10 Kitchen Gadgets to Help with Weight Loss
M any clients ask me what tools and gadgets I use in my kitchen. To be honest, I have far too many and far more than I really use, but there are some that I have found to be really helpful.
As I am currently about to begin running a 30 Day Weightloss Programme for people who are trying to find a healthy way to lose weight, I thought I would update and publish this article that I wrote some time ago, where I give some of my favourite kitchen tools. For anyone who is enrolled on the programme, you might want to consider some of these to make your meal preparation quicker and easier.
If you aren't already on the programme but are interested in joining a community of like-minded people to learn about healthy weight loss with support from a qualified nutritional therapist, please take a look at the programme page to learn more or to enrol.
‘Superfoods’ are an excellent addition to our daily diet due to the fact that each one contains essential nutrients that supercharge our health and nutrition naturally. Adding one or more of the superfoods such as berries, nuts and seeds, sprouts and leafy greens to your morning smoothie, juice, yoghurt, porridge or freshly made salad is an easy way of increasing your overall nutrient intake to help support your immune system against viruses and other health issues you may be dealing with. Using one of the gadgets listed below helps to make juices, smoothies, salads (sprouter, spiralizer etc), just that much easier.
Makes chopping, blending and whisking incredibly quick and easy. Make sure it comes with lots of accessories, such as chopping bowls and whisks. These are useful for blending soup or chopping nuts.
I recommend the Dualit 700W Hand Blender in Polished Chrome, £89.95, This model has plenty of accessories, including the standard wand, a whisk plus two bowls. There are much cheaper models available, but this is what I use.
If you are a juicing fan, or if you would like to become one, you should consider a slow juicer – sometimes called a masticating juicer – because it creates less friction/heat, so retaining more of the nutrients. Prices vary widely, but check reviews to make sure you get value for your money.
I LOVE: this one from Aicok, £109.99, costs the same as many centrifugal juicers, but will give you a much better quality juice. A more affordable alternative from the same reliable company is this 3-speed juicer, £39.99. It’s not a slow juicer and so you won’t get quite the same nutrient quality in your juice but it’s still well worth the money if you are on a budget.
There are lots of these simple, compact, blenders that are ideal for smoothies and even soups. Nutribullet has really cornered the market with its simple design and reliability and I definitely recommend a daily smoothie as a way of upping your daily fruit and veg intake. Just make sure you don’t forget to include the veg! I have lots of smoothie ideas on my recipe pages. Why not click on ‘search’ in the top menu and type ‘smoothie’ into the search bar to see what you find?
I LOVE: NutriBullet , £59.99, is the original and still the best. It’s very simple to use and to clean. The 600 series has enough power to ensure that nuts and seeds are properly blended.
Helps you easily cut the carb content of your meals while increasing your veg intake by making courgetti (courgette spaghetti) and boodles (butternut squash noodles) quick and effortless. You can also experiment with just about anything else to find your favourite spiralizing ingredients.
I LOVE: Sprializer 5-blade Slicer, £17.99 This affordable hand-spiralizer has 5 blades so it can handle just about any cutting task. For a bit more money you can consider an electric model, but I find that this works just fine.
Slow cooking makes stews and curries absolutely delicious. You just prepare your one-pot meal as normal but at the start of the day and then let it do its thing.
I LOVE: Morphy Richards Sear and Stew, is not the cheapest on offer but a good investment at £69.95. It’s worth spending a few extra pounds for something that will last. The inner pot in this model comes out so you can sear the meat before slow cooking. The cooking pot is dishwasher safe. Morphy Richards also offer this decent budget option for £24.99 that will get you up and running with no hassle and not put too big a dent in your wallet.
A water filter is an important accessory for removing chemicals and toxins from your drinking water. These can range from entire plumbed-in filtration systems to simple fridge jugs.
I LOVE: Big Berkey Water Filter System, which is a big investment at around £359 but it is the best on the market and with an 8.5 litre capacity, is enough for a large family.
If this is a little expensive, you might want to consider a water filter jug, like the Brita Aluna water filter jug at £10.50, which is slim and won't crowd your fridge. If you are concerned about recycling the cartridges, make sure you buy authentic Brita cartridges, which can be taken to most Argos, Homebase or Robert Dyas stores for recycling. When you’re on the move, you might like the Bobble Water Bottle for £8.99. This has a built-in charcoal filter to get rid of toxins so it actually filters your water as you drink.
Sprouted beans and seeds contain far more nutrients and enzymes than non-sprouted equivalents. The vitamin content of some seeds, grains, beans or nuts increases by up to 20 times the original value within only a few days of sprouting! Studies have shown that sprouted beansprouts can increase in vitamin B1 by up to 285%, vitamin B2 by 515% and niacin by up to 256%. You can always buy sprouted veg at the supermarket but they tend to be quite expensive so investing in your own sprouter is a good way to make a long-term saving and make sure your ingredients are as fresh as possible.
I recommend: Biosnacky Germinator Seed Jar, £21.49, which is a good starter unit.
Coffee has many health benefits, although it is not suitable for everyone. A good bean grinder, however, is also perfect for grinding seeds and spices to sprinkle on salads, soups, and so on. You can always opt for a pestle and mortar if you don’t mind spending the extra time.
If you are a coffee lover, you probably have your own favourite grinder already, but if you are buy as a herb and seed grinder, there is no need to break the bank. This UUOUU grinder for £14.44 is a good entry-level machine that will do everything you need.
Making your own yoghurt is a perfect way to get more gut friendly bacteria without the additives and preservatives of shop-bought alternatives. I love creating new flavours with my favourite fruits and nuts. It’s great for anyone who is dairy-free as you can experiment with dairy-free milks.
I recommend: Lakeland Yoghurt Maker, £30.99, which makes up to 1 litre of nutritious homemade yoghurt or cheese in one use.
Described as ‘the world’s most intelligent food processor’, this all-in-one workhorse performs multiple tasks such as: weighing, chopping, blending, mixing, grinding, grating, cooking, steaming, whisking, kneading and more.
I recommend this because: Although, at £964, it costs as much as a small kitchen, it transforms your meals and replaces a host of other gadgets. It’s a favourite of a lot of nutritionists and health professionals. From soups and sauces to dough, meals will suddenly become a whole lot quicker and easier. It can even replace your coffee grinder! This is certainly a luxury item for enthusiasts, but if you count up how much all the individual items cost and the space they take up, it might not seem so crazy. You can purchase a Thermomix from the company’s website, here.
also worth mentioning…
The 60-second Salad Cutter Bowl, £6.99, makes chopping quick and easy. Put whole veg and salad leaves in, chop through the slits, turn 90 degrees and repeat. So simple!
The Oxo Apple Divider, £6.99, slices and cores apples with hardly any waste – A real time-saver and makes fruit more fun for fussy children (and adults).
The Joseph Joseph Lotus Steamer, £11.20, is a quick and simple way to steam your veg without losing nutrients. It is collapsible, so great for smaller kitchens.
A traditional bamboo steamer from Ken Hom, £12, is perfect for cooking all veg while maintaining nutrients. It’s designed to fit over a wok and the two tiers mean you can separate ingredients if desired.
A 3-in-1 avocado slicer, peeler, stone remover, £5.99, makes peeling avocados quick and stress-free. It also removes the stones with a minimum of fuss.
