The movement towards healthy cooking and eating has been around since the 1900s. Back then, healthy eating was a response to the increase in the production of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers and pesticides in the early days of the agricultural revolution.
Centuries later the movement has evolved into dietary lifestyles we now know as vegetarianism and veganism. Over the years, millions of people around the world have shifted to a more plant-based diet for their physical well-being, but also to help Mother Nature out. Raising livestock to turn into meat products leaves behind a massive carbon footprint.
The combination of eating healthy and exercising isn’t just good for our bodies and the environment. Countless studies have shown that it contributes to improved mental health too.
Advances in technology in the 2000s and the 2010s mean it has never been easier to stick to a healthy lifestyle. From calorie-counting apps to watches that monitor your vital signs, there are plenty of gadgets out there to keep you on track. And some of the best ones are intended for food preparation.
There are literally hundreds of gadgets on Amazon that make healthy cooking easy. See our top five picks below.
Best Gadgets for Healthy Cooking Comparison & Rating
Image | Gadgets for Healthy Cooking | Rating |
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| 94% | |
| 92% | |
| 90% |
Want to Learn More?
Our goal was to offer shoppers products that will come in handy when preparing an assortment of low-calorie meals. To make it easier for you, the features and specifications of each product have been added so comparisons can be done quickly and more efficiently. Don’t forget to click the yellow buttons below to see their best deals on Amazon!
COSORI Air Fryer Max XL
Specifications | |
|---|---|
Dimensions | 11.8 x 12.6 x 11.7 inches |
Weight | 15.97 pounds |
Color | Black |
Manufacturer | COSORI |
If you hate cooking on a stovetop but prefer to eat at home, then the Cosori Air Fryer is for you. It’s versatile. You can serve up egg bakes, impressive sides, creamy desserts, roasted veggies, and just about any protein, expertly cooked. It’s easy to clean either by hand or in the dishwasher. And when you’re done prepping, eating, and washing, this air fryer’s compact size means you can just place it on top of the kitchen counter or store away inside a cabinet.
OXO Good Grips Salad Spinner
Specifications | |
|---|---|
Dimensions | 6 x 10.5 x 10.5 inches |
Weight | 2.5 pounds |
Color | White |
Manufacturer | OXO |
The OXO Good Grips Salad Spinner will change the way you make salads forever. Say goodbye to the washing greens using the same colander you use to drain pasta in! It will take a couple of ‘spin and drain’ cycles before they’re completely dry, but the ease of use more than makes up for it. The knob is so easy to operate that even those with chronic weakness and pain in the hands and wrists can operate this gadget successfully. And when you’re done drying the veggies, plop them into the clear bowl. Add your other ingredients, drizzle some olive oil or vinaigrette, toss and then serve.
Cuisinart DLC-2ABC Mini Prep Plus Food Processor
Specifications | |
|---|---|
Dimensions | 9.25 x 7 x 5 inches |
Weight | 3 pounds |
Color | Brushed Chrome and Nickel |
Manufacturer | Cuisinart |
The Cuisinart’s Mini-Prep Plus 24 Ounce Food Processor has a nice base weight so it doesn’t slide around. It's easy to get the lid on and off and to remove the blade for cleaning. It’s easy to wipe stains and spills off of the plastic housing as well. The blade sits low enough that the food at the bottom doesn’t go unprocessed. It’s very powerful so if you leave your finger on the button too long, you may end up with a purée you didn’t want. Overall, it’s a great and compact gadget to have and will save you loads of time while meal prepping.
Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker
Specifications | |
|---|---|
Dimensions | 4.1 x 2.2 x 12.8 inches |
Weight | 2.99 pounds |
Color | Black |
Manufacturer | Anova Culinary |
Like other reviewers for this product, we can also say that the Anova Nano is much better sous vide device than the OG larger version. It’s much smaller making it easier to store in a kitchen cupboard. The setup for this machine is also so much quicker. You can cook things like a beef roast for 30 hours without adding ANY water. Get this product if you’re trying out this cooking method for the first time. Don't worry about syncing with WiFi or Bluetooth - you don't need it, it's over-complicated.
PopBabies Portable Blender
Specifications | |
|---|---|
Dimensions | 3.2 x 3.2 x 10.2 inches |
Weight | 1.3 pounds |
Color | Carolina Blue |
Manufacturer | PopBabies |
The PopBabies Portable Blender is compact enough to bring you with to work or when you go on trips. It works as advertised so you can blend all sorts of drinks on the go. The bottle is sturdy and well made. The ice tray that comes with the blender is made of a flexible material so the ice cubes are easy to remove. Lastly, if you’re working out to build muscle, this blender works great for making protein shakes at the gym.
Gadgets for Healthy Cooking Buyer's Guide
Kitchen gadgets can be made of metal, plastic, wood, and glass. Oftentimes, one or two materials are combined to create a single gadget. Each of the materials has its own merits so do your research before deciding on what to get.
There are plenty of healthy cooking gadgets but you don’t need them all. Consider the kind of food that you like to prepare and how much time you spend in the kitchen to determine what gadget functions you really need.
Function refers to the primary use of a product while features are what makes the product better than all the other similar ones in the market. Decide on which features matter before you start shopping online.
Always settle on a maximum dollar amount for how much you can spend on your purchase. Remember, the most expensive kitchen gadgets aren’t always the best. So, compare products to get the best value for your hard-earned buck.
FAQs
Yes. For best results, we recommend cooking in a ziplock-style bag only at temperatures below 150 °F / 66 °C. Use sous vide bags when you’re cooking something heavy—like a roast or a rack of ribs—because they are sturdier and have stronger seams.
Here are five DONTS to remember.
Unless you want to puree your ingredients, don’t hold down the pulse button.
Don’t do mixing that involves extra liquid like soups or runny sauces so you don’t go over the food processor’s fill line.
Never add ingredients whole. Cut them up in halves or quarters. Tear the bread up into pieces before tossing it in.
Don’t let the machine run continuously for extended periods of time. Nut butter and some doughs made in the processor will begin to degrade if the machine’s motor begins to overheat.
Don’t just wash the individual pieces of your food processor in the dishwasher after use. Check your machine’s user manual to make sure that parts are all dishwasher-safe.
You can machine or hand wash a salad spinner. To wash on a dishwasher, take the spinner basket out of the clear salad bowl and disassemble the clear lid before loading all the separate pieces on the top rack of your dishwasher.
To wash the salad spinner by hand, start by pouring a generous amount of liquid dish detergent (use one with a grease-stripping ingredient) into the salad spinner. Run warm water into the spinner until it is at least half-full and pop on the lid. Quickly push the pump down repeatedly to make the spinner basket spin within the bowl to loosen food remnants and force them out of the basket. Next, pour water out of the salad spinner. Press the button to remove the underside of the clear lid for cleaning. Wash both pieces of the lid with standard dishwashing liquid, then rinse and set aside to dry. Do a final rinse and then dry all pieces before reassembling them.
Air fryers generally fall into two categories: basket air fryers and convection oven air fryers. A basket air fryer has a basket similar to a deep fryer to hold the food. On the other hand, a convection oven air fryer is similar to a toaster or convection oven, with racks to place food on and added air frying functionality.