One of the biggest problems people have with eating better is the concept of quick and easy that has been shoved down our throats by the media. If marketing executives have succeeded in nothing else, they have convinced us that we are not worth the time and effort of preparing ourselves nourishing meals that satisfy our souls.
If time is of the essence in your kitchen (and no doubt it truly is for some of us), then consider upgrading your knife collection. Many tools can make cooking easier, but in my experience, have a good set of Japanese kitchen knives has made an enormous difference in the amount of time spent in the kitchen.
Another great time saver is a crock pot. Remember those? Perhaps you or your mom got one when you got married? Or maybe you saw one at a yard sale? Some people worry about leaving these running while they are out of the house, but unless you have cats that jump up on your kitchen counter every time you turn your back, the chance of having a catastrophic accident in your absence is probably equal to anything you might experience with your refrigerator breaking down while you’re at work.
My final recommendation would be to acquire a convection oven. These contraptions are far superior to their slightly faster, very distant evil cousin the microwave oven. In my case, my convection oven takes approximately 10-20 minutes to reheat any given meal at its default setting of 350 degrees. That may sound like a lot to someone who is used to eating a minute or two after popping something in the microwave, but you can get a lot done in that time — go to the bathroom, do your hair, feed the cat (that darn cat again), pack your bags to leave, wash a few dishes, check your Facebook page etc. In no time, you’ll be enjoying a meal that was heated by the normal process of heating from the inside out — not the other way around. And if you need to take your food on the road, consider getting a good wide-mouth thermos which should keep your food hot for up to nine hours!
There will be more to come on the subject as the modern kitchen has many pitfalls for the health enthusiast. This should be quite enough to hold you for now.
