Cooking and eating healthy go hand in hand. Whether you are just starting out on your weight loss journey or have been eating healthy for years, cooking your own meals is the best way to go to stay on track. The word “cooking” usually scares those who don’t cook or don’t know how to but it doesn’t have to be complicated.
You don’t have to go to culinary school and become a chef in order to cook healthy meals. All you need is a few good kitchen appliances and a healthy recipe to cook up a nutritious dish in minutes.
If you enjoy cooking like me then you may be a little obsessed with finding kitchen appliances that make your life easier. Sometimes I go overboard and buy too many appliances because each one has a specific function that either helps me save time or takes my dish to the next level. If you are not into cooking you may feel like you don’t need to invest in any other appliances, but my list may change your mind once you see what you are able to do with these appliances including saving you money in the long run.
Below you will find a list of some of my favorite healthy kitchen appliances which I recommend that will make cooking meals easier and healthier.
1. Blender
When it comes to getting a blender, you need one that is powerful enough to chop through frozen fruits and vegetables so that your smoothies and smoothie bowls actually come out smooth as their name suggests and not have any pieces. The Vitamix is the most powerful blender that is out. It chops, blends, purees, pulverizes, and self-cleans.
It is so versatile that you can make smoothies, juices, nut butters, soups, ice cream, sorbets, dough, sauces, non-dairy milks, and so much more. The price of a Vitamix starts at $250 and goes up from there which scares many people away, but you are getting what you pay for in quality and motor power. It is a quality machine that will last you a long time and save you money in the long run. Get your own Vitamix here.
2. Juicer
Drinking freshly made vegetable juice is one of the best ways for your body to absorb nutrients but buying juices on a regular basis does get expensive plus you don’t know how long the juice you are drinking has been sitting on the shelf. Buying a juicer will not only save you money but guarantees the juice you are making is fresh. Think of the different types of fresh juices you are able to make with a juicer like orange, pineapple, mango, and so much more. Get your own juicer here.
3. BBQ Grill
Grilling especially during the summer months is one of my favorite ways to cook. Grilling vegetables and veggie burgers on a grill gives the food a whole new flavor. The Char-Broil line of Signature Convective Gas Grills offers the option to choose either two, three, or four burners. It comes with a removable grease pan for easy clean up, high grade stainless steel burners, and controllable cooking zones. The signature line grills range from $329.99-$529.99.
If you want to take your grilling to the next level then the Char-Broil SmartChef TRU-Infrared 3 Burner Grill may be the better option for you. This grill has its own Wi-Fi that connects to your compatible smart device that lets you control and monitor your grill settings through its mobile app. The SmartChef TRU-Infrared 3 Burner Grill costs $799.99. Learn more about the line of Signature Convective Gas Grills here and the SmartChef TRU-Infrared 3 Burner Grill here.
4. 2 in 1 Slow Cooker and Pressure Cooker
You can get a slow cooker and a pressure cooker and have two different appliances that take up space in your kitchen. What’s even better is having one appliance that does both. This Instant Pot is a combination slow cooker and pressure cooker. Not only does it save space in your kitchen, it gives you the option to either slowly cook your favorite dishes or use the pressure cooker function to quickly cook food that usually takes a long time to cook. The pressure cooker function is perfect for cooking a big batch of dried beans quickly to use in several dishes. Get your own Instant Pot here.
5. Food Processor
A food processor is a necessity in every kitchen. It makes chopping, grating, shredding mixing, and slicing so much faster and easier to do. I use my food processor to make a lot of different recipes including a big batch of recao which is a Puerto Rican cooking base. If your knife skills are not up to par then a food processor is what you need to chop and slice evenly. Get your own food processor here.
6. Spiralizer
Turning vegetables into noodles is one of the latest healthy food trends that everyone is trying. While you can buy spiralized vegetables in the supermarket, they cost more than buying the whole vegetable itself. With this motorized spiralizer, making your own spiralized vegetables is easy and cheap. Just buy several zucchinis, yellow squash, or any other of your favorite vegetables and pass them through this spiralizer to cut them into spiral or ribbon shaped food. Get your own motorized spiralizer here.
7. Immersion Blender
An immersion blender is a hand blender that’s great for turning chunky soups into smooth and creamy soups directly in the pot you cooked it in. You can also make single serve blended drinks and your own non-dairy whipped cream with the whisk attachment. It doesn’t have the power of a Vitamix when it comes to making drinks with it but it does the job with softer food. Get your own immersion blender here.
8. Dehydrator
Love dried fruit but not the added sugar and sulphur that most dried fruits sold in stores have? Then a dehydrator is what you need to make your own healthy wholesome dried snacks without the need for an oven. Make your own no sugar added unsulphured dried fruit, fresh homemade potato chips, fruit leather, and dried herbs. Get your own dehydrator here.
9. Electric Kettle
Drinking hot beverages such as tea on a daily basis not only cleanses the body but provides hydration and fights free radicals. This electric kettle makes boiling water easy, less messy, and safer to handle. Within 5 minutes you can have one or several cups of hot water ready to make tea, coffee, oatmeal, or hot cereal. Get your own electric kettle here.
10. Rice Cooker
While you can cook a cup of rice in a pot cooking it in a rice cooker makes it so much easier. A rice cooker cooks rice perfectly with the press of a button and when it’s done it automatically switches to warm so that it doesn’t over cook the rice and keeps it warm until you are ready to serve it. I always use a rice cooker to make rice and other healthy grains such as quinoa, bulgur, barley, farro, freekeh, wheat berries, etc. Get your own rice cooker here.
11. Convection Oven
Convection ovens blow hot air over and around the food with a fan so that it cooks quickly and evenly. It’s great for roasting vegetables and baking. When cooking in a convection oven be sure to set the temperature for 25 degrees less than what the recipe calls for and check on the food two thirds of the way through the recommended cooking time. Get your own convection oven here.
Bonus: Nut Milk Bag
Did you know that making your own nut milk is actually very easy to make? All you need is a high-powered blender like the Vitamix and a nut milk bag. This bag may not be considered an actual appliance but is a necessity when you are making homemade nut milks. The bag is used to strain the pulp from the nuts from the milk after blending the nuts and water. You can use this bag to strain other liquids that have a pulp. Get your own nut milk bag here.
You don’t need to have every single appliance that is on this list but owning some of these appliances will make cooking on a regular basis more convenient, faster, and make you look like a chef.
