5 kitchen tools you need for healthy eating

A food journal/notebook – Current research shows that keeping a daily food journal actually helps with weight loss and health. According to a study soon to be published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, people who kept no daily diary lost an average of four kilograms, while those who kept a dairy six or more days per week lost an average of eight kilograms. A food journal and/or notebook will help you to record what you have eaten on a specific day, the groceries you need to buy and recipes you may want to make. Keep this journal handy so it is easy to grab while you are working in the kitchen.

A steamer or steaming basket – Investing in a kitchen steamer or a steaming basket that goes over a stove top pot is one sure way to preserve the colour, texture and taste of your vegetables. Most importantly, steaming retains the most nutrients in comparison to any other cooking method, and is by far the healthiest method to choose. When steaming, try to cut vegetables into the same size so they steam evenly. Examples of steaming times for your vegetables include:

Vegetable	Steaming Time
Artichoke	40 minutes
Asparagus, thin spears thick spears	3 to 4 minutes 5 to 6 minutes
Broccoli, florets spears	4 to 5 minutes 5 to 6 minutes
Brussels Sprouts	7 to 11 minutes
Carrots, cut 1/4-inch thick	6 to 8 minutes
Cauliflower, head florets	12 to 15 minutes 4 to 6 minutes
Corn on the cob	5 minutes
Green beans	4 to 5 minutes
Kale	4 to 5 minutes
Potatoes, new 2-inch pieces	12 minutes 15 minutes
Spinach	4 to 5 minutes
Sweet potatoes, whole 1-inch pieces	40 to 50 minutes 12 to 15 minutes

Investing in the above tools is one of the most effective methods to make healthy food preparation easy and enjoyable. Some fun new kitchen tools are also the best way to give yourself a quick health boost. Bon appetite!

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Dr. Joey Shulman DC, registered nutritionist is the author of the best selling book The Last 15 – A Weight Loss Breakthrough. For more information, please visit www.drjoey.com.