Kitchen equipment that help with dieting

JaydedMiss
JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I know things like blenders help, and I don't have a whole lot of money to buy a bunch of new stuff, but I'm curious what you guys use. Is there any equipment or items that are extra useful in fresh food dietary cooking?
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Replies

  • ladyreva78
    ladyreva78 Posts: 4,080 Member
    edited May 2016
    duddysdad wrote: »
    Get a digital scale and learn to use it. That will be the single most important tool you can buy.

    This

    And really, anything you will actually use. Gadgets are just that, gadgets and won't make you a brilliant cook (or even a good cook) overnight since you still have to use them and you still have to be mindful of the ingredients you use.

    Edited to add: I love to cook and barely have anything in my kitchen (basic pots and pans and dishes. Anything else is optional)
  • Challaz001
    Challaz001 Posts: 2 Member
    The most valuable thing you can buy is most definately the scale!

    Personally I often use an electric grill with greaseproof paper. I grill almost everything I eat (vegetables, mushrooms, meat, even omelets!)
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
    Scales, sure.

    I have a pretty large collection of Tupperware type containers. These save me time (because I do a lot of batch prep cooking) and money (because I save leftovers).

    My biggest money saving thing is a pad an pencil: I pre-plan our meat on a monthly basis and order that online. I then work out weekly food plans covering lunches and evening meals. This means that I spend less time cooking and washing up, spend less money on food, and waste less.
  • Whitezombiegirl
    Whitezombiegirl Posts: 1,042 Member
    My most used kitchen equipment:
    - Digital kitchen scale (essential)
    - Measuring cups and spoons (for liquids)
    - Julienne slicer- to make courgette/ carrot ‘spaghetti’ (better than a spiraliser imo)
    - Big cast iron pot with lid (for soup/ stew/ casserole)
    - Heavy roasting tin (for roasted vegetables)
    - French peeler (for peeling veg)
    - Cast iron sauce pan (for porridge & heating soups)
    - Cast iron frying pan (for omelettes)
    - Grater (for grating carrots and apples)
    - Chopping knives, paring knives etc.
    - Wok (not for stir frying- but for mixing steamed veg with a sauce –like pesto)
    - Lots of glass jars for storage (I don’t like plastic). I keep jars from pickles , ready-made pesto etc.- I don’t always buy expensive kilner/ mason jars
    - A few silicone baking trays for making crustless quiches
    - Microwave egg poacher. (I tried a ‘poach pod’ but it took too long). I’m used to rubbery microwave eggs now!
    - Steamer- I have a stove top one and a microwave one. Not sure I’d use an electronic one.
    I do have a crock pot, a mixer and a nutribullet but don’t use them much. I’d like a food processor – but not sure id use it.
    My meals tend to revolve around roasted veg, salads, soups, stews, casseroles, fruit, yoghurt, roasted meat and omelettes. (I don’t eat pasta, rice, potatos etc. – bread only minimally- for preference. I prefer crunchy carbs to soggy carbs. I don’t bake- unless forced to)
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    What I use alot is a handheld immersion mixer which I use to pure' slightly cooked vegetables, and make morning mug cakes. It cleans up easily, so I use it instead of my food processer when I can.
  • healthykaitlin
    healthykaitlin Posts: 91 Member
    Digital scale, as everyone has already mentioned :D

    I also love mason jars for storing leftovers in individual portions to last the week. The glass keeps the food fresher so I'm not as turned off by leftovers as I had been previously, but that's just me.

    I also have a ninja food processor/blender that I got at Walmart for maybe $20... Loved it so much I upgraded to the larger one for around $40 I think? I use it almost every day... Cauliflower rice, nicecream, sauces, etc.

    I also have a Palerno spiralizer to make spiraled veggie "pasta"

    Lastly, a good knife set is worth the splurge
  • BettyEtte
    BettyEtte Posts: 39 Member
    Not a must-have, but I love my Vegetti spiralizer for making zucchini noodles (zoodles).
  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
    What do you all use the kitchen scales for? I dont eat meat if thats its main use
  • healthykaitlin
    healthykaitlin Posts: 91 Member
    JaydedMiss wrote: »
    What do you all use the kitchen scales for? I dont eat meat if thats its main use

    It's the easiest way to confirm nutritional info since measuring cups & other tools aren't foolproof... So, everything. I weigh any flour, breadcrumbs, sugars, even packaged food to confirm the calories. I generally weigh everything but fruit & veggies because I'm not as concerned about the calories from those at the moment.. Not ruling it out for the future though.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    JaydedMiss wrote: »
    What do you all use the kitchen scales for? I dont eat meat if thats its main use

    If you're going for weightloss, a digital scale is priceless. It accurately weighs all food so you can log it into MFP.
  • dizzieblondeuk
    dizzieblondeuk Posts: 286 Member
    JaydedMiss wrote: »
    What do you all use the kitchen scales for? I dont eat meat if thats its main use
    Everything!! Seriously! Do NOT use cups or whatever Americans seem to consider are ways of measuring recipe quantities! Weigh your cereal for breakfast, weigh the fruit you put on top, weigh your cheese, meats, rice, pasta etc. If you use condiments, weigh the unused bottle/jar, zero the scale with it on, take your spoonful or squeeze out the product, and reweigh the container to work out how much mayo/ketchup/honey/syrup etc you just used!

    Otherwise, how on earth can you accurately work out your calories - anything else is a guesstimate, including cup measurements.
  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
    awesome ill look for one
  • GeertH
    GeertH Posts: 18 Member
    JaydedMiss wrote: »
    What do you all use the kitchen scales for? I dont eat meat if thats its main use

    A digital kitchen scale can be used to weigh any food. Weight measurements will be the most accurate for tracking. It is a lot of work and can make cooking a hassle, but after a while it becomes second nature. Plus, the longer you do it, the better you get at estimating the weight of foodstuffs just by looking at them (convenient for those situations in which weighing isn't an option).
    It doesn't have to be expensive. Get something that looks sturdy. A digital scale is best, since the readout is easy and you can tare the weight. For example, you can put a tupperware container or bowl on the scale, press a button to reset it to 0 and then put in the food to weigh. I'd advise a flat scale, not one that comes with a bowl, since that can be inconvenient for some foodstuffs and you can put something on it when needed anyway. Advanced features like built-in nutrient values for foods may seem useful, but there's too much variation out there so you're better off just using MFP entries anyway, doing some research will teach you more (for example, water weighs 1 gram per ml but olive oil will be around 0.9 gram per ml) and it'd just make it more expensive.
  • ilex70
    ilex70 Posts: 727 Member
    Glad you're on board with the food scale.

    I'm a reasonably good cook. I mostly just use a cutting board/knife, bowls, and a few pots and pans. I have some gadgets, but rarely use them. A spiralizer seemed nifty and I think I've used it twice. A mandoline is more generally useful.

    The only two spendy appliances I have are an Artisan stand mixer and a Vitamix blender. I don't use them daily (though the blender is getting good use ATM), but they are awesome to have when you need them. The mixer really only gets a workout around holidays. I like to bake, but need a good excuse to give away most of it since we are only a family of three.
  • Whitezombiegirl
    Whitezombiegirl Posts: 1,042 Member
    edited May 2016
    JaydedMiss wrote: »
    What do you all use the kitchen scales for? I dont eat meat if thats its main use

    I weigh everything (but not most pre-packaged stuff). I weigh each item as I add it to my salad. I weight coconut fat before use. I weigh apples, yoghurt, berries, oats, vegatables etc.- not just meat.

    I only really use measuring cups for almond milk. I find weighing easier.

  • AlphaCajun
    AlphaCajun Posts: 290 Member
    JaydedMiss wrote: »
    What do you all use the kitchen scales for? I dont eat meat if thats its main use

    Use it for everything... literally. Protein powder, meat, fruit, veggies, snacks, milk, eggs etc etc..
  • laur357
    laur357 Posts: 896 Member
    Good, sharp knives. You don't need a bunch of extra gadgets if you have good knives - my general rule is if it only serves one purpose, it probably doesn't need to be taking up space in my tiny kitchen. Avocado slicers, pineapple corers, etc. take up valuable space and I can accomplish the same things with a knife.

    The blender/Ninja mentioned above is also great if you like smoothies, fresh hummus, making sauces, and blending soups.
  • 2011rocket3touring
    2011rocket3touring Posts: 1,346 Member
    Food scale
    Mandolin slicer (along with slicing gloves; VERY important)
    George Foreman Grill - In about 20 minutes you can grill a serving of meat and a serving of veggies. Quick and easy.
    Hand wand type blender - I use this when I'm adding stuff to protein such as peanut butter or blueberries.
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    Even better - a kitchen scale can be around $15. Just get one that has a tare (zero-ing) button and weighs in grams and ounces.
  • dolliesdaughter
    dolliesdaughter Posts: 544 Member
    A scale is all you need.
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
    A scale, and aluminum foil and parchment paper to line baking dishes with. (I don't know about others, but I'm more likely to cook for myself if I don't have to scrape burnt stuff afterwards.)
  • wonko221
    wonko221 Posts: 292 Member
    I'd second the scale - you want to accurately measure your food, if you're counting calories, and going by weight is more accurate than volume.

    After that - good knives and a cutting board. Learn to take care of them, and they'll take care of you. Just need the basics - a chef's knife that fits your hand, a paring knife for peeling and detail work. Keep them sharp and clean, and learn to use them safely and efficiently. This will make food prep a lot more fun and easy.

    Finally, some bento boxes, or anything similar that you can safely freeze and reheat pre-made meals. I got a stack of 25 for about 8 bucks, a few years back, and still use them. I cook up a week or two worth of meals, with a little variety, and know that i have healthy, portioned, tasty meals ready for lunch at work or dinner.
  • indiacaitlin
    indiacaitlin Posts: 691 Member
    Scales - I weigh out literally everything I eat. It's easy to just use the MFP estimations of things but honestly if you're wanting to really get your nutrition on point then weigh your food! :smile:
  • Noelani1503
    Noelani1503 Posts: 378 Member
    Scale of course. I like my handheld immersion blender too. And I use a crockpot frequently. Seems like I have bones in there almost all the time.

    My smart phone is what made me a good and adventurous cook when I was starting out. Random fish on sale? Google a recipe. Never opened up a pomegranate? YouTube. Safe temp for salmon? Nutrition and taste comparison for different lentil varieties? Yup...it's all there. You don't even need a cookbook.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Most equipment that makes cooking easier will automatically make dieting easier:
    Plenty of storage capacity - pantry, fridge and freezer, appropriate containers.
    A good electronic scale that measures in 1 gram increments.
    Reliable stove, microwave, waterboiler.
    Cookware - pots, pans etc.
    Good knives and cutting boards.
    Cleaning can be the dealbreaker for the relationship w/ your kitchen - a dishwasher is a must.
    Blender, immersion blender.
    Cute/attractive bowls/cups/plates to eat/drink from.
    Then any equipment needed for whatever you want to eat and make ;)
  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Most equipment that makes cooking easier will automatically make dieting easier:

    It can be argued the other way though. Too easy cooking, good foods to boost, too easy eating. :)

    The best equipment in hindsight to me for weight loss is a small fridge. Just stack it with sandwich, wrap ingredients and the likes. Wt loss is all about tuning out of eating. Most people want to continue to eat well while losing because they want the best of both worlds which a lot of time can be a big struggle.

  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited May 2016
    endlessfall16 wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Most equipment that makes cooking easier will automatically make dieting easier:

    It can be argued the other way though. Too easy cooking, good foods to boost, too easy eating. :)
    I was going to write "All", but changed my mind :D Deep fryer and ice cream maker suddenly occurred to me ;)

    The best equipment in hindsight to me for weight loss is a small fridge. Just stack it with sandwich, wrap ingredients and the likes. Wt loss is all about tuning out of eating. Most people want to continue to eat well while losing because they want the best of both worlds which a lot of time can be a big struggle.
    This depends. For me, food peace was reached by eating better than ever, and embracing my love of food - real food that has real taste, is easier for me to eat in appropriate portions, than both boring "healthy" food and hyperpalatable "unhealthy" food. Each person has to find their own balance. (I think we've had this discussion a couple of times before :p )
  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
    Digital scale is the only must.

    I really like my digital meat thermometer. No dry chicken! Perfect medium rare steak!

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