20 Healthy Kitchen Upgrade Ideas for Black Friday Shoppers

Written By Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Consider a few of these items for yourself and or for gifts for loved ones this season. By cooking more at home, you save money and improve your health!

  1. High-Speed Blender

  2. Air Fryer

  3. InstaPot

  4. Food Processor

  5. Cookware: Enameled Dutch Ovens

  6. Digital Kitchen Scale for baking and meal prep

  7. Slow Juicer

  8. Immersion (Hand) Blender to blend soups right in the pot

  9. Quality Chef’s Knives – Japanese steel is consistently sharper but German is more durable

  10. Cutting Boards – we love white nylon ones that can go in the dishwasher but a wood cutting board is lovely for making grazing boards

  11. Salad Spinner: Removes excess water from greens, ensuring dressings stick better and salads stay fresh longer.

  12. Mandoline Slicer: Get a cut proof glove to go with it!

  13. Vegetable Spiralizer: Turns zucchini, carrots, or sweet potatoes into "noodles" for low-carb meal alternatives.

  14. Glass Meal Prep Containers

  15. Spice Grinder (Electric or Manual): Grinding whole spices creates much more potent flavors, allowing you to use less salt/seasoning.

  16. High-Quality Water Filter Pitcher or Dispenser: Ensures you have clean-tasting water on hand for drinking and cooking.

  17. Silicone Baking Mats – allows you to bake everything nonstick and makes cleanup easier

  18. Serving dishes or salad bowls

  19. Half Sheet Pans – for baking and serving sheet pan dinner

  20. Bakeware and casserole dishes – you can cook these in the microwave and store items in them

Tip before shopping:

•Organize your space and get rid of things you are not using

•Make a list of what you need

•Decide on a budget

•Shop online to check prices, stores, and offerings and make a plan

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Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Judy’s passion for cooking began with helping her grandmother make raisin oatmeal for breakfast. From there, she earned her first food service job at 15, was accepted to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America at 18 (where she graduated second in her class), and went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland, where she focused on pastry arts and baking. After a decade in food service for Hyatt Hotels, Judy launched Food and Health Communications to focus on flavor and health. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Arts, holds a master’s degree in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and runs a food photography & motion studio where her love is creating fun recipes and content.

Judy received The Culinary Institute of America’s Pro Chef II certification, the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year. Her enthusiasm for eating nutritiously and deliciously leads her to constantly innovate and use the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to guide her creativity, from putting new twists on fajitas to adapting Italian brownies to include ingredients like toasted nuts and cooked honey. Judy’s publishing company, Food and Health Communications, is dedicated to her vision that everyone can make food that tastes as good as it is for you.

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