Want to cook at home more but hate all the work involved? Cooking at home is definitely more work than ordering in a pizza or going out to eat. But it’s so much healthier, it saves you a ton of money, and it’s a nice way to spend time with the family. So, yes, it’s more work, but you do get used to it. It gets easier. And these 10 kitchen must-haves make it much easier to create and maintain a clean eating kitchen.
“Must-haves” might be a little strong, but these are kitchen gadgets, appliances, and accessories that I absolutely love. I use many of them every day. They are in no particular order; in fact, if I had to pick one it might be mason jars (and the little plastic lids that I found for them!)…
Mandoline
Sweet potatoes are one of the healthiest carbs around and sweet potato chips are so delicious- better than sweet potato fries! They are tricky to cook but worth the effort. My mandoline slices them perfectly, quickly, and is easy to clean, i.e. dishwasher safe. I’m still slightly terrified of it and fear to lose a fingertip one day, but it’s worth it for my sweet potato chips. I use it mostly for sweet potatoes, but it’s also great for white potatoes, beets, apples, other fruits, and vegetables.
We’ve had ours for a while, and I couldn’t find the exact model on Amazon but the one below is comparable.
Veggetti
Zoodles (spiralized zucchini) are a great replacement for pasta when you’re looking to eat healthier. Note: I am not saying zoodles taste like pasta. But they can be used like pasta- as a vehicle for sauces, as a side dish. The Veggetti makes it very easy to do; it’s like sharpening a pencil.
We have the small version and all we really use it for is zucchini. My sister has the big ass version (aka the Veggetti Pro) and you can do a lot more with it, including sweet potatoes. Spiralized sweet potatoes are right up there with sweet potato chips for deliciousness. I’m kind of thinking my husband might get one for Father’s Day. You know, from the kids.
Spiral Vegetable Cutter 1000203 Spiral Vegetable Cutter
Silicone Muffin Pans
These are a must for egg muffins. Cleaning out a regular muffin tin after making egg muffins is a huge pain. With the silicone, they pop right out. I also use them for monkey muffins. They’re dishwasher safe. I bought two so I can make a whole batch of monkey muffins at once.
Waffle Maker
The idea of homemade waffles was one it took me a while to warm up to it. Not the eating of them part, but the making them part. But it’s surprisingly easy. It’s not much more of a time commitment than pancakes and is a much healthier option than frozen waffles. We make a double batch on Sundays and have leftovers for breakfast during the week. I’ve been very happy with our simple Cuisinart waffle maker. It lets you know when the waffle is ready and they come out perfectly every time.
Wire Cooling Racks
These sat around unused for a long time. I always ignored the step in the recipe that said, “Remove to cooling rack.” But they come in handy when I’m making large batches of things. And now we use them every week when we make waffles. Waffles can get soggy when you stack them right after taking them off the waffle iron. So we put them on the wire rack to cool until the next waffle is done. Then we can stack the cooled waffles and they stay nice. These aren’t the exact ones I have, but they look just like them and got good reviews…
Lemon Juicer
Adding lemon to your water is a great way to drink more water and has lots of health benefits. Hot water with lemon first thing in the morning is so good for you. I love using fresh lemon in recipes when I have them around, too. This lemon juicer makes it easy to get the most juice out of the lemon!
Aquagear Water Pitcher
Speaking of water…I have agonized about water. This is one of those things where I question how crazy I should be. Is plain old tap water fine? Mostly I think. I don’t love the idea of water sitting in big 5-gallon plastic jugs for who knows how long much more than I like the idea of tap water. I feel mostly ok with tap water but like the idea of filtering out some of the stuff in there.
We used the Brita water filtering pitchers for a long time. Then we got a water quality report and I learned about “trihalomethanes.” (I can spell it by heart now.) Apparently, Brita filters don’t filter out trihalomethanes and trihalomethanes are scary. I also learned that if you wait too long to change your Brita filter, your water can actually be contaminated by the filter. Yuck. The same is true for most water pitchers.
This led me to research water filter options- I considered reverse osmosis, whole house filters, etc. When I talked myself off the cliff, I settled for a water pitcher that effectively filtered the damn trihalomethanes. I narrowed down my options and ultimately picked the Aquagear. It’s a little pricey compared to the Brita and the filters are very pricey. But I am so happy with my choice. The water tastes better and the filters last a long time. A nice perk is the pitcher can go in the dishwasher.
Aquagear Water Filter Pitcher – Fluoride, Lead, Chloramine, Chromium-6 Filter – BPA-Free, Clear
French Press
My husband dragged me kicking and screaming into the idea of a french press. I am not a coffee aficionado, I rolled my eyes and thought coffee is coffee and scoffed at the work involved. He- and our french press- have won me over.
He first got the idea from reading something during the bulletproof coffee craze a few years ago. Apparently, when you make coffee using a french press more of the essential oils in coffee make it into what you drink. So you get more of the health benefits of coffee (see this article from Dr. Axe for more on those). And the coffee really does taste better! Like a lot better.
Electric Kettle
I thought this was a silly appliance- who needs another something to clutter up the counter? But it boils water so fast! I kind of miss the nostalgic whistle of a tea kettle on the stove, but I don’t think I’m going back.
Mason Jars
Mason jars might be my favorite thing in the kitchen. I use the small ones for overnight oats and yogurt concoctions of all kinds. They also double as drinking glasses! The quart size jars are perfect for storing homemade recipes- shake ‘n’ bake, monkey muffin mix. And the big ones are great for storing granola.
Ball Regular Mouth Pint Jars 12 Count (16 OZ) Made in USA Brand New and Fast Shipping
Mason jars are also good for storing kitchen staples. They look pretty on a shelf, it’s easy to see what’s inside, and it keeps things fresh. I love to store berries and cut veggies in them too- I swear they last longer in mason jars in the fridge!
The metal lids that come with mason jars are great, but I really love the plastic ones I found on Amazon. They close nicely and they never rust.
Make Your Life Easier
Committing to clean eating and cooking at home is wonderful and so good for you. But, let’s face it, it’s also more work. Make your life easier and stock your kitchen so you’re more likely to stick to that commitment.
And clean eating doesn’t have to be all kale and hardboiled eggs. My kids love my homemade chicken nuggets and they are completely clean. It doesn’t have to be perfect either- just cooking at home (even if you use white flour or whatever) is much better than fast food or processed foods.
So treat yourself to a few kitchen gadgets that will make cooking easier and more fun, fill your pantry and refrigerator with whole foods, give your loved ones a good pep talk and start cooking. Check out this post on Clean Eating Basics to learn more.
What’s your favorite home-cooked meal? Is it “clean” or could it use a little cleaning up? I’d love to hear from you!
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