Must haves tools/products?

[KimmyRocks]

What are your essential tools or products that you feel are 'Must Haves' for your healthy foods lifestyle?

For me, I'd say my stainless steamer basket (in fact I just bought a 2nd), my knives, cutting boards and stainless cookware. I use them every single day.

Ooh. And my herb garden - which I miss during the cold winter months. Nothing compares to fresh herbs, just cut, when you're cooking.

[cjohnson728]

My food scale...until I get used to what portion sizes look like!

[showmenow]

a good set of measuring cups, Pam cooking spray and a toaster oven!

[Scndtonun]

My George Foreman Grill!

[kboles68]

Every week I receive a bushel of fresh (as in picked that morning) vegetables from a local farm through the Community Supported Agriculture association. It means that 1. I get fresh, organic, in season vegetables and 2. I don't have to think about it they just arrive. My kids love seeing the fresh produce and makes them excited to eat it. I know it sounds hoaky but we don't want to waste the beautiful veggies so it's an easy way to make sure we get our daily allowance.

[fitday_jim]

I will put in my vote for food scale. One of the hardest things is accurately estimating how much you are eating, especially things like meats. I don't think you need to weigh everything, but maybe a couple times for your common foods just to get an idea of what a serving size looks like. I know the serving size for a lot of foods is smaller than most people think

[basscat348]

That herb garden sounds awesome and so does the vegetable delivery.Where do you live for that kind of delivery?

[KimmyRocks]

Originally Posted by kboles68

Every week I receive a bushel of fresh (as in picked that morning) vegetables from a local farm through the Community Supported Agriculture association. It means that 1. I get fresh, organic, in season vegetables and 2. I don't have to think about it they just arrive. My kids love seeing the fresh produce and makes them excited to eat it. I know it sounds hoaky but we don't want to waste the beautiful veggies so it's an easy way to make sure we get our daily allowance.

I've heard about these kinds of CSA/community garden co-ops! It's an amazing idea that I hope catches on in more places. Good for you and your family, kbole!

[KimmyRocks]

Originally Posted by fitday_jim

I will put in my vote for food scale. One of the hardest things is accurately estimating how much you are eating, especially things like meats. I don't think you need to weigh everything, but maybe a couple times for your common foods just to get an idea of what a serving size looks like. I know the serving size for a lot of foods is smaller than most people think

Learning correct portion sizes can present a challenge. That's one of the reasons I enjoyed learning to track my food with exchanges and ball-parking the caloric intake that way. The lists that break out exchanges usually give you a size equivalent - a ping pong ball, a tennis ball, a deck of cards, etc...

[edward18]

food scale and salad spinner I got from amazon. Both are very hand and get used daily.