Kitchen Items
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10 Kitchen Items for a Healthy Lifestyle
December 15, 2012 by Melanie Zook
What should you have in your kitchen? I get asked that question a lot. So I thought I’d put together a list of my favorite kitchen items that help my family eat well & make the most of our food budget, all while keeping the planet in mind. So without further adieu, in no particular order…
1. Good knives.
You don’t even need a full set; just a chef’s knife, a paring knife, and a serrated knife are all you really need. Keep them sharp, since a dull knife is actually more dangerous than a sharp one. And if you’ve never done so, consider taking a knife skills course. It’ll change your life as you know it in the kitchen—food prep will become much more efficient.
2. A VitaMix blender.
A $500 blender, you ask? Oh, yes. Consider it an investment. The price tag will seem a little less steep with every batch of vegetable soup, cheese sauce (leave the pre-packaged mac & cheese on the shelf, once & for all), hummus, frozen dessert, nut butter, baby food or smoothies that you make. Items that you used to buy can now be made at home quickly, easily, and with only a few whole food ingredients. Considering a juicer? Get a VitaMix instead, and eat the whole fruit/vegetable, instead of giving all that great nutrition to your compost pile.
3. Le Creuset bakers.
Le Creuset bakers are ideal for roasting vegetables & baking casseroles, but also beautiful enough to go straight from oven-to-table or oven-to-potluck. And they’re surprisingly easy to clean.
4. A popcorn maker.
This one isn’t just for kids. Popcorn is a low-cost, whole grain snack, but store-bought microwave bags aren’t the best option. The brown lunch bag trick for popping popcorn doesn’t work well in our new convection/microwave oven combo, so I had to dust off the popcorn maker. Air poppers are great, but I like the nostalgic experience of a stove top popper—a little olive oil is all you need. Try adding popcorn to trail mixes or packed lunches. (Organic popcorn kernels are available at Trader Joe’s.)
5. A slow cooker.
But they’re not just for convenient, set-it-and-forget-it meal prep! Try cooking whole grains, dried beans, or even make-ahead breakfasts.
6. Glass prep bowls.
Keeping enough of these around is key to efficient meal prep and mise en place (everything in place).
7. Glass storage containers & mason jars.
Forget the plastic. (Even if plastic storage dishes are BPA-free, what’s the next chemical to be big news?) A set of square or rectangle (more space-efficient than round), 2-cup, and 6-ounce glass containers with lids will cover just about any left over or food storage need you may have in your refrigerator, freezer or pantry. And mason jars are cheap, attractive & functional.
8. A SodaStream.
A SodaStream - you’ve seen these around, right? You might see it as another gadget that you just don’t need (like the fondue set or the s’mores maker). Not so. I bought it for two main reasons—for the environment, since I was buying bottle after bottle of club soda, and since I’m just not fan of water. Adding a little fizz to a drink just makes it more fun. I don’t use the syrups; instead, I just add in a splash of lemon, lime or 100% fruit juice for flavor.
9. A Kitchen Aid mixer.
A Kitchen Aid mixer. It’s a tried & true classic (& have you seen all the fun colors they come in now?). I’ve recently decided to leave mine out on the counter to see if it makes me more inclined to whip up a homemade snack or meal. After all, who wants to bother taking something out of storage (then putting it away again) every time it’s needed? It’s worked—I’ve found that I’ll throw together a batch of homemade granola bars or make whole wheat pizza dough a bit more quickly & conveniently. That’s how healthy eating should be anyway.
10. Items that help you use your freezer for all it’s worth.
A freezer can be a big money saver, as well as a secret weapon when it comes to adding good nutrition to your diet. Use ice cube trays to freeze baby food, vegetable & fruit purees, leftover sauces & homemade pesto. Freeze green smoothies in ice pop or push-up makers instead of buying artificially colored/flavored popsicles. Freeze whole wheat pasta, cooked dried beans or whole grain waffles on a silicone mat before storing them in a gallon-sized freezer bag.
