Healthy eating doesn’t require any special equipment, but there are some things I use on a regular basis and have incorporated into the plan. There are ways around most things, so I’ll tell you what you need and what would be nice to have.
Basic Necessities
- Good knife: No way around this one. One of the absolute best kitchen tools I have is a good set of knives. They make such a huge difference in the speed and control I have in food prep. I’m always reminded of that when I travel and have to use cheap and/or dull knives. If you’re short on cash, just buy a good chef’s knife and a paring knife – they’re much more useful than a full set of cheap knives.
- Cutting board: I like wood or bamboo ones, the bigger the better. I like to have one that’s dedicated to fruit, so that I don’t get a hint of garlic or onion with my mango.
- Pots and pans: Just one or two good ones will do. I like stainless steel or glass for pots, and cast iron or stainless steel for pans. Ceramic coatings are a good non-stick.
- Various utensils: stirring spoon, ladle, flipper, etc
Really Helpful
- Immersion/hand blender: This isn’t necessary, I use it to puree soup and mashed potatoes. You can just eat the soup loose instead of pureed, or use a full blender or food processor if you have one. You could even get away with a potato masher if you’re ok with a chunky soup.
- Blender and/or food processor: I use my blender to make smoothies, and before I had a food processor, I also used my blender to make dips and bean spreads. You can get away with just a blender (which are really cheap – you don’t need to get the $400 one, mine cost $20), but now that I have a food processor I use it much more than my blender. It’s much more versatile, but they do tend to cost more. If you need a low-cost option, try a thrift store – the often have used food processors fairly cheap.
Nice Extras
- Garlic press: Using a garlic press, your clove will be pulverized. That means that it melds the garlic flavor more smoothly into your dishes. This is the only way I can handle raw garlic in salad dressings, salsa or dips. Otherwise, I get a chunk of garlic in a bite and it just explodes with garlic-ness in my mouth. Some people might like that, but I’m not one of them.
- Citrus zester: A zester takes the very outside of a citrus peel, which is where there’s a huge amount of flavor. Once you start adding orange, lemon and lime zest to your cooking, you won’t be able to look at a citrus fruit without thinking of what you can put that zest into.
- Ginger grater: My favorite way to add ginger to a dish is to grate a piece, and squeeze the juice from it. It gives whatever meal I’m making a really nice ginger kick, but in a smooth and even way. If I mince ginger, the flavor doesn’t always carry through the whole dish, and every so often I get a little bit of ginger that explodes just like garlic. Now, you can do this with a normal grater, but a ginger grater does a better job of ripping the ginger into pulp, and keeping it all together, so that you get more of the juice from your piece.
- Sprouting jars: Sprouts (like alfalfa or clover) are an excellent part of a healthy eating plan, and making your own at home gets you the best nutrition. I used mason jars for sprouting for a long time. Eventually, I realized that the sprouts made in a sprouting jar (I use an Easy Sprout) were better quality because they had better drainage and airflow. They also make it a lot easier to rinse, so I’m more likely to do it when I’m supposed to. The Easy Sprouters only cost $15, and if you compare that to the cost of buying sprouts from the grocery store it’s well worth it. I now have 2 sprouters, so that I can keep batches going continuously. Go to sprouting.com to find the Easy Sprouter, and you can order sprouting seeds there as well.
- Oil sprayer: I’m not talking about the aerosols, but the kind you fill up with your own choice of oil and then pump to build up pressure and spray. They’re fantastic for getting a fine mist of oil on veggies for roasting, or seasoning your cast iron pan.