If you’ve made a New Year’s Resolution to eat more healthful foods this year, we’re right there with you. It’s never been as easy to make sure you’re not only eating foods full of nutritious goodness but also enjoying the best flavor, too, thanks to innovations in small appliances and kitchen gadgets.
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If you’ve made a New Year’s Resolution to eat more healthful foods this year, we’re right there with you. It’s never been as easy to make sure you’re not only eating foods full of nutritious goodness but also enjoying the best flavor, too, thanks to innovations in small appliances and kitchen gadgets. Cut down on fat by replacing deep frying with air frying and decrease the carbs by swapping out easy to make spiralized vegetable for pasta. For you, for your special someone, for the whole family --get started on your year of healthful eating now!
Cut the fat with a new Air Fryer
The Air Fryer was certainly the second most popular small kitchen appliance for the holidays this year -- after the Instant Pot of course! It works by combining a grill and fast-circulating ultra hot air to prepare foods that you would normally need to deep fry to get the same results. It does this without the need for extra oil so you can make chips and other snacks, including your favorite French fries using up to 80% less fat than conventional frying. We like the Philips Air Fryer but there are many versions out there, most under $100. Be sure to pick up a copy of The Complete Air Fryer Cookbook by Laura Green to get recipes and ideas.
Get Inspiralized to eat healthfully
Zucchini "pasta" and cauliflower "rice" really help cut the carbs and gluten and increase your vegetable intake, deliciously. Using a spiralizer to make ribbons and spirals of squash, carrots and more gives you vegetable noodles great for topping with mushrooms and marinara and your light salad dressing alike. Toss threads of daikon radish with shrimp and ribbons of cucumber with spiralized beets, ripe cherry tomatoes and mozzarella or feta cheese for an easy salad idea. Instead of long grain or basmati rice, make "rice" from cauliflower. It's fluffy, tasty and has less starch and carbs. Toss it with some herbs for a delicious side dish. Pick up a spiralizer here and be sure to get a copy of Inspiralized by Ali Maffucci. If you're looking to rice as well, these ricers are great.
Juices and smoothies are still "in"
You really can't throw an apple in any town in America without hitting a smoothie or juice bar (try not to break a window), which is wonderful. Fresh juice retains all those necessary nutrients and smoothies can be a quick, satisfying meal all on their own. Buying your apple/beet/ginger juice or acai/peanut/chia smoothie at the local shop every day can get costly, so invest in your own special blender like the NutriBullet, which is compact and easy to use. Find more brands and styles here, and be sure to pick up a copy of Superfood Smoothies by Julie Morris for ideas on how to make the most of your smoothie goals.
Spark up your salads
Make salad making easier with this cool little chopper. Just place your greens and vegetables inside and use the slots to chop it all up. The lid doubles as a strainer for washing, or use a good old-fashioned salad spinner to rinse, then dry your greens. You don't want the sog to bog down your healthful veggies!