“Improving your nutrition is about developing a few key habits and routines that make healthy eating your default rather than a difficult chore,” explains MOBE Guide Tara. “This can be things like developing some home cooking skills, creating a meal prep plan, or revamping your pantry to make healthy foods more accessible.”
When it comes to eating healthier, how you cook may be just as important as what you cook. As our MOBE Guide team suggests, that means having the right tools at the ready. The right tools make it easier to:
Check your drawers and cabinets for these essential devices—if you don’t already have them, picking them up shouldn’t break the bank. You can find them in the kitchen departments of most big-box stores, at your corner hardware store, or even at second-hand stores.
Box grater
Grating ingredients creates tiny bursts of flavor to infuse every bite of what you’re cooking. Use it for richly flavored cheeses like sharp Pecorino Romano or Parmesan for big flavor with fewer calories. Or use it to zest citrus—the pop of flavor added by zest helps replace salt and fat in salad dressings or meat marinades.
Salad spinner
If you’ve never seen this brilliant gadget in action, you’ll be amazed by how it washes and dries salad-ready greens in just minutes. The spinner basket doubles as an extra strainer for washing fruits and veggies.
Apple slicer
Eating an apple has never been easier. Sliced apples are a healthy, juicy, and crunchy alternative to chips. Dip them in 100% natural peanut butter or try them with a thin slice of cheddar.
Collapsible steamer basket
Folding and unfolding this clever invention is half the fun. The stainless-steel basket fits any saucepot. Fill the pot so the water is below the bottom of the steamer, and pile in your favorite veggies. Bring to a boil and in minutes, you get gently and evenly cooked flavorful veggies.
Ergonomic can opener
Canned, wholesome foods (low-salt, low-sugar) can be the backbone for so many 15-minute meals. Treat yourself to the opener with the biggest handles you can find to make it easier on your hands.
Roasting sheet
Roasted veggies take on sweet, smoky, and delicious flavor—making it more likely you’ll eat them more often. Any heavy-duty baking tray with an edge keeps chopped veggies from rolling into the oven. Try cauliflower, carrots, sweet potatoes, or broccoli tossed with a splash of olive oil and your favorite herbs. Let the oven do the rest.
Chef’s knife
If you can only afford one kitchen knife, this is the one to own. Most are 8 to 10 inches long and can chop tough cuts of meat but also slice through a delicate tomato. You’ll save time and likely money buying whole vegetables and fruits versus precut, packaged produce.
Garlic press
Powdered garlic doesn’t hold a candle to the real thing. Fresh garlic is the heart of so many international cuisines from Greek to Indian, Italian to Chinese. Using a garlic press gives you minced garlic instantly ready for mixing or stir-frying.
Kitchen shears
They’re not just for cutting string. Kitchen shears can be used to trim fat from meat or snip the tips of green beans and snow peas. Use them to slice through steamed spinach or to make whole-grain spaghetti instantly more kid-friendly.
Cutting boards
Consider getting at least three flexible plastic cutting boards—one for raw meat, one for bread and fruits, and one for pungent ingredients like garlic and onions. Make it a habit to thoroughly wash and dry anything that has touched raw meat before using it again to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.
Parchment paper
While it’s not quite a tool, once you discover how quickly it makes clean up, you won’t want to go without it. Line a roasting pan, a baking sheet, or a cake pan and enjoy the confidence that your masterpiece will be no fuss and less mess.
What have you wanted to try on a healthier-cooking adventure? Let our starter list be the beginning of more inspiration for quick-and-flavorful ways to eat well for heart and soul.
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