Eating well mostly comes down to one thing: making the healthy choice the easy choice. When vegetables are already washed, lunches already packed and dinner takes 20 minutes instead of an hour, it's a lot easier to skip the takeout.
These kitchen gifts take the effort out of cooking healthy food at home, for busy families, new cooks and anyone trying to eat a little better.
Simple habits that help
10 healthy food prep gifts
Faster, healthier cooking
1. Air Fryer
A countertop convection cooker that crisps food with hot air and little or no oil.
Why it helps: Crispy favorites with a fraction of the oil, and quick enough for busy weeknights.
Check price on Amazon2. Electric Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot)
A multicooker that pressure-cooks, slow-cooks, sautés and makes rice and yogurt.
Why it helps: Homemade soups, stews, grains and beans in a fraction of the time. Great for meal prep.
Check price on Amazon3. High-Speed Blender
A powerful countertop blender for smoothies, soups, nut butters and frozen treats.
Why it helps: Makes it easy to pack fruit, veggies and greens into breakfast.
Check price on Amazon4. Personal Blender with To-Go Cups
A compact blender that blends straight into travel cups.
Why it helps: A smoothie on the way out the door, with no big jug to wash.
Check price on AmazonPrep made easy
5. Vegetable Chopper
A press-down chopper with interchangeable blades for dicing onions, peppers and more.
Why it helps: Speeds up the most tedious part of cooking from scratch, and it's easier on sore hands than a knife.
Check price on Amazon6. Salad Spinner
A pump-action spinner that washes and dries greens in seconds.
Why it helps: Dry greens make better salads and keep longer in the fridge, so salads actually happen.
Check price on Amazon7. Vegetable Spiralizer
A handheld or countertop tool that turns zucchini, carrots and sweet potatoes into noodles.
Why it helps: A fun way to get more veggies on the plate, and kids like it too.
Check price on Amazon8. Digital Kitchen Scale
A slim scale that weighs ingredients in grams and ounces.
Why it helps: Helpful for baking, portion awareness and following recipes precisely.
Check price on AmazonStore it and grow it
9. Glass Meal Prep Containers
A set of oven-, microwave- and dishwasher-safe glass containers with locking lids.
Why it helps: Prepping lunches ahead is one of the easiest healthy habits, and glass doesn't stain or hold smells.
Check price on Amazon10. Indoor Smart Herb Garden
A countertop garden with built-in grow lights that grows herbs and greens year-round.
Why it helps: Fresh basil on the counter makes healthy cooking more tempting, and it's a joy to watch it grow.
Check price on AmazonGift-giving tips
- Check the counter space. Big appliances are wonderful, but only if there's room for them. A small kitchen might be better served by a chopper and good containers.
- For arthritic hands, a vegetable chopper and an air fryer both cut down on knife work and heavy pans. See our arthritis gift guide for more.
- Make it a kit. Pair a blender with a smoothie cookbook, or meal prep containers with a favorite healthy recipe.