When you have the tools for weight loss in your own kitchen, you're bound to succeed.
One of the easiest ways to lose weight is to prepare all of your own meals. Takeout and packed meals often have lots of hidden sugar, salt, fat, and calories. If you cook for yourself, you know exactly what’s going into your body. In order to cook for yourself, you need to have a well-stocked kitchen. In addition to the basics, such as pots and pans, you should have some items that are designed to make clean eating easier. When you have the tools for weight loss in your own kitchen, you’re bound to succeed. Here are 20 kitchen essentials for weight-loss success.
1. Bento Lunch Box Brown-bagging your lunch is a great way to have a clean midday meal, but it can be hard to make and pack interesting and tasty lunches. A bento box is great because it has different compartments, allowing you to pack a variety of food without taking up a lot of space. Plus, your lunch will just look so much nicer and more appetizing! Try packing these 13 Grab & Go Low-Calorie Lunches.
2. Infuser Water Bottle Soda, juice, and other sugary drinks should be the first to go when you’re dieting. Plain water can get boring, so get an infuser water bottle and make your own naturally-flavored water.
3. Collapsible Measuring Cups & Spoons Set Portion control is key to weight loss. Check the serving size of everything you eat and measure a serving for yourself, so you don’t eat mindlessly.
4. Kitchen scale Some recipes measure the ingredients in grams instead of cups, so a kitchen scale will help you measure correctly.
5. Tea Infuser Black tea, green tea, white tea, and herbal tea all have serious weight-loss benefits. Green tea has tons of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory benefits, and ginger tea and mint tea help with digestion. Check out these 5 Teas That Promote Weight Loss.
6. Vacuum Sealer Use a vacuum sealer to preserve foods you buy in bulk. It will be less likely to develop freezer burn, and you can store meat, cheese, and frozen fruits in individual portions.
7. Thaw Claw A thaw claw allows you to thaw meat safely in a matter of minutes. Pull a chicken breast out of the freezer when you get home, and it will be ready to go in the oven by the time you’ve changed out of your work clothes.
8. Salad Spinner A salad spinner doesn’t just spin lettuce. It’s great for drying herbs and other greens as well. If you dry your greens and herbs before putting them in the fridge, they’ll last longer.
9. Vegetable Spiralizer Veggie noodles are a great low-carb, low-calorie alternative to pasta. These 12 Must Try Recipes Made with Zoodles are so good you won’t miss penne or spaghetti.
10. Digital Food Thermometer It’s super important to make sure your meat is fully cooked. A digital food thermometer makes it easy, so you can cook chicken, beef, pork, and turkey without worrying.
11. Fat Separator Everyone who makes stock or gravy should have a fat separator. Simply pour in the liquid and let the separator separate the fat for you
12. Mandolin A mandolin is a great tool for slicing veggies. This one is especially great for us klutzes, as it protects our fingers.
13. Vegetable Steamer Steaming veggies is great if you’re trying to avoid the oil that comes with sauteing or roasting them. Try this Asian Coconut Rice with Steamed Vegetables for a deliciously light dinner.
14. Crock-Pot (or other slow cooker) A slow cooker is the ultimate weight-loss kitchen essential. It allows you to cook when you’re not even home, and to cook in bulk, so you always have healthy meals waiting for you. Try these 14 Weight Watchers Slow Cooker Recipes, and fall in love with slow-cooking.
15. Slow Cooker Liners Slow cookers are great for cooking, but can be a pain to clean. Slow cooker liners will seriously speed up your clean-up time.
16. Suction Lids Stop buying tupperware, and store leftovers in bowls covered with a suction lid. Suction lids are also great in the microwave. They’ll keep your food in your dish, instead of on the walls of your microwave.
17. Blender Smoothies make fantastic weight-loss breakfasts, lunches, and snacks. Make these 5 Delicious Detox Smoothie Recipes in your new blender, and your waistline will thank you.
18. Spice Organizer Spices are high in antioxidants and fiber, and a ton of them also have anti-inflammatory properties and are natural appetite suppressants. Keep them within reach with this spice organizer so you remember to add them to your meals.
19. Herb Saver It can seem tricky to make healthy recipes that also taste great. Herbs are a wonderful natural source of flavor. Keep them fresh for weeks with an herb saver.
20. Airtight Jars Many foods that are good for you have short shelf-lives. Keep beans, grains, nuts, and dried fruit fresh by storing them in airtight jars.
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