7 Must Have Kitchen Tools

My 7 Must-Have Kitchen Tools.

This post has been a long time coming; all of these are essential for anyone living a healthy lifestyle, vegan or not. I use these tools every single day, for the most part (except the spiralizer!). They’re pretty basic but I often receive questions about what I use specifically, so I figured this could be helpful for some of you. 

1. High-Speed Blendtec Blender:

The type of blender I use is one of my most common questions. A high-speed blender (like the Blendtec) will literally change your life. Yes it’s and investment but I promise it is SO WORTH IT. 

Smoothies and juices are all about smooth texture and can make or break how appetizing or palatable a drink is. I love how I can blend up veggies/fruits into the smoothest juice, while still keeping in all of the fiber and nutrients from the skin. It amazes me every single time. Having the Blendtec was crucial in the early stages of my learning about this lifestyle. I remember making green juice every single morning for an entire year – long before even watching the Vegucated documentary that turned me vegan overnight; this blender has been pivotal for me and has also been a learning experience, culinary and health wise.

I went from blending up tons of fresh veggies and fruits to make the smoothest of green juices to now blending up nutrient-dense, very filling superfood smoothies to power me through each day.

I also make my favorite vegan mac & cheese sauce in it, homemade almond milk, banana nice cream, smoothie bowls, homemade nut butter and more. The possibilities are endless with a high speed blender and while I’m keen on the Blendtec, many love on the Vitamix as well. Either one will work great, but I believe the Blendtec is shorter and will fit underneath cabinets, unlike the Vitamix. If you have any suggestions on either, please comment below so we can help each other out :). Ever seen the Will it Blend videos?! It blends ANYTHING – even an iphone. Yup.

There are refurbished Blendtec options at lower prices that still come with a 7-year warranty too. 

2) 32 Ounce Mason Jars:

I know, so Pinterest-y of me… but I LOVE mason jars and they’re a major necessity. No one jar or cup is big enough – only the large 32 ounce mason jars! For everything from post-workout smoothies to lemon water to strawberry shakes and even nice cream. You can find me using mason jars all day, everyday. Can’t live without them.

3) Softy Reusable Silicone Straws:

Yes these straws are so very necessary for all those bikini green smoothies and go hand in hand with the big mason jars! Sipping out of a straw is just more fun, especially for cold smoothies and anything that can stain your teeth or mouth/lips. (love love love these straws too)

I love the Softy Straws because:

• they’re lead free, phthalate free, PVC free & BPA free, (most plastic straws have lots of the hormone-disrupting BPA chemicals…)
• non-toxic, odor and stain resistant (especially that turmeric-staining glow lemonade!)
• 100% food grade, super high quality, soft flexible plastic (for all ages) that I kind of want to chew on… HA
• dishwasher-safe
• can be used with hot or cold beverages!
• come in fun colors

4) Cuisinart Food Processor:

There are some things like my Avocado Lime Crema that can’t be blended in the Blendtec because there’s not enough volume, which is when a food processor comes in handy. Plus, it’s pink, how cute. I use it to make desserts like my no-bake double chocolate brownie bars, my Banana Caramel Pecan Bars (you can get the recipe if you subscribe to my newsletter in the sidebar) and for homemade ice cream/smoothie bowls as well. Sometimes I would rather make nice cream in my food processor as its easier to scrape down the sides in between blending.

A food processor is great for grinding grains and nuts/seeds as well (doing this in a blender can make the jar appear cloudy) so it definitely has it’s own place in the kitchen!

5) Good Quality Knives:

Quality knives are definite must haves because there’s lots and lots of chopping and meal prep to do for a healthy lifestyle! Having a good knife makes the world of a difference. Not only does it save time but it saves your hand from cramping after chopping all those veggies. 

You want to have a couple different types of knives, depending on what you are cutting. A Chef’s Knife for chopping, dicing and mincing, a Serrated Knife for slicing tomatoes or soft fruits, a Paring Knife for peeling an apple or slicing cheese (hopefully that cheese is vegan cheese ;)) and there are a couple others but those 3 are the basic essentials!

6) Bamboo Cutting Board:

A solid cutting board is also essential. 

I have this pretty white & grey marble board as well as a bamboo cutting board. The marble board is beautiful but very loud to cut on, so it has become more decorative than anything but can be used for serving appetizers, or for pretty instagram pictures! A wooden bamboo board is more eco-friendly and easier to clean than a plastic board (which can be made with chemicals and BPA).

7) Spiralizer:

This item is more for fun than anything! I love love love getting creative in the kitchen and a spiralizer helps you do exactly that. 

Now that warmer weather is coming, I’ll be eating more raw meals which means more zoodles. If you haven’t tried zoodles (zucchini noodles) then you must. My Raw Spicy Zoodle Bowl is a perfect recipe to start with (and is so yummy too). You can also spiralize carrots, beets, potatoes and more. I love it for the fun texture and unique spin it adds to any dish. You can make thin noodles, ribbon-like noodles and even curly noodles (for curly sweet potato fries?! yes please) Makes for a fun gift too, for any foodie or health nut out there!

Some other essentials:

• cute measuring cups and spoons like these or these
• thinking about trying this tofu-press to save time and paper towels
• or this mandolin slicer… but don’t have ANY space left in my studio apartment!

What are your favorite kitchen essentials?! Leave a comment below 🙂