Simplify your prep time and make clean eating even easier with these handy kitchen tools.Nothing beats a homemade meal, except one that’s both healthy and hassle-free to make. We asked some top nutritionists to recommend their favorite kitchen tools to help take your cooking to the next level so you can make meal prep a breeze without sacrificing any of your clean-eating goals.
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Spiralizer
For an easy way to get more veggies into your diet, grab a spiralizer, says Jennifer McDaniel, R.D., a nutritionist based in St. Louis. For a high-fiber, low-carb boost, swap in spiralized zucchini or carrots for wheat pasta, or use the tool to create eye-catching salads and baked curly fries, adds McDaniel. We like: Just place your vegetable of choice into the Oxo Hand-Held Spiralizer and twist. The open-blade design is great for both long and round vegetables. ($15, oxo.com)SEE ALSO:5 Low-Carb, Spiralizer Recipes
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Citrus Press
Add flavor without a lot of sugar, fat, or calories with the help of a citrus press. It’s ideal for pulling out the juice and flavor from lemons, limes, and oranges without a lot of mess, explains Dawn Blatner, R.D., author of The Flexitarian Diet. “I use it for making an awesome kale salad.” We like: Just put citrus into the Dalla Piazza Citrus Squeezer and press. ($23, bedbathandbeyond.com)
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Hand Chopper
Hand choppers can help cut your prep time so you’re not endlessly slicing and dicing vegetables, explains Felicia Stoler, R.D., author of Living Skinny in Fat Genes. Just toss your ingredients into the case and the blades will do the hard stuff for you.We like: Chef’n VeggiChop finely dices your ingredients with a few pulls of the handle. ($20, chefn.com)SEE ALSO: How to Build Your Own Muscle Bowl
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Olive-Oil Sprayer
There are 120 calories in one tablespoon of olive oil, so calorie counts can add up pronto. An air-powered sprayer can help make sure you’re not overdoing things, without any added chemicals or preservatives. “It’s a great way to control the amount of oil you’re using,” notes Leslie Bonci, R.D., a nutritionist based in Pittsburgh.We like: The refillable Misto Olive Oil Sprayer holds 3 ounces so you can add just the right amount. ($10, bedbathandbeyond.com)
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Rice Cooker
Go beyond rice to prepare other foods like pasta, quinoa, or beans. You can even use it to cook steel-cut oats, hard-boiled eggs, or soup. Plus you can safely walk away without having to keep a watchful eye. It also optimizes the nutrients since vitamin-rich water is absorbed into the veggies, adds McDaniel. We like: The Aroma 8 Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer expertly makes two to eight cups of rice and a whole lot more. ($40, aromaco.com)SEE ALSO: 15 Fat-Loss Hacks
Simplify your prep time and make clean eating even easier with these handy kitchen tools.
Nothing beats a homemade meal, except one that’s both healthy and hassle-free to make. We asked some top nutritionists to recommend their favorite kitchen tools to help take your cooking to the next level so you can make meal prep a breeze without sacrificing any of your clean-eating goals.
Spiralizer
For an easy way to get more veggies into your diet, grab a spiralizer, says Jennifer McDaniel, R.D., a nutritionist based in St. Louis. For a high-fiber, low-carb boost, swap in spiralized zucchini or carrots for wheat pasta, or use the tool to create eye-catching salads and baked curly fries, adds McDaniel.
We like: Just place your vegetable of choice into the Oxo Hand-Held Spiralizer and twist. The open-blade design is great for both long and round vegetables. ($15, oxo.com)
Add flavor without a lot of sugar, fat, or calories with the help of a citrus press. It’s ideal for pulling out the juice and flavor from lemons, limes, and oranges without a lot of mess, explains Dawn Blatner, R.D., author of The Flexitarian Diet. “I use it for making an awesome kale salad.”
We like: Just put citrus into the Dalla Piazza Citrus Squeezer and press. ($23, bedbathandbeyond.com)
Hand Chopper
Hand choppers can help cut your prep time so you’re not endlessly slicing and dicing vegetables, explains Felicia Stoler, R.D., author of Living Skinny in Fat Genes. Just toss your ingredients into the case and the blades will do the hard stuff for you.
We like: Chef’n VeggiChop finely dices your ingredients with a few pulls of the handle. ($20, chefn.com)
There are 120 calories in one tablespoon of olive oil, so calorie counts can add up pronto. An air-powered sprayer can help make sure you’re not overdoing things, without any added chemicals or preservatives. “It’s a great way to control the amount of oil you’re using,” notes Leslie Bonci, R.D., a nutritionist based in Pittsburgh.
We like: The refillable Misto Olive Oil Sprayer holds 3 ounces so you can add just the right amount. ($10, bedbathandbeyond.com)
Rice Cooker
Go beyond rice to prepare other foods like pasta, quinoa, or beans. You can even use it to cook steel-cut oats, hard-boiled eggs, or soup. Plus youcan safely walk away without having to keep a watchful eye. It also optimizes the nutrients since vitamin-rich water is absorbed into the veggies, adds McDaniel.
We like: The Aroma 8 Cup Digital Cool-Touch Rice Cooker and Food Steamer expertly makes two to eight cups of rice and a whole lot more. ($40, aromaco.com)
