I have a secret. I love cooking.
I find it relaxing and fun, but I have to be in the right mood. I don’t like cooking when I’ve worked all day and I feel rushed to get dinner on the table. Can I get an amen?!
It took me awhile to get to this place of zen with cooking. No matter how important healthy living was to me, I still struggled.
When I first started learning to cook as an adult, it was cumbersome and tedious. I was unsure of each step, I had to google a lot of new terminology, and I was scared to make a mistake and ruin my meal. Woah! Talk about pressure!
Practice makes perfect, however, and after years and years of trying different recipes and reading lots of cooking blogs and just making mistakes and being okay with it, I finally feel more relaxed.
I can actually experiment some when I cook and ad lib with a recipe. I have a better sense of what works and what doesn’t, which flavors combine well, and just how much jalapeño I can add to a dish before it burns my face off.
One of the most important things I’ve learned is where to spend money in the kitchen and where to save. Kitchen gadgets are our friends! Anything that can save time and energy for days or nights when those things are low (but you still have to cook!) is worth its weight in gold.
And when you try to focus on healthy living, you know you’ll be cooking a ton. It’s easy to just buy every dicer, slicer and self-mixing bowl you see on TV at 2 AM (after you may or may not have had a bit too much wine). Trust me, I’ve bought a lot of kitchen gadgets I used once and then they took up space, collecting dust in my cabinets.
Here are the Ten Kitchen Gadgets for Healthy Living that I think are worth spending money on.
I’ve done my research and recommended the best product within each category, which is the exact item I currently use and love. These gadgets will help you cook healthier food with ease and will save you time and energy when you need it.
- Instant Pot: There’s a reason you’ve been hearing a ton of buzz about this kitchen gadget. It’s a slow cooker, rice cooker, pressure cooker and more – ALL. IN. ONE!! This is my #1 time saver for cooking and my #1 recommended kitchen gadget for healthy living. If you don’t have one yet, please do yourself a favor and order it now. It’s so easy to use, easy to clean, and will become your go-to for fast weeknight meals. Learn More
- Vidalia Chop Wizard: I didn’t realize just how handy this would be until I finally bought it. It makes chopping onions a cinch (and without all of the tears) and also speeds up prepping vegetables for soup, stew and stir-fry. I am all about saving time in the kitchen and this gadget for healthy living really helps! Find It Here
- Sharp, comfortable Chef’s knife: I had no idea that a really good knife saves you time in the kitchen! What rock was I living under?! Those Costco knife sets just don’t cut it anymore (sorry Costco!). For less than $10, this knife speeds up my slicing, while still feeling comfortable in my hand. See More
- Food Processor: If you don’t make sauces or if you have a great blender you can skip this one…I went without it for years. But when I finally bought one, I ended up using it all of the time. It’s expensive but worth the investment. Take A Look
- Peeler: Just like a good knife, it’s amazing how much quicker you can prep your meals when you have a good peeler! This one is really sharp so be careful, but it also works incredibly well. Here’s The One I Love
- Instant Read Meat Thermometer: If you cook meat, you need to make sure it’s the right temperature so you know when it’s done and safe to eat. This thermometer is easy to read and magnetic so you can stick it to your stove or fridge. Check It Out
- Cutting board with built in storage: Full disclosure, this is the only gadget for healthy living I’m recommending without having used first, but this is absolutely the next cutting board I’m buying. The storage compartments would be so helpful when chopping up a lot of different veggies for a meal and it has good reviews. If you get it, let me know how it is! See It Here
- Glass storage containers: These containers provide lots of different storage sizes for everything you cook. They are essential if you do a lot of meal prepping or if you like to have lots of leftovers. Learn More
- Quality blender: It’s an expensive gadget for healthy living, but I’ve had my Vitamix for YEARS and it gets the job done. You can make hummus, nut milks, and nut butters as well as soup and protein shakes. Get More Info. If you need a cheaper alternative, and you’re mostly going to use it for smoothies, try this one: NutriBullet
- Grease splatter screen: If you cook as much as I do on the stovetop, you probably splash oil all around your kitchen. This screen really helps to prevent about 75% of the grease from getting on the floor and makes cleaning up the stove a lot easier. Here’s The One I Have
Want more Time-Saving Tips? Click HERE to download my free Healthy Living guide – Ten Time-Saving Tips For Easier Meal Prepping!
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