Whether you’re new to healthy cooking, or have been at it a while, you definitely understand the importance of helpful tools in the kitchen. I’m amazed at how much I’ve accumulated over the past couple of years, but I really do use everything! When I was starting out, I had not too much more than a knife, a cutting board, and a few pans. But the more I branched out with the types of healthy recipes I wanted to make, the more I realized I’d need more gadgets to make things easier.
Cooking food in your home is the best way to control what goes in your body. You can monitor your own portion sizes, the quality of the ingredients, and levels of nutrients like sodium, fat, and sugar. It can be much less intimidating to do with some great recipes, and the right tools you need for the job!
So break out the cookbooks and start searching the internet for the tastiest and healthiest recipes you can find, and check out my list below of the top 30 healthy cooking kitchen essentials!
1. Classic Chef’s Knife
This is a big time staple to have in any kitchen where chopping of nutritious vegetables will take place! This is the essential knife to have on hand for chopping, slicing, mincing, and more. Look for a stainless steel knife where the steel runs all the way through the handle, a “full tang blade” for easier use. I have this one.
2. Quality Cutting Board
What goes better with a knife than a cutting board? You’ll use this hopefully with every meal, because of course you’ll want to cut up fruit or veggies for it! Quality is key here, do your research ahead of time. There are some materials that harbor bacteria and it will get in your food. I have this one.
3. Paring Knife
This is a great knife to have on hand when cutting more delicate foods. It will be easier to maneuver than the chef’s knife, and will give you better results. Think foods like tomatoes, and hulling strawberries, de-veining shrimp, peeling thin or thick skins, etc. Again – best to get a full tang blade. I have this one.
4. Peeler
While you can definitely use the paring knife to peel your fruits and vegetables, using a good peeler can make things a little faster, easier, and safer! Think outside the box with this one, you can also use it to create fancy vegetable ribbons to use in salads or stir fry’s, or to make perfectly uniform slices of hard cheeses. I have this one.
5. Kitchen Scissors
I use my chef’s knife a TON in the kitchen, but there are lots of time where using shears makes things a lot faster. I like to use mine to cut up meat into strips or small pieces for stir fry’s, cut dried fruit, sundried tomatoes, fresh herbs or greens, and more. I have these.
6. Measuring Spoons and Cups
Having these items on hand is almost essential for following any recipe. You can try to channel your inner Rachael Ray or Bobby Flay and just eyeball measurements, but I wouldn’t recommend it! When looking into measuring cups, I recommend getting a glass set. This way you can microwave them and not worry about BPA and other chemicals leaching into your food. I have these and these.
7. Pizza Slicer
Skip the super unhealthy pizza delivery services and make your own! There are so many types of healthy pizzas you can make, using things like cauliflower, spaghetti or butternut squash, portabella mushrooms, etc. Get creative! I also use mine to cut dough for homemade crackers, bars, squares, or breadsticks. I have this one.
8. Tongs
You won’t believe how much you’ll use these. I realized the need for them when using my crock pot and grill more. Handling and flipping meats was SO much easier with this tool. It’s also great for tossing and serving salads and stir fry’s, removing corn on the cob from boiling water, getting toast out of the toaster, and of course reaching things on the top shelf 🙂 I have this one.
9. Citrus Juice Press
When I first started using mine I was really surprised at how much lemon/lime juice I had been wasting. I was getting nearly double the juice out when I started using this tool. Fresh lemon and lime juice has loads of health benefits, and tastes great in all kinds of homemade salad dressings and sauces. I have this one.
10. Ice Cream Scoop
These aren’t just good for scooping delicious ice cream. I use mine ALL the time to make healthy meals, snacks, and desserts. Using them to help you form uniformed foods like meatballs and patties helps make sure they are the same size so they cook evenly. Homemade cookies and energy balls can be a lot healthier than store-bought, and really easy to make with the help of a scoop. I have this one.
11. Metal and Silicone Spatulas
Both material spatulas have loads of healthy uses in the kitchen. Use the metal spatula for flipping foods like meats and eggs, and serving foods like casseroles. Use the silicone spatula for making sure you get all of the foods you prepare out of mixing bowls and blender/food processor containers so there’s no waste. I have one like this one and this one
12. Serving Utensils and Platters
Key to have for inviting family and friends over to enjoy all of the delicious and healthy foods you’ll be making! You will be able to showcase lots of healthy foods and be able to serve them up in style to your guests. I have ones like these.
13. Meat Thermometer
Consuming under-cooked meat can be dangerous, and consuming over-cooked meat my husband says is “disrespectful to the meat.” 🙂 You don’t have to worry about it anymore if you use a meat thermometer. Stick it into the thickest part of the meat, away from the bone, and you’ll get a temp readout in seconds. I have this one.
14. Cast Iron Skillet
This type of skillet is not only safe in terms of not leaching out chemicals into your food, but it is also very versatile. You can cook nearly anything in it, and it can even go from the stovetop to the oven to save on dishes. Always good when that happens. I have this one in 2 sizes.
15. Wine Bottle Opener
I don’t even like to drink wine, but I do like to cook with wine. It adds a really good flavor to dishes and can make your meals really pop. My favorite uses for it are in risottos and Italian sauces. There are lots of varieties out there, but I found a compact one from Crate & Barrel to be good.
16. Microplane Zester-Grater
This is a must-have tool for making it easy to add more nutrients to any meal. I find chopping up garlic and fresh ginger root to be a giant pain, but this makes it so easy to get very small pieces! Lemon, lime, and orange zest helps brighten up lots of dishes and add great flavor. My husband also uses it to get very fine shreds of cheese. I have this one.
17. Strainer
If you’re a pasta fan, you most likely already have this tool in your kitchen already. Similar to the measuring cups, I’d recommend getting a non-plastic version to avoid chemicals leaching into your food. You can do more than just strain the water out of pasta, you can steam and/or wash veggies, sift dry ingredients, de-lump your gravy, strain homemade chicken stock, use as a splatter guard, and more! I have one like this one.
18. Can Opener
While I’m not a big fan of using cans in the kitchen (most cans are lined with BPA), some cans are safe and lots of yummy ingredients come in them. You don’t want to be reaching for a can of coconut milk or diced tomatoes and realize you don’t have a good can opener! I have one like this one.
19. Potato Masher
These are great for help whipping up lots of healthy side dishes. In addition to regular potatoes, mix up your nutrients by mashing up some squash, yams, cauliflower, or even apples for applesauce, tomatoes for sauce, avocados for guacamole, or ground meat in the frying pan.
20. Bench Scrape
The scraper tool is small and cheap but saves lots of time and dropped scraps of food on the floor (sorry dogs out there!). After you chop your veggies and herbs for your meal and it’s time to get them in a skillet, pot, or your bowl, this tool sweeps them up in seconds flat, leaving no scraps behind, and nearly no mess. It makes cooking faster and more efficient! I have this one.
21. Mandoline Slicer
This tool makes it easy and fast to make perfectly uniform slices, dices, and strips. You can adjust the thickness of your slices depending on what you’re using it for. My favorite uses are for sweet potato fries, veggie ‘chips,’ jicama shell tacos, sliced veggies to put in sandwiches, julienned veggies for salads, and strips of veggies for stir fry’s. I’ve gone through a few but this one I have I LOVE (I had to buy these too, safety sake)
22. Food Processor
Makes all aspects of cooking easier, plus it takes up next to no room if you get a small one (which is really all you need). Here are some delicious healthy things you can do with it: homemade salsa, hummus, pesto, sauces, quickly and uniformly chop vegetables, bread crumbs, peanut (or any nut) butter, ground meat for the freshest tasting burgers, baby food, and tons more! I have this one.
23. Rice Cooker
For most of us, a meal isn’t complete without a grain or starch on the plate. This appliance makes it SO easy to cook all kinds of grains, removing any type of monitoring or timing. I use it for rice, but also millet, quinoa, and lentils. I add a little oil or butter first, then the grain, then either filtered water or some type of broth, maybe some seasonings too, and set it to go. It automatically shuts off and switches to warm mode when it’s ready! I have this one (the 6-cup).
24. Food Storage Containers
A good set of storage containers are key to have on hand when making healthy meals (for your leftovers) and prepping healthy snacks to take with you on the go/to work. Pre-chopping veggies ahead of time and storing them in big containers makes making meals super easy, and in less time than ordering takeout. I use ones like these.
25. Spiralizer
Imagine eating a big bowl full of pasta, but having it be healthy for you! Way less calories and carbs, way more nutrients, and zero guilt. The spiralizer tool can take all kinds of vegetables, and transform them into a spaghetti-like consistency (check out my post). My favorite vegetable to use it with is a butternut squash. Zucchini is a close second. I have this one.
26. Slow Cooker / Instant Pot
Who doesn’t love preparing a whole meal in less than 15 minutes, and not having to cook when you get home from work? It’s a throw it all in, set it, and forget it type deal. Sign me up! You can also save lots of money by cooking whole chickens, then using their carcass to make your own broth. Or with the Instant Pot you can cook slow cooker things on super-speed! This is the slow cooker crock pot I had, this is the Instant Pot I have.
27. High-Speed Blender
My favorite kitchen appliance for healthy eating. You know the consistency of a smoothie or a frozen drink that you get when you’re out and about? How smooth and silky it is, and that texture just makes it taste even better? Well that’s what a high-speed blender will get you. The smoothest, most delicious smoothies you can imagine! I have a Blendtec (and love it!) but there are others out there as well. Like all blenders, there’s much more that it can do aside from smoothies.
28. Mixing Bowls
I can rarely make a meal without using a mixing bowl. Using them to marinate meat, make salad dressings, dips or sauces, mix veggies in a marinate, store chopped vegetables for cooking later or just moving to the frying pan…they are pretty essential. I have these.
29. Baking Sheet
They’re not just for cookies you know! They come in handy for making things like roasted vegetables, homemade fries, a whole chicken or roast, sliders, meatballs, etc. To make clean up easier for you, line the sheet with parchment paper first so food won’t stick to it. I have this one.
30. Salad Spinner
Before you dive into a big bowl of salad, it’s important to take the time to wash your greens. Who knows where it’s been or whose hands have been all over it at the grocery store or farmer’s market! Since no one wants watery salad or has the time to wait for their leaves to dry first, a salad spinner is the perfect tool. It washes the greens for you, and then spins them dry! I have this one.
