I’m going to show you KITCHEN GADGETS MUST HAVES if you want to get fit and most importantly, LIVE FIT – FOREVER!

As they say, ” ABS ARE CREATED IN THE KITCHEN!”.  You can perform home workouts for hours a day but if your food choices aren’t on point then you won’t see the results you desire. Hence, start with your kitchen which includes the food, cabinets and kitchen gadgets.

Let me give you some important steps, diet tips and unique kitchen gadgets that will help you make healthier food.

KEY STEPS TO GETTING FIT AT HOME INCLUDING UNIQUE KITCHEN GADGETS:

1. HOW TO MAKE YOUR KITCHEN HEALTHY:

Grab your trash bag ladies.  Sorry but you have to start here.  Open your cabinets and fill it with all the foods that trigger you’re bad habits and sabotage your healthy diet.

I.E.  Ritz crackers, raisins, peanut butter crackers, JIFFY, wheat thins, popcorn rice cakes, white pasta, pretzels, milk chocolate, licorice, smart food popcorn and/or potato chips.  Yup. Give them away.

“Yeah, but my kids eat them.”

Guess what.  You need to start them on a healthier diet while they are young.  Once a week bring them out and buy a small bag of potato chips (natural ones of course, Cape Cod Potato Chips) just for them at the convenient store.  Give them fresh fruit instead.  They have to learn how to eat healthy too.  Nothing bothers me more than the moms who eat egg whites and organic fruit but give their kids Luncheables filled with preservatives, processed crap and every other chemical that the FDA allows to be called edible.

 STOCK YOUR CABINETS WITH HEALTHY DRY GOOD CHOICES:

• Replace crackers made with flour with alternatives such as MARY’S GONE CRACKERS (NO FLOUR)
• Replace coconut oil and sunflower oil with Extra Virgin Olive Oil (BETTER FOR ARTERIAL WALLS)
• Replace refined salt with coarse sea salt or himalayan rock salt (MORE MINERALS)
• Replace oats with organic quick steel cut oats (MORE FIBER)
• Replace white pasta with organic wheat pasta (MORE FIBER) *Limit pasta to 1/2 cup per 2 cups stir fry veggies or use veggie noodles
• Replace seasonings that contain msg, sugar and salt with Organic ingredients only (NO CHEMICALS) Must have seasonings: cinnamon, garlic powder, turmeric, curry, cumin, cayenne, sea salt
• Replace chemical filled protein powders with organic vegan or grass-fed naturally flavored whey protein powders (NO FAKE SUGARS)
• Replace high fructose corn syrups and pancake syrup with coconut sugar, agave,natural cane sugar or Grade A Maple Syrup (NO HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP)
• Replace sodas with natural flavored seltzer waters (NO SUGAR OR FAKE SUGAR)
• Replace artificial extracts (i.e. vanilla ) with organic vanilla flavorings (NO CHEMICALS)
• Replace floured breads with no flour alternatives : Ezekiel or other gluten free breads found in frozen section of Whole Foods (MORE FIBER )
• Replace high sugar Marinara i.e. Ragu with more natural alternatives RAOS or Mezzeta brand. (NO ADDED SUGAR, TASTE BETTER)
• Replace peanut butter with organic peanut, almond or cashew butter. (NOT PROCESSED, LESS ADDED OILS)
• Replace jelly and jam with organic preserves. ( ORGANIC FRUIT)
• Replace quick rice including brown rice with dry short grain brown rice (MORE FIBER AND NUT CONSISTENCY)
• Stock with vitamins (probiotics, multiple, high potent vitamin C, Green Powder, Vitamin D, Vitamin A)

STOCK YOUR FRIDGE WITH THIS HEALTHY FOOD LIST:

• Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk (oat, coconut, hemp, almond) or Organic Milk (2% or whole)
• Greens (kale, spinach, arugula)  Protein Greens (sweet pea leaves, baby bok choy), swiss chard and micro greens.
• Organic cheese (shredded mozzarella, Parmesan and Sheep)
• Hummus (Hope Brand- spicy avohummus, cedars – Artichoke hummus)
• Organic Avocado fresh or frozen INCLUDES guacamole just made with fresh garlic, sea salt and jalapeno peppers i.e. Whole Foods Fresh Made.
• Fruit: organic fresh or frozen (raspberries, watermelon, lemons, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, mango, plums, grapefruit, clementines)
• Vegetables: organic fresh or frozen (broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, cauliflower rice, peppers: red/ yellow/ orange, kale, asparagus, baby spinach, brussels sprouts, garlic, ginger,red cabbage and jalapeno peppers
• Good Carbs: organic sweet potato, red bliss potato
• Protein: organic or free range ( ground poultry, ground beef, sirloin strip, firm tofu, chicken breast on bone, chicken thighs, tempeh, wild caught Salmon, Cod, Halibut, Organic chicken sausage)
• Dressings: Paul Newmans Organic, Annies Organic, Whole Foods Organic Brand, Trader Joes Organic Brand
• Juices: fresh carrot, detox juices and fresh squeezed(limit 3 ounces per day)
• FROZEN Breads: Ezekiel Flax and brown rice tortillas, Engine 2 Tortillas, Odoughs Bagel Thins (everything)
• Greek Yogurt 5 % – add 2-3 tbsp organic apricot or raspberry preserves to large container and stir well.
• Butters: natural butter, Earth Balance Spread no soy

 

Now lets move onto your best kitchen gadgets for cooking:

PREPARE YOUR HEALTHY MEALS WITH THESE MUST HAVE KITCHEN GADGETS: 

KITCHEN GADGET #1: WOK

• Getting a wok is a key to making healthy meals in a snap, especially vegetables. The key is too heat up oil then throw ingredients one a time minute apart as you shake on high heat.
• The fastest way to create healthy meals with a wok is to pick 2 to 4 healthy vegetables and throw them into a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and  fresh chopped garlic or ginger (both optional).  Make sure to shake up veggies every 2 minutes on high heat till crispy and soft. Once done put aside.
• Now you can add your favorite protein to the wok i.e. cubed firm tofu (make sure to drain all water and dry with paper towel and weight), organic chicken or sirloin. I like to cook on high heat and again move every 2 minutes and for the last 2-3 minutes place a lid to make sure all cooked (tofu should be brown and slightly crispy, chicken fully cooked, sirloin to your liking).  Now add back veggies.
• Pair your dish with fresh greens and a complex carb (optional) like short grain rice.

HERE’S ARE 2  EXAMPLES OF A DISH I CREATED WITH A WOK: TOFU WITH VEGGIES

FIRST DISH with the wok: 

1. Stir fry chopped organic: peppers (red, orange, yellow), broccoli florets, black beans, mango,natural dried cranberries, cilantro, garlic.  Make sure to heat up oil and garlic before adding rest.
2. Stir fry diced dry tofu
3. Stir fry and crisp up short grain brown rice (already cooked before added to wok).
4. Stir fry all together,  Season with sea salt and touch cayenne pepper
5. Serve with power greens

SECOND DISH with the wok: 

1. Stir fry chopped organic: chopped organic: kale,spinach, peppers (orange, yellow, red), black beans, carrots, natural dried cranberries
2. Stir fry diced dry tofu with garlic
3. Stir fry and crisp up quinoa (already cooked before added to wok).
4. Stir fry all together. Season with sea salt and touch cayenne pepper
5. Serve with fresh avocado, mango and sliced almonds.

Adding this kitchen gadget on Amazon will help you in your fitness journey.

KITCHEN GADGET #2 : THE WEBER GRILL

The Weber grill makes vegetables, fruit and protein tasty and easy to make.  You’ll need a vegetable basket for your veggies and fruit so they don’t fall into the fire.  Even though you’re grill is outside, it is an essential kitchen gadget to making healthy dishes.

The one draw back of grilling meats: don’t let your protein char.  Best to pan fry for few minutes before to stop meat from dripping into the flames.  Placing your meat into tin foil also helps keep the meat juicy.  This way you can take out of tinfoil at the end and perform a quick grill for the flavor.

I choose the Weber Grill because I’ve bought 3 grills in the last 26 years and my Weber Grill for the money has outlasted both the former grills you 5 years and still going. They heat up quickly, easy to clean, sturdy and have a great guarantee.

HERE’S ARE 2  EXAMPLES OF A DISH I CREATED WITH AN AWEBER GRILL: 1. GARLIC CHICKEN 2. TACO GRILLED WRAP

FIRST DISH with the Grill (Garlic Chicken): 

1. Wash Organic Bone-In Chicken Breast.  Pat dry.  Wrap in Tin Foil covered with crushed garlic,lemon juice and herbs (rosemary) for 12-13 minutes on medium heat 300 degrees F
2. Remove from foil and grill directly on grill to fully cook.  Flip every 5 minutes to prevent over cooking.
3. Check with Grill thermometer until internal heat is 165 degrees F.
4. Serve with fresh greens, veggies and complex carb.

SECOND DISH with the Grill (Grilled wrap): 

1. Place a flourless or whole grain wrap on the grill ( medium heat) for 2- 3 minutes (make sure to stay with grill and check entire time) till slightly crispy.
2. Place 1-2 tbsp of Hope Brand (spicy avocado, hummus) or Cedars Brand (artichoke hummus) on one side
3. Place 1/2 cup Cedars Brand garbanzo bean salad onto the hummus
4. On the other side add protein greens or power greens found at whole foods market produce.
5. Fold over and enjoy.

Adding this kitchen gadget on Amazon will help you in your fitness journey.

 

KITCHEN GADGET #3 : NINJA BLENDER

The NINJA BLENDER for it’s price point, ease and extra smooth blend has been my favorite blender.  Yes, I have a Vitamix which works great but I don’t think it’s necessary to create smoothies and juices unless you own a juice bar  (which i’ve owned). So, I definitely recommend getting this unique kitchen gadget to start or keep going on your health journey.

 

SMOOTHIE RECIPES using the NINJA BLENDER to make smoothies:

Muscle Smoothie:Blend all the following

• 1 cup or 11/2 cup NON-DAIRY CHOCOLATE  (oat, coconut or almond)
• 1/4 cup frozen strawberries
• 1 tbsp. hemp seeds
• 1 tsp. glutamine powder

Once blended smooth add 2 scoops of your favorite protein powder and blend quick or on low for just 15-30 seconds.  This prevents foaming.

Healthy Smoothie: Blend all the following

• 1 cup Organic Carrot Juice ( buy premade)
• 3 Frozen Strawberries, 1/3 cup Frozen Rasperries
• 1 Cup Organic Kale

 

Hope you get started on your fitness journey with these kitchen gadgets!