Kitchen Essentials for Clean Cooking

Hi!  Today I wanted to share with you some items that I think are necessary to have in the kitchen for any kind of cooking, but specifically for cooking on a clean eating meal plan.  Of course, there are many more items you could have but having these is a good way to start if you're new to cooking or meal prep.

1.  A non-stick pan:  there are lots of different pans that you can buy, but this one is going to be the most cost-effective.  You can cook just about anything in pans such as these and you can usually find them pretty inexpensively.

2.  A large pot:  definitely a must for boiling water for pasta, rice, and oatmeal, as well as cooking vegetables in water.  You can also get a steamer, but for a lot of vegetables, I just boil them in water when I cook them.

3.  A cutting board:  I prefer a plastic cutting board such as this one because it is easier to clean, but there are many materials and sizes.

4.  A good knife:  there are many different kinds of knives that you can get, but a Chef's knife is the one that I use the most by far.  Make sure it is sharp and has a good weight to it so it will be easy to use.

5.  A digital scale:  I use my scale all the time for portioning out meat in ounces.  I also use it for cheese and really anything that calls for ounces in a recipe that is not a liquid.  Look for a digital scale so you get a more accurate weight.  I like this one with a large bowl because it holds my food and I don't have to worry about it falling off the scale.

6.  Various utensils:  There are so many utensils that you can buy for the kitchen, but I think these are some of the most basic and essential cooking tools that you'll need.  Here we have a pair of tongs, a wooden spoon, a whisk, and a flipper/turner.  I like to use plastic or wooden utensils so they don't scratch my pans.

7.  Measuring cups and spoons:  To do measuring for most recipes, it's best to have 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, and 1 c cups and 1/4, 1/2, 1 t and 1 T spoons.  A 1 or 2 c glass measuring cup is also good to have for liquids.

8.  A baking sheet:  great for cooking vegetables and lean meats in the oven.  I usually line it with aluminum foil for easy clean up!

9.  Airtight containers:  I use these every day for meal prep and storing leftovers.  If you are meal prepping, you can get divided containers easily online.

All of these items can be found online at Amazon or other retailers that sell kitchen equipment, such as Bed Bath and Beyond.  Most (if not all) can be found at Wal-Mart or your local grocery store.  Happy cooking!