18 Essentials for Your Skinny Kitchen

Making food at home is definitely the better option when it comes to slimming down. That way you know what’s in your food, you know there’s no hidden sugars or unnecessary calories and you can control your portions. However, cooking from scratch can be time consuming and tiring…that is, unless you have the right help! And no, I don’t mean hiring help (who can afford a personal chef anyway? We’re not Oprah over here). There are so many indispensable tools that are often missing from kitchens these days that can make eating right so much easier. So do yourself a favor and check out our list of 18 essentials that will make eating healthy quicker and simpler.

Food processors are a must-have in any healthy kitchen. They enable you to quickly chop, dice and puree so many things. These machines are so powerful that you can even puree your own almond butter with it!

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This stick blender comes with a whisk attachment, a chopper attachment and a mixing cup. Making your own creative and healthy meals has never been easier! Puree a low-cal veggie soup or make a slimming smoothie.

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Controlling portions and tracking your meals is an important key to losing weight. A kitchen scale is indispensable if you want to accurately measure your food. This simple yet versatile scale is the perfect addition to any healthy kitchen.

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Graters can be used not only for cheese, but also for slicing up veggies, zesting citrus rinds or grating ginger. This 6 sided grater is a great staple to help add flavor to your food without adding too many calories.

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Spiralizers are nothing short of a miracle. They can turn boring old zucchini into lovely spaghetti-like low-calorie zucchini noodles–a.k.a Zoodles. I like to pan fry my zoodles in olive oil, add some pesto and top them off with some freshly grated parmesan! You can also spiralize sweet potatoes, bell peppers, onions and other veggies for a fun stir fry or salad.

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Any cook who is watching their weight needs to know how much of each ingredient they are putting in so as to not overdo it with hidden calories. These measuring spoons are a must-have for exact measurements.

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Make your own healthy smoothies, salad dressings, pureed soups and more with this super-convenient blender. The blender jar even detaches to double as a cup that you can take to -go!

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This peeler may look simple to the naked eye, but this little gem has lots of different uses. You can peel fruits and veggies (obviously!) plus julienne, garnish, dig out potato eyes and garnish an orange. The possibilities are endless!

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Steaming foods is one of the healthiest way to cook them, so a good steamer basket is necessary if you’re trying to cut calories. This stainless steel steamer basket can be used for veggies, fish, meats and more!

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When you’re trying to slim down, it’s more than likely that you’re having a lot of salads. They’re low-cal, healthy and easy. This salad spinner will make it easy to dry off your lettuce after washing it so you don’t end up with a soggy salad…yuk!

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If you’re going to be chopping lots of veggies for nutritious meals, you don’t want a cutting board that’s going to be slipping and sliding everywhere (that’s a sliced finger waiting to happen!). This cutting board has rubber tabs to keep it from moving around while slicing.

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Counting calories is a whole lot easier when you know exactly how much you’re eating or drinking. Having a good set of measuring cups is crucial for any cook who is trying to slim down.

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A good cast iron skillet can last a very long time. You hear stories about families passing their cast iron down to their kids for generations. Having one in your kitchen is great for healthy stir frys, eggs, and more!

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Any good home chef knows that a good dutch oven is essential. You can use it on the stove and in the oven with soups, stews, casseroles and stir frys. You can even make bread it in! I just make sure I have company over when I make bread..otherwise I’ll eat the whole thing and I know that isn’t low-cal!

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These colorful portion control containers are a crafty little lifesaver when it comes to doling out food groups. Whether you are vegetarian, paleo or low-carb these containers come with a system that you plug your diet into and it tells you how to use the containers for your specific diet type.

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This oil mister is the best way to avoid accidentally dumping half the olive oil bottle onto your salad. You simply fill the container with whichever oil you want to use and add some herbs if you want infused oil, then you spray your food with a small amount of oil. It’s a great way to cut calories!

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Steamed foods are a very healthy low calorie option and this digital steamer couldn’t be easier. There’s no need to keep checking the pot on the stove after work when you’re tired. Just put the food in, press a button and binge your favorite show until it’s done!

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Portion control is important when it comes to slimming down, but it can be annoying pulling out all the measuring cups and measuring spoons all day. Check out out list of portion control tableware that makes cutting your intake a piece of cake!

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