Nine Kitchen Gadgets to Help You Eat Clean
If eating clean is at the top of your New Year’s resolutions, then you may want to add some of these nifty gadgets to your collection of basic kitchen equipment. (After all, we need all the help we can get, right?) Could you benefit from extending the lifespans of your fresh fruits and vegetables? How about a tool to help you cook over half a dozen eggs perfectly (and simultaneously) every time? There’s a gadget for both and more, as this list will attest. Consider these tools and appliances as favorite healthy-eating helpers that will make it easier to consume more real, whole and unprocessed foods, helping you to stay true to your resolutions this year.
Extend the Life of Your Fruit
We all know that one of the foundations of a healthy diet is to eat more fruits and veggies, since they are packed with appetite-controlling hunger and disease-fighting antioxidants. But it can be super discouraging to bring home a haul of fresh produce, only to find it rotting in your fridge three days later. This small, battery-operated machine by BerryBreeze ($49.95) lives in your refrigerator and extends the life of fresh produce and leftovers. It emits a consistent level of activated oxygen to neutralize bacteria by inhibiting ethylene gas that triggers decay. Plus, it deodorizes the fridge as it works. Win-win, right?
Cook Eggs Like a Pro
Eggs are one of SELF’s superfoods because they are considered the gold-standard for complete protein and contain important nutrients like lutein, which may play a role in brain and eye health. Cooking eggs may seem like a basic cooking skill, but poaching the perfect egg hasn’t always been as easy as boiling water—until now. Using the Krups egg cooker ($29.90), you can boil up to seven eggs at a time to the temperature of your liking—whether you take your boiled eggs soft, medium, or hard.
See more: How to Make More Time for Yourself This Year
Make Your Own Yogurt
You know we love yogurt for so many reasons—it’s packed with filling protein, contains probiotics to fight belly bloat and it has bone-building calcium. But have you ever considered making your own yogurt? This VitaClay stoneware yogurt maker ($35) has three temperature settings so you can create standard style yogurt, creamy and delicious probiotic Greek yogurt or even yogurt cheese! The 2 quart ceramic stoneware insert is easy to clean and chemical free.
Transform That Banana Into Frozen Dessert
It’s often the sweet treats, like ice cream, that throw our clean-eating efforts off course. Enter the Yonanas maker ($49.99), which creates a cold, creamy dessert using just frozen fruit! In goes fruit; out comes a tasty frozen treat that’s as soft as soft-serve, but with no added sugar.
No More Garlic Hands
Eating clean without losing flavor requires us to cut back on the salt, sugar, and fat, and instead add more spices, herbs, and our personal favorite, garlic! Garlic has compounds that have been shown to support a healthy heart, plus, it’s almost always the one ingredient that makes dinner smell so mouthwatering. The only down side to cooking with garlic? Smelling like it for days after we chop it. The Garlic Chop ($9.99) chops, crushes, minces and slices garlic in two simple twists without leaving a ripe scent on your hands. And the design (it resembles a bulb of garlic!) is adorable.
Put a Glove on It
Eating more sustainable seafood is a great way to clean up your diet since it tends to be a great source of protein without much (if any) saturated fat. Whether you are fileting a fish or shucking oysters, chances are you’ll be handling some pretty sharp tools. This gunmetal grey, knit mesh Microplane glove ($14.95) is made of a synthetic fiber that resists cuts. One size fits most on either hand.
See more: 20 Superfoods For Weight Loss
More Cheese, Please
You may be pleased to know that cheese, specifically Parmesan, is on SELF’s list of superfoods as well, so it can certainly fit into a clean-eating plan. Ounce-for-ounce, parmesan has more protein than any other food, plus it is a great source of calcium. The key is portion-size, so getting the right tool to slice or grate cheese is important. With the OXO Seal & Store Rotary Grater ($15.99), you can grate just the cheese you need and save the rest for later! It provides a compartment for storing un-grated cheese right inside and an interior silicone seal ensures fresh cheese that will not dry out. Grate with the cap on and window closed to collect cheese before serving, or slide it open to grate the desired amount directly into your dish.
Zest Things Up
Trying to cut back on salt and processed foods but longing for a pop of bright flavor? Try adding lemon or lime zest. Citrus peel is a great source of the antioxidant lycopene, which may help to prevent skin cancer. For great flavor, the key is to just get the zest of the citrus fruit and none of the bitter, white pith that lies beneath it. With this Crisp Citrus Zester ($12.99), you can do just that. Not just your average zester, this is a complete citrus tool. It includes a scoring blade, channel knife, and two zesting blades–traditional head for small amounts, fold out blade for larger amounts. Try adding citrus zest to dishes like whole grain salads, yogurt parfaits or freshly baked fish.
Love Meat Tender
Another SELF superfood, steak, is packed with important nutrients like protein, iron, and zinc. Keep things healthy by choosing a lean cut and keep things tasty by using a meat tenderizer ($19.95) before you cook your steak. This brawny, ring-shape tool with a row of razor-sharp blades means business. It’s uniquely engineered to cut through the fibers of the toughest cuts, such as flavorful flank and skirt steak (lean cuts!), with an effortless, rolling action. Available at retail nationwide in red (and in black, exclusively at Williams-Sonoma).
By Sarah-Jane Bedwell
More from SELF:
Up Your Metabolism With These 10 Superstar Foods
6 Moves To Resize Your Butt and Thighs
5 Simple Steps to Cellulite-Free Skin
photos: Romulo Yanes (top); Courtesy
