If you want to get healthy, it starts by outfitting your kitchen with the right type of appliances. There are gadgets that make it easier for you to eat healthy by making low fat, flavorful foods.
You can find kitchen gadgets that help you cut out fried foods by still giving you the same delicious crunch, only in a baked and healthier manner. So you won’t feel like you’re giving up anything.
Another thing healthy kitchen items assist with is time management. Many people complain about how difficult and long it is to make a meal from scratch, which causes them to rely on fast food instead.
If you stock your kitchen with the right tools, you can cut down on the time it takes to prepare healthier fare and eliminate the crutch of using a drive-through or food delivery service.
Start with an Instant Pot
An instant pot is a small, but useful gadget. It’s basically a pressure cooker. But, it has the capability of doing so many different types of cooking. You can steam vegetables or you can make a pot of rice.
Whatever you decide to make, unlike traditional cooking methods, the instant pot has the ability to get the food prepared a lot faster than you could make it using a stove. These appliances can be used to mix foods, too.
You can just put in everything that you want to cook, set your timer and then leave it. Once the cooking cycle is over, the food is prepared. It’s healthier to use an instant pot because it allows you to cook at lot of low calorie, but nutritionally rich foods in a short amount of time.
You can make something like chicken, or you can make a low sodium vegetable soup. Not only can it cook meat to tender perfection, but it’s able to make side dishes such as potatoes.
Because it’s a set it and forget it way of cooking, it cuts down on the amount of time you have to spend in the kitchen, which can help you stay on track for healthy eating on a regular basis.
If you don’t have one or have never used an instant pot, there are numerous brands that you can choose from. You’re sure to find one that can easily fit your budget, like the Instant Pot Duo.
This one offers one-touch cooking, so it simplifies your meal prep time and makes it more likely that you’re going to eat healthy because it’s so convenient. The cooker can be used to cook rice, to sauté, as a slow cooker and more – so it’s pretty versatile.
The Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1 is another option for you. You’ll be able to use the gadget to cook fast or slow. Not only can you use the function as a pressure cooker, but you can also use it to make everything from barbecue ribs to low calorie yogurt.
One of the issues with trying to eat healthy is that when you’re part of a family with members who are reluctant to change the way their food has always been prepared, it can make it tougher on you.
That’s why something like the Instant Pot Pro 10-in-1 can help. This model has the ability to cook a larger variety of foods so you can find something that everyone will like without having to sacrifice cooking in a more nutritional way.
This one not only has 28 different settings to choose from, but it’s also capable of baking a cake. Family members who are looking for those sweet treats can use the gadget to still have what they like, while you use it to make healthier meals.
Get a Blender
One issue with trying to live a healthier lifestyle is that things have changed over the years. You’re busier than you ever were before. No one really has time to prepare things in an elaborate way.
Instead, you need kitchen gadgets that can get the job done, yet help you with your goal of eating healthy. A blender is one of those convenience tools that you need for the kitchen.
This appliance can help you eat healthier because it gives you the ability to blend all sorts of foods for every meal. You can use it for breakfast, lunch or dinner prep. For example, if you wanted to have a breakfast smoothie, you can just mix up the vegetables and fruits and quickly and conveniently have a blended breakfast drink ready to go.
Plus, when you blend the fruits and vegetables, you’re getting more of the fiber, which is an added benefit when it comes to eating well. A blender can also be used to make puree for a soup.
Or, you can use a blender to make desserts that are low in calories, yet nutritionally dense. Cleaning up after using the blender is super easy, too – which also saves you time.
Instead of having several dishes to clean, you have one gadget to wash. When you have a blender, it makes your goal of eating healthier easier, too – because you can prepare foods that are good for you in advance.
For example, you can make your breakfast drink the night before and just grab it and head out the door on your way to work the next morning. To get started, you’ll need to have a good blender.
One that has a good track record as well as being budget friendly is the Hamilton Beach 58181 Blender. This kitchen gadget has the ability to crush ice in order to make low calorie beverages.
Studies have shown that low calorie beverages work to stave off hunger pangs and can help prevent food bingeing. Plus, it can also puree vegetables for meals like soup. Because it has a travel container, you can take it on the go as needed.
Another blender you might want to consider getting is the Ninja AMZ493BRN Compact Kitchen System. This gadget has a large family size, five cup bowl. The blades on this model are durable enough to be able to mix dough.
Because it has preset programming, you can create the beverages or foods you need simply by pressing a button. A popular blender for a healthy kitchen is the Vitamix E310 Explorian Blender.
This one is a professional grade, so it offers more features and options to aid you on your journey for a healthy lifestyle. It can chop and puree and save you time in the kitchen because it’s self-cleaning.
An Air Fryer Is a Must-Have
To most people, the thought of designing a healthy kitchen with gadgets that can aid them in losing weight or getting in shape, means they have to get rid of anything that cooks comfort foods, such as a fryer.
This had choice is what causes a lot of people to choose to remain unhealthy. They don’t want to give up the foods that they love. The truth is, you don’t have to deprive yourself.
You can have the same great taste of the foods that you love without all the consequences that make those types of fried foods bad for your heart. When you air fry foods, you don’t ruin your health.
This means you’re not going to get that heavy calorie load. Some fryers have the ability to cut out as much as 80% of the calories that you’d normally get by frying foods. Not only that, but many air fryers can make the food using just a tablespoon or less of oil (or by using a cooking spray) versus the big amounts a regular fryer needs.
This means that air frying is better for you – not just with taste – but also health-wise. It lowers your chance of heart disease, high cholesterol and high blood pressure by cutting out almost, if not all of the oil.
Air fryers can crisp whatever you want, yet the gadget can hold onto the tender moistness of items like meats every single time. You can use one like the Dash Tasti-Crisp Electric Air Fryer to make delicious crispy food or snacks like French fries.
Because this one is compact, it doesn’t take up a lot of space on the counter. Once you select the temperature range, your food is ready to go in just a few minutes. No more waiting for frozen food items to cook in the oven.
If you want one that’s a little bigger and can do more, then you may want to get the Instant Vortex Plus 4 Quart Air Fryer. This tool is a 6-in-1 and can also roast or dehydrate as well as simply reheat food items.
But it can also be customized so that you can make things like vegetables, healthy desserts or snacks. For those who want to cook larger portions in an air fryer, you’ll want to check out the Ninja AF150AMZ air fryer.
This gadget has a capacity of 5.5 quarts. So instead of cooking a single serving size or smaller portions of something like sweet potato fries, you’ll have the ability to cook as much as 3 pounds of that delicious treat.
A feature that this one has is the ability to dehydrate foods, too. So you can create vegetable or fruit snacks that can help you not only get the vitamins and the fiber that you need, but also the antioxidants.
Buy a Kitchen Scale
One of the best tools you can have in a kitchen is a scale. Yet many people neglect to get one because they still think they can “eyeball” a portion size or measure out food just by using the palm of their hands.
But not everyone’s hands are the same size, so you might be getting an extra-large portion and many more calories than you think you are. The problem with not having a scale is that when you’re hungry or in a hurry, you engage in guesswork and then settle for “good enough” when it comes to measuring stuff out.
But a scale never lies, never plays the guessing game and can help keep you on track with any weight loss or healthy eating goals that you might have. It can be used for any food.
This means that you can use the scale to make sure that you get the right amount of protein in your diet. But you can also get the specific measured amounts of other foods, like your grains.
On top of that, when you’re working on a new, healthy dish that calls for certain measurements, it can be easier to use the scale – especially when you need to configure the measurement between grams or ounces.
Using a scale teaches you to limit your calories to what your body actually needs. By practicing portion control with the help of a kitchen scale, you’ll start to develop a habit of measuring out your food, which in turn will help you to lose weight and live healthier.
The Greater Goods Digital Food Kitchen Scale is designed to be thin and non-intrusive. You can use it to measure out ingredients, to weigh your foods or to be able to count the macros if that’s part of your healthy eating plan.
This scale is known for its accuracy. It also has a great LCD screen that’s easy to read. So at a glance you can see the ounces, pounds and more. The Escali Primo Lightweight Scale has a lot of great features.
One of these is that the buttons on the front are sealed. If you knock something over and spill liquid, the scale’s function won’t be affected. It has touch button use and the technology to be able to weigh just the contents of whatever container you sit on the scale.
The Nicewell Digital Food Scale is a good addition to any kitchen. This one uses four sensors that allow it to accurately weigh any food up to 22 pounds. It boasts a backlit LCD so you can read it even when the kitchen light is off.
There are numerous measuring units to choose from. The front of the scale is kitchen friendly, meaning if something splashes on it, all you have to do is wipe it down and it has a tare function, too.
Grill for Healthier Meal Choices
You might have heard of numerous fat reducing tips if you’re trying to eat healthy. One of these tips includes grilling over cooking your foods using other methods, and a countertop grill can be a great addition to your kitchen.
By grilling your foods, you’re preparing it in a way that lowers the amount of fat that you would normally get from that item. For example, countertop grills may be slanted or have a way for the fat to drain off.
This design is what lets the fats from any meat run off the grill. The fat travels into a catch that usually sits under the edge of the grill. If you allow that runoff to resolidify, you’ll see just how much fat you cut out of your meal by grilling it.
When you prepare your food items using other methods, the fat doesn’t run off. Instead, the meat or whatever your cooking is cooked in that fat. You only see a portion of it left in the pan. The rest of it cooks right back into the food.
Not only is it healthier to cook meat on a countertop kitchen grill, but other food items as well. For example, you can cook fruits and vegetables using this type of method. By doing that, you gain more of the nutritional value of the food.
This means you get more health benefits by getting to consume those vitamins. Plus, countertop grilling eliminates the need for additional toppings. You can use herbs when grilling that give the food plenty of flavor but no additional calories or sugar, which is linked to cravings and weight gain.
The Nonstick Electric Indoor Smokeless Grill is a budget friendly option. This grill has a surface that is large enough to hold an entire meal as it cooks so you can save time – plus give your family members different food options.
It has an even cooking temperature that offers five selections to choose from. A household name in countertop grills is the George Foreman line. The George Foreman 6-Serving Removable Plate Grill is one that is designed to keep your food from being cooked in the fat.
It has an adjustable temperature option. Plus, one of the best features is the floating hinge. That means it’ll expand for thicker food options. The removable plates are dishwasher safe.
The Ninja FG551 Foodi Smart XL is a little more expensive, but that’s because it’s also a 6-in-1 gadget. Not only can it sear or crisp food, but it also offers specific protein choices so that you can determine how well you want the meat done. This gadget can let you bake or broil – plus three other options in addition to grilling.
They say that those who fail to prepare, prepare to fail. The same can be said for those who don’t stock their kitchen with the tools they need to help them stick to a healthy way of living when it comes to nutrition.
Not only do these products help cook your food healthier, reducing fat and calories, but they serve as a great help when it comes to time management and stress relief – two things that often cause people to turn to unhealthy foods as a matter of convenience.
You can shop for these gadgets no matter if you’re on a budget or want the top of the line. Look for items that help you achieve the most important health goals you have, and then look for things that have the right features and price points for your needs.
