5 Kitchen Gadgets You Need as a Parent
With the common parenting setup nowadays where both parents have to work to sustain the family, the process of raising kids may require superhero-level skills. Preparing home-cooked meals have become particularly challenging for parents because it involves many steps, such as cutting the ingredients, cooking them, as well as cleaning up the pots and pans after.
Fortunately, nifty machines have been developed to make life more convenient and manageable even with tiny tots wreaking havoc in your home. You no longer have to rely on frozen dinners or, worse, constantly ordering fast food to feed your family.
Here are some kitchen gadgets you need as a parent:
1. Hand Blenders
Parents with babies who are slowly getting started on solid food know the value of blending fruits, vegetables, and even meat. Refining the texture of food can help prevent your young ones from choking on tiny particles while providing them with enough nutrients for their growth.
Hand blenders offer the same blending features as a standard blender without the hassle of cleaning up a bulky machine. You can just pop this device under running water to wash off food bits and pieces, and then you’re good to go.
If you’re looking to add this nifty gadget into your kitchen arsenal, check out what’s considered the best hand blender by ConsumerJar. Don’t worry about the cost because the guide contains the most affordable options on the market today.
2. Slow Cookers
Slow cookers are another useful appliance that parents should have. It can be challenging to prepare a hearty meal in a household where both parents are working. Luckily, this device allows you to throw out the phone number of the nearest fast food joint and get to cooking instead.
Most slow cookers allow for a set-it-and-leave-it way of cooking. You just have to place all the ingredients in the pot, add water or meat stock, and attend to your other chores. After the programmed time, you then have a home-cooked meal that will fill up your kids’ bellies with vitamins and minerals.
A few tips on how to maximize meal-prep with a slow cooker:Prepare the Night Before – If you have busy weekday mornings, it’s best to prepare for slow cooking the night before. Cut your ingredients, dump the dry ones into the dish, and store in the fridge. Take it out as soon as you wake up and allow the pot to warm to room temperature before turning on the device.
Opt for Cheap Cuts – The best thing about slow cookers is that you can use cheap cuts because it can soften even the toughest meat. You can use beef brisket and pork shoulders, which usually takes a lot of time to cook.
Reduce Water or Broth – Liquid doesn’t quickly evaporate in a slow cooker. Remember to lessen the amount of water or broth that you pour into the pot if you’re using a standard recipe.
Use Flour for Thicker Sauces – For dishes that are better with thicker sauces, you’ll want to add a flour mixture into the pot. Take a small amount of flour, mix it with a bit of cold water, and stir into the slow cooker once it simmers.
Cook in Low Setting – Use the low setting as much as you can to bring out the flavors of the meat and vegetables in your dish.
3. Veggie Spiral Slicer
If you’re trying to get your kids to eat more healthily, you’ll want this handy tool in your kitchen. You can easily make low-carb spaghetti with zucchini, carrots, cabbage, and even cucumber. Spiral slices make healthy eating more fun for your kids, so you won’t need to bring out your negotiation and persuasion skills at the dinner table.
4. Juicer
You can also integrate veggies into your kids’ drinks with a juicer. You can pair up their greens with sweet fruits like bananas and strawberries to make a healthy concoction that tastes awesome and will make their bodies stronger.
Some health advocates say that you get more nutrients from this extraction process. However, in-depth research is still required to back up this claim scientifically. Nonetheless, juicing definitely makes healthy eating more fun for children and adults alike.
5. Mandoline
A mandoline enables you to make healthy chips at home. Just pop in a piece of potato in the holder, adjust the thickness level you want, and slice your way to a nutritious snack. Increase the health factor by baking your chips instead of deep-frying them.
Conclusion
These kitchen tools can help make parenting a little more manageable. You can prepare meals without having to use and clean up a lot of items. For more kitchen gadgets like those described below check out kitchenhome.co.uk. Hand blenders, slow cookers, veggie spiral slicers, juicers, and mandolines can help you in your quest to provide nutritious food to your little ones while ensuring your convenience as well.
