5 kitchen gadgets to help you eat healthy
Eating healthy isn’t a single choice, it’s a process. Giving up your favorite snacks and sweets cold turkey could result in a diet being abandoned immediately. Instead, it makes more sense to simply start incorporating some fruits and veggies into your diet, letting them organically begin to replace the processed foods. But if you’re new to the world of healthy eating, you may need to refresh your kitchen tools first. Here are five kitchen gadgets that will make eating better not only easier, but also more fun.
- Veggie spiralizer. If you’re worried that your pasta addiction precludes you from eating healthy on a regular basis, a veggie spiralizer is your answer. You might want to test-drive this cheap, handheld spiralizer before investing in a more heavy duty and expensive spiral vegetable slicer. Both do the same thing: transform your veggies into “noodles.” From carrots to zucchini, the spiralizer slices your round and cylindrical veggies into ribbons that can replace traditional pasta in any dish, swapping out the relatively nutrient-poor noodles for ones packed with vitamins and minerals.
- Oil mister. If you haven’t already made the switch from butter to olive oil as your fat of choice, an oil mister can help. Fill up the glass compartment with your favorite extra virgin olive oil and any herbs you like (think rosemary or thyme), then spritz a light mist on your pan before starting to cook, or lavish homemade sweet potato fries with a layer then toss with salt. You can even use the mister to dress your salads, just drizzle some vinegar or lemon juice on top afterwards.
- BluApple. Have you ever wondered why your fruits and vegetables seem to ripen faster when all stuffed together in your produce drawer? It’s because they give off ethylene gas as they age, which can make fresh fruits and veggies spoil prematurely when concentrated in a single drawer. The BluApple will keep your healthy snacks fresh for longer by soaking up some of this gas. Just stick it in the produce drawer with the rest of your fresh stuff.
- You don’t have to add any fat to steamed veggies, like you usually do when frying or baking, which is what makes them such a healthy side to any dinner. There are tons of different steaming contraptions out there; some go in the microwave, others rest right atop a pot of boiling water. Regardless of which you choose, the result will be the same: tender, colorful veggies ready to rest atop a bed of brown rice or leafy greens.
- Greek yogurt maker. Greek yogurt boasts probiotics, which help keep your gut healthy, just like any yogurt. However, it has the added benefit of packing an impressive amount of protein. For the lactose intolerant out there, though, Greek yogurt isn’t an option. That is, unless you have the Dash Greek Yogurt Maker. It allows you to make your own Greek yogurt at home using any milk you like (including almond, soy, and coconut), and add sweet extras such as fresh fruit.