Kitchen equipment that help with dieting

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  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
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    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
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    A scale is all you need.
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    Digital scale is the only must.

    I really like my digital meat thermometer. No dry chicken! Perfect medium rare steak!
  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
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    kommo, alot of what you said here is very arbitrary. There's nothing not real or unhealthy about sandwiches, wraps. Simplicity which helps you get your nutrition while not promoting overeating (due to plainness) is what I emphasize here.

    If you can't be disciplined with portion, restriction, a better course is to "skip" it completely. Eating can be turned into a daily mundane task, like showering, brushing, where you just do enough to meet requirement. It's not fun but it's ultra effective for weight loss.

  • claer947
    claer947 Posts: 56 Member
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    Although not a gadget, this is related to food. Buy a lunch box and start doing meal prep. It's too easy to grab food when you're on the go and completely blow your calorie goal in one meal. Preparing food in advance and having the ability to keep it with you will help with cravings, portion control, healthy snacks, etc.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    edited May 2016
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    endlessfall16 wrote: »
    kommo, alot of what you said here is very arbitrary. There's nothing not real or unhealthy about sandwiches, wraps. Simplicity which helps you get your nutrition while not promoting overeating (due to plainness) is what I emphasize here.

    If you can't be disciplined with portion, restriction, a better course is to "skip" it completely. Eating can be turned into a daily mundane task, like showering, brushing, where you just do enough to meet requirement. It's not fun but it's ultra effective for weight loss.

    This is so sad. And, in my opinion, so untrue.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    endlessfall16 wrote: »
    kommo, alot of what you said here is very arbitrary. There's nothing not real or unhealthy about sandwiches, wraps. Simplicity which helps you get your nutrition while not promoting overeating (due to plainness) is what I emphasize here.

    If you can't be disciplined with portion, restriction, a better course is to "skip" it completely. Eating can be turned into a daily mundane task, like showering, brushing, where you just do enough to meet requirement. It's not fun but it's ultra effective for weight loss.
    Please point to where I said sandwiches and wraps are unhealthy, or unreal? I too value simplicity, no, I worship it. Elaborate dishes is not my thing. But that doesn't mean that good taste is out, or that I ignore portion control. I am fully aware that I need to restrict my intake. I got fat because I ate too much. I will get fat again if I eat too much. But I won't get fat just by eating food I like. (I actually struggled a lot, partly because I believed that I would get fat by eating certain foods, unrelated to its calorie content.)
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    I bought a few things that I've really used quite a bit since joining MFP...

    Digital scale for sure
    George Foreman grill. So nice to have any meat done in less than 10 minutes
    Instant read thermometer is a must have for me too.
    Immersion blender. Great for soups and mashed cauliflower
    I love my new instant pot as I can cook things like barley in less than 20 minutes (versus 2 hours and half burned on the stove). And it does slow cooking too.


    That's the 'gadgets' I use all the time. The rest is the spiralizer (but it sucks to clean so I don't use it much) and my small blender, I suppose, that I use once in a blue moon since I don't drink shakes anymore.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    JaydedMiss wrote: »
    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?

    Food scale.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,902 Member
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    ASKyle wrote: »
    Digital scale is the only must.

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

    OMG, I LOVE my thermometer! I used to always overcook chicken just to be safe. My fish comes out perfectly once I learned the temperature I like, which is lower than normally called for.
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
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    JaydedMiss wrote: »
    What do you all use the kitchen scales for? I dont eat meat if thats its main use
    To weigh absolutely everything you're about to eat. Cereals, fruits, veg, nut butters, butter.....everything. It is an absolute must if you want the most accurate calorie count for each food.

  • sarahlifts
    sarahlifts Posts: 610 Member
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    digital scale and zip lock freezer bags
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,902 Member
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    JaydedMiss wrote: »
    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?

    I buy lots of equipment recommended by America's Test Kitchen. One thing that is helpful with weight loss is the T-Fal professional non-stick pans as I can use far less oil for things like scrambled eggs and stir fry. I was leery about other types of non-stick but am very comfortable with these. I have the 11 inch for bigger dishes like stir fry and the 9 inch for scrambled eggs & veggies.

    A lot of reviews on Amazon for the 12" pan mentioned a problem with getting a dome in the middle so I bought my 11" at Kohl's so it would be easier to return if I had that problem, but I did not.

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