Your 3 “Must Have” Kitchen Tools For Healthy Cooking (And Showers Of Praise)!

As a nutritionist, certified personal trainer, and culinary instructor, you bet I LOVE to cook, and on top of that, I love to cook healthy dishes bursting with flavor...

And having the right tools can truly mean the difference between hearing "polite" remarks about your meal... to being showered with "WOWs" and praise from your family and friends!

I have dozens of tools in my kitchen, but if I had to narrow it down to the 3 I rely on most, it would be my chef’s knife, my hand immersion blender, and my Spiralizer.

"Must Have" Healthy Cooking Tool #1

Let's start with the all-important chef's knife, and then move on to the "sexy gadgets" that bring versatility, uniqueness and fun to your cooking. 

Because your your chef’s knife is a very personal choice, I don't recommend relying solely on someone else's recommendation... even if they're an expert chef. But with so many designs, sizes and brands - how do you find "The One?" 

The best way is to be "hands-on" when shopping for your knife. Does it feel evenly balanced from back to front? Does it feel too heavy to hold or too light to cut hard vegetables like spaghetti squash? You'll also need to determine what size you like best because most chef knives come in 6, 8, and 10 inches. 

Also, go to a neighborhood store and talk to a knowledgeable store employee who can explain the various blades, care and sharpening requirements. A good knife will last a lifetime, so allow yourself to splurge. It will make your cooking so much more enjoyable and you deserve it!

"Must Have" Healthy Cooking Tool #2

My next most cherished kitchen tool is my hand immersion blender.

I love this kitchen tool for its versatility. It does almost everything a blender can do (puree soups, chop small foods like garlic and ginger), but it's much smaller, more portable... and can be cleaned in the dishwasher! 

You can see ratings for hand immersion blenders on ConsumerReports.org. Most importantly, I recommend choosing one with different attachments for pureeing, blending, and chopping to really maximize the power of this awesome tool!

"Must Have" Healthy Cooking Tool #3

My newest kitchen tool recommendation is the Spiralizer, which completely transforms the veggie experience!

Imagine turning summer squash, potatoes, turnips, onions, cabbage, parsnips, and more into different sizes of long spiral-shaped pasta-like pieces.

The Spiralizer is fantastic for making making vegetable “noodles,” curly fries, many gluten-free dinners and more! I especially love it because my kids are so much more keen to eat vegetables when they look (and twirl!) like noodles.

I have lots of Spiralizer recipes for you to try: Zucchini Linguine With Dairy-Free Kale-Basil Pesto, Rach's Creamy Mushroom Soup (gluten-free & dairy-free), Zucchini Chowder, and many more.

Once you start Spiralizing you'll never look back!