Eating out or getting takeout may be easy, convenient, and sometimes a lot more fun than cooking at home. But have you ever thought about what all that food is doing to your body? If you’re trying to lose weight, eating out can sabotage your efforts. I am currently reading Hormone Intelligence by Aviva Romm and she stated that we gain at least 2 pounds every year from eating out one meal a week. Many of us eat out a lot more than that!

One of the most common hesitations I hear from people about cooking at home is that it takes more time. I wish I could give you the gift of time, but there are only so many hours in a day. However, I can help you utilize those 24 hours a little better.

The second hesitation I hear is that people say they are “bad cooks” or don’t know how to cook. Believe me, I have been there! I remember back in college, I had to call my mom to ask her what to do with an ear of sweet corn. Talk about a simple food to cook! Just put it in some boiling water!

Ugh…..

So I totally get it. But here’s the thing, this isn’t an article that will teach you how to cook. That is more of a hands-on demonstration type thing, not a blog article! But what I am going to share with you today are my top 10 essential tools and utensils for a healthy kitchen.

Let me start by saying that healthy cooking takes some time and patience to master. But you don’t even need to become a “master”! All you need to do is master a few simple techniques. And you can’t do that without the proper tools.

In an effort to save money and not waste it on another kitchen utensil that would sit in the back of the drawer, I put off purchasing many of these items for quite a while. I wish I wouldn’t have waited so long! I know, money is tight for many of us so making new purchases might not be realistic right now. But just know that these items are going to make your healthy cooking so much easier! The time and frustration they save alone may quickly pay for them!

No fluff here. All these items I use almost every day if not several times a day. Are you ready to get ready to make some delicious, healthy food? Keep reading!

**A high-quality chef’s knife**

There’s a lot that goes into picking out a chef’s knife but it’s well worth the effort. You want to look for one that is 8” long and feels good in your hand. If you are not comfortable holding a big knife or have no knife skills (that was me less than 6 months ago!), I would encourage you to go to a restaurant supply store where you can actually hold them and talk with someone who knows knives. A good chef’s knife will change your life! If you’re ready to splurge, here is where you will want to do it. If you want something a little less expensive, there are options for you too! Every healthy kitchen has a good-quality chef’s knife. And learn how to sharpen it. That’s key.

**Paring knife**

This is the second knife that is so incredibly helpful in a healthy kitchen. Truth time, you really only need 3 knives: a chef’s knife, a paring knife, and a bread (serrated) knife. All the others are just bonuses. Paring knives are usually inexpensive and can travel easily so if you need to take a knife while traveling or for lunch, this is your guy. A paring knife can help with peeling produce, making tiny cuts, or for use when cutting up garnishes at a home bar. This is another situation where I had no idea what I was missing! I reach for this knife all the time!

**Hand-held juice press**

If you plan on using fresh lemon juice for anything (lemon water, tea, baking, making dressing and sauces, ect.), this is a must. Nothing fancy but it works like a dream! You can also use it to juice limes, oranges, and grapefruit, you just may need to cut up the larger fruits a bit. Again, I had no idea how much lemon juice I *wasn’t* getting out by just using my hands to squeeze!

**Colanders and strainers in every size**

The more the better! I have a jumbo colander, a fine mesh strainer that is about 2” in diameter (which I thought was the most ridiculous thing ever until I fell in love with it!), and everything in between! Fine mesh strainers are necessary for rinsing things like quinoa, rice, and other tiny grains. Colanders are good for larger foods. If you only want one, go for a fine mesh strainer since it’s more versatile, you can use it for both large and tiny foods). Colanders often come in sets which is super convenient. You can even use a metal colander or strainer as a steaming basket! I often take colanders out to the garden with me and put my veggies right in there when harvesting. It makes it easy to quickly rinse off outside or in the kitchen sink.

**Mixing bowls in every size**

These are typically sold in sets and can be very inexpensive. I like to have glass mixing bowls since they are dishwasher safe and easy to clean. I have one glass mixing bowl that fits perfectly over one of my pots so I can use it as a double-boiler for melting chocolate, peanut butter, ect. Metal mixing bowls are great, too. Since you’re going to be cooking more, chances are you’re going to need a few bowls handy, otherwise, you will have to wash them throughout your meal prep which is a bummer.

**Jar opener**

No more banging jars on the counter or with a butter knife! Jar openers are amazing for everyone to have on hand, but really really necessary for anyone with arthritis or limited strength in their hands/wrists. No shame here, I use mine all the time! Why fight with opening a jar when you could use this cheap tool?!

**Mason jars in various sizes**

I use mason jars for so many different things! We use them as drinking glasses, food storage in the refrigerator or the pantry, mixing sauces and dressings, containers to freeze soups and other foods, and containers to store fresh herbs (just like you keep cut flowers in a vase of water, you can do that with many herbs). They are easy to clean and cheap! If you break one, no worries!

**Reusable silicone stretchy food container lids**

I received a set of these babies one year as a gift and thought it was a joke. Little did I realize they are so incredibly helpful! They come in different sizes so you can find one that fits on most things. Think of leftovers, a half-used can of something, or a plate. Since you will be cooking from scratch and likely having leftovers, you will save yourself a lot of time by having a plan for what to do with all those meal components!

The heaviness keeps it from sliding. I have a smaller cutting board that I use only for garlic since that smell will NEVER go away!! I also have a medium-sized one for onions since I’m really sensitive to onions and swear I can smell and taste it on anything cut on that cutting board! Even if it’s completely clean! If you prepare meat in your kitchen, you should have different cutting boards for meat and veggies to avoid cross-contamination. Back in the day, I had a set that was color-coded which made it easier. Red was for meat and green was for veggies and other things.

The one downside to wood cutting boards is that they are tough on knives, which is why they usually use plastic in professional kitchens. You may just need to sharpen your knives more often, which isn’t really a big deal once you learn how to do that. Plus, you don’t have to oil them so there’s less maintenance. Honestly, unless you’re a professional chef, I think it comes down to personal preferences and price.

**Kitchen towels**

You can never have enough kitchen towels! I usually go through at least 3 every time I cook! Maybe that says more about my cooking style than anything else….but let’s not pull at that thread! You can buy a pack of tea towels (those thin white ones) at most stores for under $10. The more you have, the less you will worry about going through them too quickly. When you cook at home, you’re going to make a mess, let’s be real. Know that going in. But by cleaning as you go, the best you can, you save some time at the end. Plus, it’s good to have separate towels for drying your hands and wiping up spills or drying off produce.

There you have it! My top 10 kitchen tools and utensils. There are more, but this is a great starting point. You don’t have to get all of these at once. But keep them in the back of your mind for when there’s a sale or maybe put them on your Christmas list! I bet Santa would love to bring you some new kitchen goodies!

Bottom line, if cooking at home is too difficult because you don’t have the proper tools, you’re not going to do it. If you’re serious about getting healthy, you will need to cook.

If we all had personal chefs, we would all probably make better food choices. So until that happens, it’s in your hands!

I would love to hear from you! What’s your most loved kitchen tool or utensil for cooking healthy food?

Peace, love & kale!
Lindsay

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