A number of kitchen gadgets make it easy for dieters to prepare nutritious meals

Fresh fruits and vegetables are essential to a healthy diet. However, finding easy ways to prepare and cook them can be a challenge. The best kitchen gadgets for dieters make it easy to prepare fresh produce. This will also inspire you to cook them in a healthy way that tastes great.

You may already have a few of these gadgets in your kitchen. If you have the counter space, keep them out so you’re more likely to use them regularly. These tools are so easy to use and clean that they’ll send those cravings for fatty convenience food out the window.

Steamers

Short of eating them raw, steaming is one of the healthiest ways to cook vegetables. Steaming won’t boil out nutrients or over saturate ingredients in hot oil. You can find steamers in the form of baskets or collapsible metal holders for about $6. They expand to a medium-sized 2-quart pot. To use, boil a small amount of water and fill the steamer with cut and washed veggies, and note that the water level should not be high enough to touch the food. Steamed vegetables can be tossed with lemon juice or balsamic vinaigrette. They are eaten as a side or mixed with brown or wild rice for a healthy lunch.

Kitchen scale

People tend to underestimate the amount of food they consume at each meal. Learning how to control meal portions takes time, but a kitchen scale provides real numbers so you don’t have to make estimates.  Knowing how much cheese you’re sprinkling on a pizza will help you set boundaries so you can eat the foods you love without going overboard. Scales also help you track calories, carbs, fats, and protein accurately, and will keep you from overestimating the number of vegetables you have with each meal.

Veggie slicer

Prepping vegetables can be laborious if you don’t have good knife, and you’re less likely to reach for the produce in your refrigerator if you’re short on time and energy or looking for a quick snack. A veggie slicer makes it easy to chop vegetables and the clean, adjustable cuts improve presentation, which makes any meal more fun to eat.

Slow cooker

Making a tasty meal in a slow cooker entails little more than mixing fresh herbs and produce and switching the power button on. You can make soups, stews, tender meat dishes, and fun meals like stuffed peppers. After a hard day, when it’s tempting to treat yourself? to fast food, you’ll be glad to open the front door to the smell of a homemade soup loaded with nutrition.

Juicer

The colorful juices in the grocery aisle with pictures of fruits are deceptive; store-bought juices are usually loaded with refined sugar. A juicer lets you enjoy the natural sweetness of fruit and vegetables without harmful additives. A glass of fresh carrot juice has high sugar levels, but it also regulates the sugar in your blood and is a significant source of pro-vitamin A, and vitamins C, D, E, K, B1 and B6.

Blender

Blenders are affordable, and easy to use and they can do double duty as a smoothie maker and to puree diced vegetables or frozen spinach. Smoothies are refreshing and a healthy alternative to soda and fatty coffee drinks. Use non-fat plain Greek yogurt with a few seasonal or frozen fruits for a creamy glassful of vitamins and minerals.

Keep fresh produce at eye level in the fridge and in bowls around the kitchen and rooms you spend a lot of time in. If your product is out of sight in a drawer, it will be out of mind and likely to spoil. In a short time, you?ll look and feel more energized.

References:
Nutrition Data
Whole Food Nutrition