better, and that comes in the form of nutritional facts as well as worksheets and new information in a simple and digestible way.

Speaking of digestion, one of the great additions to this book is that it doubles as a cookbook. Steele introduces the idea of Agile Recipes too, a term she coined to describe her streamlined recipes and cooking instructions. Unlike your favorite food blogs, this recipe doesn’t come with a long intro about what this meal means to her and her family or any funny quips about how she’s failed a million times to finally land on this perfect recipe.

It gives you only what you’re looking for: the instructions, the ingredients, and the measurements. She throws in a picture or two for good measure but gets right to the meat of the task at hand: providing people with the simplest way to make food that aligns with their goals.

High nutritional content, low waste, and cost efficiency are at the top of Steele’s priorities, and she nails them with over 100 Agile Recipes in this book. It’s a nice break-up to the informational portions of Re-Engineering the Kitchen.

Re-Engineering the Kitchen is a book that will help you feel more in control of your kitchen and, perhaps, the rest of your life.