Eating healthy sounds easy, but it requires a lot of preparation, intentional effort, and the proper tools to get started. Ingredients and food types are just the starting point; how you prepare the food and what tools you have to cook with makes a big difference! Cooking is essentially an act of chemistry, so it’s essential to pay attention to the details. For example, if a recipe calls for thinly sliced vegetables, you’ll want to have the necessary tools on hand to execute that properly.
To help paint a picture of what a kitchen prepared for cooking healthy meals looks like, we put together a list of six essential kitchen items you’ll need for rising to your cooking potential from the comfort of your own home. Continue reading to learn more!
1. Ceramic Cookware
Quality cookware and pans are essential for cooking, and ceramic cookware is becoming increasingly popular. These are a great healthy non-stick option as opposed to traditional options, which use chemical coatings to achieve their non-stick effect. Ceramic pans are coated in ceramic, a much safer and more effective option for cookware. Keep your meals clean and evenly cooked with ceramic cookware.
2. Knives
The quality and sharpness of your knives makes a big difference in how things like vegetables, meat, and herbs will turn out before and after cooking. The better your knives, the longer they’ll last, the sharper they’ll stay, and the more worthwhile it’ll be to sharpen them once they get dull.
Once you spring for nicer knives, you’ll wonder how you ever cooked without them. Look into chef’s knives for the best quality in steel. But remember, you don’t need the most expensive professional level knives at home. Get something nice, but not ones that will break the bank.
3. Blenders and Food Processors
Blenders and food processors and great for making healthy meals like smoothies, juices, and processing fresh vegetables to be used in other dishes. If cooking healthy is your ultimate goal, you should consider getting tools like these that can help you work with a wider range of ingredients and make a variety of dishes. Some of the best winter soups are made with blenders and food processors to achieve a creamy, smooth texture. Up your soup game this winter season by springing for a new blender or food processor.
4. Slow Cooker
Slow cookers and multi cookers like crock pots or instant pots are also great for making healthy meals at home. These allow you to slow cook, saute, and make the process much more convenient than cooking over the stove for hours on end. Even if a slow cooker roast takes eight hours, for example, that’s still much less time than if you had to use an oven, and it’ll require less of your attention. You can start slow cooker soups and chilis in the morning and fill the house with the scents of delicious, healthy food.
5. Mandolins and Slicers
Mandolins are the best tool to have on hand for cutting vegetables or potatoes into thin slices. A mandolin is a flat surface with a raised blade that you slide the food over, creating ultra thin slices. This is great for finely sliced things like garlic, onions, or potatoes. Mandolins are also great for getting the most out of a vegetable. Tomatoes, for example, often get to a point where it is difficult to chop with a typical knife; break out the mandolin, and the job becomes simpler! Remember, though: you should always wear a protective glove while using this tool so as to not slice yourself by accident.
6. Storage Containers
Quality storage containers made of glass are another essential kitchen item for healthy eaters. They help you save precious ingredients, reduce waste, and keep things as fresh as they can possibly be. Glass storage containers are also sturdier and don’t wear out as easily as plastic tupperware containers. Plus, they are much better for the environment should you need to dispose of them. They are also often easier to organize and store away when not in use. Switch to glass storage containers and say goodbye to searching for that missing tupperware lid!
Conclusion
Healthy cooking at home isn’t difficult, but it does require doing some work on your tool kit of utensils and cooking supplies. The better your tools are to cut, prepare, and cook your ingredients, the better your meals will taste, and the more inspiration you’ll have to make meals at home.
Consider upgrading things like knives, cookware, storage containers, and purchasing useful tools like food processors and mandolins. These suggestions are just the beginning and will likely lead you to a whole world of unique and interesting tools to try at home. Have fun exploring new healthy meals this season!
