Building your kitchen for nutrition
Every kitchen is going to be different and unique to you and the way in which you cook and prepare food but having said that there are some essentials that can help you along the way. So, what this is, is a reference list of things that are generally good to have around for the purposes of eating a balanced, healthy diet, to help you with the planning as you create those new nutritional habits.
These are the basic cupboard fillers that will make healthy eating a ton easier, so take a look and see what you can check off the list!
Salt – a great condiment to use in a positive way with your cooking as well as being mindful on the amount that excessive and harmful to health. Season intelligently and with respect, the best way to avoid too much salt within the diet is to reduce processed fast foods and cook from scratch. That way you know exactly how much salt has been added.
Harissa – like any chilli paste or oil will bring wonderful warmth to your dishes. Made with peppers, garlic, ground spices and dried herbs it adds a fiery taste to your cooking.
Curry Pastes – whether buying or making your own which you can freeze, these little bombs of flavour can add a new meaning to your cooking with an awesome blend of herbs, spices, and fragrant ingredients.
Sun-dried Tomatoes – so whether you choose the paste or the halved tomatoes in oil they will bring power and sunshine to your dishes.
Nuts and seeds – are a great nutritional dense food that can be crushed, crumbled, chopped, or ground as they add fantastic flavour to salads, stews, and curries. Even toasted they can add an incredible texture and nuttiness.
Condiments – such as chilli, teriyaki, Worcestershire, and HP sauce are real gems to add super taste. A quick dash, splash or spoonful can add an accent of flavour to all kinds of your dishes.
So be daring and creative and put some spice into your cooking.
Maximising flavour.
Flavour is a very personal thing and there are some great tips and tricks for really bolstering and getting the most out of the ingredients you use in your cooking. Having these flavours ready to hand in your kitchen can add something special to the dishes you cook. Consider picking up a new flavour a week at a time and stock your kitchen and go for it.
Spices – are by weight some of the most nutrient dense foods around and can really make of break a meal by adding oomph and flavour. Don’t be afraid to experiment with spices such as turmeric, saffron, paprika, cinnamon, cumin, fennel, mustard seeds and of course ground chilli.
Fresh herbs – are a great joyful element of cooking and can really add that extra wow to your cooking, not to mention the health benefits from adding these great flavours.
Dried herbs – again an awesome addition to your cooking as you experience the savoury, robust, comforting flavours when added to such dishes like soups, stews, and sauces. These super convenient flavours can elevate your cooking to the next level.
Oils
Extra virgin olive oil: An essential ingredient for low heat frying, cooking in the oven and salad dressings. Try to buy cold pressed, unfiltered oils
Light olive oil: Similar to EVOO but filtered of impurities. This gives a lighter colour, a lighter taste, and a far higher smoke point. Use for quick frying, or frying of things you don’t want to taste of olive oil
Coconut oil: A delicious oil for frying or baking with a few health benefits to boot
Virgin rapeseed oil: A great oil for quick frying which is relatively cheap
Duck, goose, or other animal fat: Ideal for roasting, use at high heat
Nut oils: Amazing for dressings and low-level cooking apart from avocado oil which can be used at very high heat. Oil such as walnut, groundnut, avocado, sesame oil are all great oils
Equipment
Wok and saucepans: Essential cooking ware, a wok is great for whipping up those quick and healthy stir-fries. Buy good quality pans (as chef Anthony Bordain says, “if you hit someone in the head with your pan, there should be no doubts about which gets a dent”). High quality pans are a bit more expensive, but they can be an investment that lasts years rather than something that warps and loses it’s coating in a few weeks, so needing replacement
Food processor/blender: Great for smoothies, soups, shakes, purees, grinding etc.
Slow cooker: If you are short on time to cook in the evenings, then get one of these. A quick 15-minute prep time in the morning and you come home to a full home cooked meal that you can dish out straight away. There are many options to try with a slow cooker, an essential in our minds
George Foreman grill: Whack your meat on the grill, do some jobs and come back to serve with some veggies; simple. Double up and you’ve then got lunch done too
Good chopping knives: –Will speed up the process and pay dividends. Unlike pans, these needn’t cost a lot. Rather than a typical knife set that you don’t use most of, grab a good chef knife or santoku, and a single smaller knife for peeling - just watch your fingers!
Tupperware containers: An essential for storing, pack-ups, lunch, keeping the nut, seed, and dried fruit mix in. Really essential stuff that allows you to take your healthy food everywhere. Get 4-5 matching boxes and keep them clean – that way you don’t end up with a cupboard of mismatched boxes that have no lid