Top 5 Kitchen Tools for Cooking Healthy

These days, it seems like there is a kitchen gadget for just about everything -- so which are must haves for making a healthy meal? Here are five gadgets I’d be lost without.

These days, it seems like there is a kitchen gadget for just about everything -- so which tools are must haves for making a healthy meal? Here are five I’d be lost without.

These hand-held graters are perfect for citrus, hard cheeses, garlic, ginger, nutmeg and chocolate. A small amount of any of these ingredients can add tremendous taste without a lot of calories. Citrus zest adds flavor, essential oils and specs of color –- add orange zest to a vinaigrette or lemon zest to cupcake frosting. Make a gremalata for roasted potatoes. Grate hard cheeses such as Parmesan or Romano over pasta or bruschetta. There is nothing like the smell of freshly grated nutmeg –- add it to creamy sauces and or baked fruit dishes. For a low calorie treat, sprinkle dark chocolate shavings in your coffee or hot chocolate.

I used to think I needed to chop everything by hand and only resorted to the clunky food processor for large jobs -- then I discovered the mini chopper. It's the perfect size for small ingredients such as garlic, ginger and fresh herbs. Some models even come with an adjustable blade for grinding spices. Chop up some cilantro, garlic, ginger, serrano chili and scallion, add to a bowl with some lime juice, honey and canola oil, and you have a healthy and flavorful marinade for chicken, fish or vegetables.

Toby makes fun of me but I am a huge fan of the reamer! Get all the juice out of your winter citrus with this simple hand-held tool. A citrus press is also wonderful for this. Add vitamin C and bright citrus flavor to sweet and savory dishes. Liven up dips. Juice lemons, limes, grapefruit, blood oranges -- whatever!

4) Measuring Tools

Measuring cups and spoons are a healthy cook's must-haves. You don’t have to measure everything you eat, but take the time to measure high-calorie ingredients such as oils, nuts and cheeses. A good looking scale is gorgeous on any kitchen counter and will come in handy too.

It’s not always easy to tell if meat is cooked properly. The easiest solution? A meat thermometer, which also works well for poultry and fish too.

    Try your tools out with these recipes:
TELL US: What are some of your favorite tools?

Next Up

5 Inexpensive Kitchen Tools I Replace Every Year

Keep your kitchen in tiptop shape with a few new essentials.

Top 5 Herbs for Healthy Cooking

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again -- herbs are an easy way to give low-cal flavor to many dishes. Better still, you add extra nutrients such as vitamins A and C, fiber and phytochemicals. Looking to explore? Here are our five favorites and ways to use them.

5 Tools in My "Supermarket Healthy" Kitchen

While healthy home cooking doesn’t require special equipment, Melissa shares five of the most-used tools in her kitchen – all of which help her create easy, tasty and healthy meals.

Healthy Cooking Tool: Hand Blender

One essential cooking tool for healthy home cooks: a hand blender. Do you own one?

More Tools For Healthy Cooking

Every kitchen should have a few essential cooking tools to prep healthy meals. Here are a few of our favorites.

Budget-Friendly Foods: Top 5 Healthy Picks

These days, who’s not watching their wallets along with their waistlines? After some number crunching, we came up with top five budget-friendly, healthy foods that give you maximum nutrition for your food buck.

Our Top 5 Healthy Cookbooks of 2014

Our top five healthy cookbooks of 2014.

Must-Have Kitchen Gadgets for Healthy Cooking

Stock your kitchen with these tools and gadgets to save time, energy, avoid messy clean-ups and enjoy healthier meal preparation with ease.

Food Network Kitchens' Top 15 Ingredients for a Healthy Kitchen

Stock your kitchen with simple, inexpensive ingredients and weeknight cooking will be much easier. Here’s what the experts in Food Network Kitchens have in their kitchen: