7 December, 2014
10 Real Food Kitchen Utensils (That Make Perfect Gifts)
Today I am going to share with you my top 10 real food kitchen utensils (that make the perfect gifts). Great for anyone that is cooking real food or that wants to start. Now I am not expecting everyone to run out and purchase everything on this list. Some of these items you may already have but they are collecting dust in a cabinet somewhere in your kitchen. These are the items that I use most often in my everyday life and have helped me a lot on my real food journey. My hope is to give you some ideas on what you can do with these items and make your lives easier when it comes to cooking real food. One of the number one complaints people have when trying to make real food at home is that they don’t have a lot of time to spend cooking everything from scratch. I get it, I’m busy too. We have to be realistic or we just won’t do it and we will reach for those pre-packaged meals full of preservatives and chemicals. Having good kitchen utensils that make your life easier is the best way to find the time for real food.
If nothing else this list would also make some excellent holiday gift ideas.
A blender is really one of those number one things I use the most in my kitchen. I do recommend investing in a little nicer model. I have had inexpensive models before and they just don’t last very long. I love making smoothies every morning and a nicer blender just gives a creamier texture. If it doesn’t taste good then you probably won’t eat it and there is nothing less appealing then a chunky smoothie. Other uses for blenders I love include making nut milk, salad dressings, cashew creams, date paste, overnight oats and even raw soups. Get one that has cup attachments to make it easier to blend and take to go.
I love love love my food processor and use it all the time. I grind my own flours with ingredients like oats, quinoa, or millet. I make nut butters, hummus, and salsa in mine too. Make enough to last you all week. Even if you just start out with a smaller model and see how much you can make.
Plastic is out and glass is in. I try to avoid BPA as much as possible and using glass instead of plastic is the way to go. I take smoothies and overnight oats with me in glass jars. I use them to pre-portion leftovers in so that I can take them with me for lunches. Really anything that I make usually goes into glass jars. I even store things like lentils, quinoa, or grains in my pantry in glass jars. As long as you leave enough room at the top for expansion glass jars can usually go into the freezer as well which is great for make ahead foods like soups or sauces.
Glass Pyrex Storage Containers
Any glass containers like Pyrex are essential to me. They can go into the freezer (as long as you leave some room on the top) so they work so well when you make extra batches of real food and need to store them in the freezer. Casseroles, homemade broth, cooked beans and more can go into the freezer for a quick meal.
When you are making a lot of your own food, chances are that you use your oven a lot and I love easy clean up. These mats can save you money over time too since you can reuse them forever. I roast veggies and potatoes, make your own homemade fruit leather, bake cookies or dry soaked nuts on them.
Teflon is something I try to avoid with frying pans. I love ceramic pans because they are still non-stick without the added chemicals. Saute vegetables or cook eggs with ease and very little added fat.
Having a juicer is really one of those splurges that not everyone will want or need but it is on my list because if you love vegetable juices then having your own can really save you some money. Instead of paying $10 a pop for a bottle of juice make your own at home for a fraction of the cost. Make your own sports drink replacement. I prefer masticating juicers because they add little heat with maintains the nutrients in the juice.
This is a great tool for saving some time. I have this model and it boils water is about 1 minute. Tea can be so healthful that I have at least one cup every day and this electric kettle makes it so easy to do. I also use it to boil water for my warm lemon water in the morning. It gets used daily in my house for sure.
Crock pots can be one of the biggest time savers. Having a hot meal ready for you when you get home is such a happy feeling. Endless possibilities with this one but some of my favorite uses include roasting chicken, bone broth, chili, warm breakfast cereal or even baking bread (yes you can bake bread in your crock pot).
This one is a bit of a wild card but I use strainers for so many things like straining nut milk and straining pulp out of my homemade juice. I use them a lot so they are on my list.
Bonus Idea
I came up with an 11th idea since this year was the year of the spirilizer. I love love my spirilizer! Any kitchen too where I can transform vegetables into pasta noodles I am on board. Dishes like zucchini noodles or sweet potato noodles add nutrients and flavor to dishes without all the calories or carbohydrates of traditional noodles.
The right kitchen tool can make life so much easier and healthier. Why not give the gift of health with one of my 10 essential kitchen tools. What are your favorite kitchen utensils?
*This post may contain affiliate links. Any proceeds will go back into www.theorganicdietitian.com.
0 Comments
