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Kitchen
Equipment for Healthy Eating
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Source:
Linda Adams, H.Ec., and Melissa Carzozza, M.S., R.D.,
L.D.
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Blender |
Microwave oven |
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Steamer |
Salad spinner |
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Non-stick skillet & grill |
Plastic freezer bags |
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Plastic or metal strainer |
Kitchen Scale |
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Seven
Ways to Size Up Your Servings
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Source:
Linda Adams, H.Ec., and Melissa Carzozza, M.S., R.D., L.D.
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Measure food portions
so you know exactly how much food you’re eating. When a
food scale or measuring cups aren’t handy, you can still
estimate your portions using these guidelines.
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1.
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3
ounces of meat is about the size and thickness of a deck
of playing cards or an audiotape cassette. |
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2.
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A
medium apple or peach is about the size of a tennis ball. |
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3.
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1
ounce of cheese is about the size of 4 stacked dice. |
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4.
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˝
cup of ice cream is about the size of a racquetball or tennis
ball. |
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5.
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1
cup of mashed potatoes or broccoli is about the size of
your fist. |
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6.
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1
teaspoon of butter or peanut butter is about the size of
the tip of your thumb. |
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7.
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1
ounce of nuts or small candies equals one handful.
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Timesaving
Tips
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Source:
Linda Adams, H.Ec., and Melissa Carzozza, M.S., R.D., L.D.
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Buy bags of fresh baby carrots,
celery sticks, cauliflower flowerets, broccoli flowerets,
and pre-sliced mushrooms in the produce sections save chopping
and slicing time. |
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Chop and freeze ˝ cup portions
of red or green pepper, onion, and parsley in heavy-duty,
zip-top freezer bags, or buy prepackaged breadcrumbs or toasting
nuts for a recipe, prepare extra and freeze it in heavy duty
zip-top bags. |
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Keep chopped cooked chicken in
the freezer. You can now find packages of precooked chopped
chicken in the freezer section of the grocery store.
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Use a pizza cutter to cut dough
or to cut day-old bread into cubes for croutons. It is faster
than using a knife. |
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Use a slow cooker to help advance
preparation of meals that are hot and ready when you need
them. |
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To skim fat from broth or gravy,
pour it into a zip-top bag, and seal the bag. Snip a hole
in one corner and allow the broth or gravy to drip out into
a measuring cup. The fat will rise to the top in the zip-top
bag. When the broth or gravy has dripped out, pinch close
the hole and discard the bag with the remaining fat.
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Use kitchen scissors to make many
kitchen jobs faster and easier. Use them to chop tomatoes
in a can, snip fresh herbs in a measuring cup, cut pita bread
into wedges, and trim skin and fat from chicken or meal. Spray
the scissors with vegetable cooking spray, and you’ll find
it easy to cut sticky foods like dried fruit. |
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Microwave to get a jump-start
on cooking. Use the microwave to thaw foods or to pre-cook
casseroles or meat you’ll finish cooking on the grill or in
the oven. |
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Quick-soak dried beans to cook
them quickly. Combine beans and water to cover in a saucepan,
then bring the water to a boil. Cover and let the beans stand
for 1 hour. |
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Buy precut, prewashed produce
such a s spinach leaves, romaine hearts, mixed salad greens,
mushrooms, cabbage, and carrots to save chopping and cleaning
time. |
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Alphabetize the spices and seasonings
in your cupboard; they’ll be easier to find. |
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Store your most often used cook
top utensils in a container near the stove so they’re handy
when you need them. |
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Keep all measuring items (cups,
spoons) together near the area where you prepare foods for
cooking. |
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