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!

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.

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