Today I thought I’d share with you a little behind-the-scenes tour of my favorite kitchen tools and gadgets that I use to create a healthy lifestyle as well as make my recipes and meals with on a daily basis.
Each one is something I use quite frequently and truly wouldn’t want to live without.
This gadget not only makes eating vegetables more fun and definitely prettier to eat, but also makes it an easy way to incorporate more vegetables into your diet. When you spiralize vegetables you get more volume, meaning you will be eating a lot more food for less calories! Spiralizing vegetables and fruits are easy to make ahead of time which makes it a great tool for meal prep. Simply store in bags or containers for easy grab and go. I love spirializing potatoes, yellow squash, zucchini and carrots just to name a few!
I found this amazing gadget at a cooking class that I was taking several years ago and still use it when ever I need to peel garlic. I find there is nothing more tedious and time consuming then trying to peel the skin off garlic and this roller makes it super easy to do so. Not to mention, it is super inexpensive at less than $10! You simply put the garlic clove in the center, roll it on your counter and the garlic is peeled!
This tool makes juicing a lemon super simple and mess free. It also allows you to squeeze as much juice as possible and catches the pits so that you never have to worry about them dropping into your water or tea or any recipe you happen to be making.
I particularly like this one because it is sturdy. I have had it for many years and it is still in perfect condition, considering I use it all the time. I always love adding fresh lemon to my water and salad dressings and this tool is a great effective way to do so.
Vitamix Professional Series 750 Blender, Black
While this gadget may be a bit pricey, I can honestly say it is by far the best blender I have ever used and worth the investment. I have had about 5 other “great” blenders in the past and nothing compares to the Vitamix. I make everything from ice cream, to smoothies to soups in this blender and it never disappoints. No matter what you are trying to blend the Vitamix can do it!
Calphalon 1948254 Signature Hard Anodized Nonstick Grill Pan, 12″, Black
I am a big fan of grilling but live in New York and the weather does not always permit me to go outside. With this grill pan, you don’t sacrifice taste and get the same results. It is super easy to use, clean up and store. I grill everything from steak, fish, shrimp and chicken on it. I always allow the pan to heat up and spray olive oil on it as I would when I grill. I have used this particular pan for over 10 years and it still does a fantastic job every time. A true staple for replacing outdoor grilling!
Pompeian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
I go through a bottle of this spray quite often. I spray everything in place of butter and oil – my omelette pan in the morning, my veggies when roasting, my grill pan (see above), cookies sheets and my baking dishes when making cakes and muffins. It never disappoints and saves me hundreds of calories. There are many different brands to use. I have found that some don’t work as well as others in terms of non-stick, but my favorite one is this one from Pam and my local food store’s (Acme) name brand (Signature).
I love using the Slow Cooker for so many reasons, one of course being time. You can cook dishes overnight or while you go about your day. It’s also great for cooking high protein meals which I am all about. Slow cookers make it really easy to cook meats that are full in flavor. If you can, get a 6-8 quart slow cooker, its a bit larger in size and makes meal prep easier.
The best (and only) way to know exactly how much you are eating is to weigh and track your food. It doesn’t (and shouldn’t) be forever, but it’s a great tool when starting out on your health and fitness journey. Not only will it educate you on the value of the foods you are eating, but it will ensure how much you are consuming. If you can’t lose weight, you will need to decrease the amount of food you are eating and if you are trying to maintain or eat in a surplus you will need to increase. I have found that most tend to underestimate the portions we consume and a food scale takes the guess work out of the equation and produces facts! I love using a food scale when I am making recipes and I no longer use measuring cups like I used to. Not only is it more accurate to weigh the ingredients, but it’s less of a mess and clean up!
Drinking water is essential to a healthy diet and something everyone should do regardless of their goals! I love this water pitcher because it filters the water straight from the tap, is great tasting and easy to store in the fridge. I also love not wasting all of those water bottles! Knowing fresh, clean water is always on hand will encourage you to hopefully drink more.
I hope you enjoyed this list of my favorite kitchen essentials. Because there are so many more of my favorite things I will be adding to this list so feel free to check back often!
