10 Healthy Cooking Tools to Make You an Awesome Cook

There I am, trying to fix a broken gadget, using a butter knife rather than a screwdriver. It’s not a genius move. Have you ever tried to tighten a screw with a butter knife or hammer in a nail with something that most definitely was not a hammer? Not having the right equipment for the job makes the task at hand a lot harder. Such is the case with healthy cooking kitchen tools.

Trust me, whether you enjoy cooking or not, having the proper equipment makes the job much easier and creates a superior outcome. And, your family- they will thank you for making delicious and nourishing meals!

Here you will find a list of my favorite healthy cooking gadgets to equip your kitchen tool chest. These aren’t the essentials like a can opener or your average pots and pan. These are items from inexpensive to splurgy that will make you a happier, healthier cook!

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1. Instant Pot Duo 7-in-One

The Instant Pot is all the rage. And, for good reason. I know of no other appliance that meets so many needs (well) in one unit. Less counter space and fewer dishes. You just can’t go wrong. You can make this delicious Italian-Spiced Pot Roast in less than one hour!

It’s 7 features include, a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, sauté pan, yogurt maker and a warmer.  

To better explain what makes the Instant Pot so great, let me share with you how you could use an Instant Pot to easily make whole grain pasta with ground turkey and veggie marinara.

1. In the morning, heat the Instant Pot using the sauté feature. Add ground turkey and cook until no longer pink. Add in peppers, onions, spices and canned tomatoes.
2. Set the Instant Pot to slow cooker and cook the sauce all. day. long.
3. When dinner time arrives, simply toss in whole grain pasta and pressure cook for 6 minutes.
4. Serve!

We also love to make homemade yogurt. All you need is a yogurt starter (a few tablespoons of plain yogurt with live, active cultures) and a half a gallon of milk. That’s it! Turn your yogurt into decadent Greek yogurt with this Greek yogurt strainer.

2. Nice Quality Pots and Pans

Do you have faithful sidekick pan? You know, the one you always use. While you can spend thousands on a set of nice pans, I have found that the higher-end of “inexpensive” works really well. Yes, they will need to be replaced someday but you don’t need to take out a small loan to pay for them.

We have really enjoyed this Caphalon 10-Piece Non-stick Cookware Set. No doubt, the large saute pan will need replaced first but swapping out one pan will be fairly inexpensive.

These pans are great because they have an ovenproof handle, which means you can sear on the stove top and toss your dish right into the oven to finish.

3. Spiralizer

Zoodles, zucchini pasta, is a game-changer for your healthy eating efforts. While pasta is amazing, Zoodles serve as a great way to get that tasty sauce into your mouth. Zucchini is just the beginning. Sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and beet noodles are now showing up in the produce department for $10 a pound! See, it’s that good!

Try this recipe for Simple & Healthy Chicken Cacciatore or visit Inspiralized, an entire website dedicated to Spiralizer recipes.  See her Getting Started Guide here.

4. OXO Salad Spinner

Prewashed lettuce is expensive. Especially, if you are anything like me, and you can down an entire bag in one serving. This OXO Salad Spinner makes washing lettuce EASY! Simply:

• Cut the lettuce using a plastic lettuce knife to avoid browning.
• Toss the lettuce in the bowl without the strainer.
• Add water and swish around to loosen any dirt.
• Dump the lettuce into the strainer, over the sink, and return to the spinner.
• Spin, spin, spin,
• Repeat and serve.
• You may also store the washed lettuce in the spinner.
• You may also wash kale and leeks in the spinner, which is notoriously difficult to wash without this brilliant contraption.

5. A Mandoline

How many more vegetables would you eat if they were cut up, in the refrigerator, ready to go? A mandoline makes eating veggies- easy! Twice a week set aside some time to hit up the produce stand and then wash and cut produce galore.

Salad, stir-fries, omelets, having your plant food ready to rock-and-roll means your plate will support your health and fitness goals to the fullest.

6. Microplane Zester/Grater

There are a few flavorful components that you can add to a dish that takes them from ho-hum to “oh yeah!”. Garlic, fresh ginger, and lemon zest are just a few of those. A Microplane Zester/Grater makes adding these wonderful tastes super easy. I managed to snag one at TJ Maxx with a cover I absolutely love.

Try your hand at fresh ginger with this easy Egg Roll in a Bowl Recipe.

7. A Silicone Muffin Pan

You know that time that you made a batch of incredible muffins that you couldn’t wait to serve your family and they stuck to the pan… bad? It’s super-frustrating and wasteful. Silicone muffin pans solve that problem! Available in just about every shape and size, you can easily replace your current pan with a silicone one, for cheap! Hint: allow your baked goods to cool before removing them.

Try these Crowd Pleasing Whole Wheat No Sugar Added Banana Muffins or these Healthy Egg Muffin Cups.

8. Popsicle Mold

Who doesn’t love a popsicle on a hot day? Or, in any season, for that matter. Homemade popsicles are a fun way to serve you and your family tasty treats. We eat a lot of smoothies around here and I will often use the extra to make a few frozen pops for the fam.

Check out this great list of easy popsicle recipes. You’ll wonder where they have been all your life!

9. Ball Wide Mouth Mason Jars

Prettier and cheaper than Tupperware, Ball Wide Mouth Mason Jars are a heavy hitter for healthy food prep. Great for dinner leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch, you can easily organize and store soup to salad. These also work perfectly for make-ahead yogurt parfaits and overnight oats.

10. Vitamix Blender

I saved the best for last. The Vitamix Blender is the gold standard of blenders with units costing up to $500 and more. We personally have a Standard Reconditioned model that runs less than $300 that we absolutely love! You may also get a version with a grain mill and auto-settings. We primarily use our Vitamix for smoothies and protein ice cream (yes, that is a thing!). You can thank me later.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this list as much as I have enjoyed sharing it with you. Just as getting a piece of new workout gear can infuse our exercise routine with excitement, adding in a fun, new healthy cooking kitchen tool can add a flair to your food prep!

Comment below and share YOUR favorite kitchen tool!