10 Best Kitchen Gifts for Healthy Cooking

Kitchen Gifts That Make Healthy Cooking Easy.

Healthy cooking doesn’t require a lot of fancy gadgets, but it’s definitely made a lot easier with the help of a few essential items. Some of these things many people receive as wedding gifts but after 5-10 years, they may need to be replaced. Others are things that it’s easy to assume that everyone just has, but if they weren’t handed down or they haven’t been received as gifts, it may seem hard to spend money on them, even if they’re not that expensive. And still others are things that would either help us save money or leave less of an imprint on our environment, or both. That’s why I’ve put together this list of the 10 best kitchen gifts for healthy cooking.

Just when you think someone has everything, there’s almost always one or more of the items on this list that they could really use and that would make healthy cooking easier. They also range in price from $1.99 to $199, which means there’s something for all budgets. Whomever you’re buying for this year, if they’re cooking healthy, there’s something on this list that they could use.

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Glass Spice Jars

Any healthy cook is probably using a lot of seasonings and spices. There’s no need for them to constantly be paying for the containers that those spices come in. That’s what makes glass spice jars a great kitchen gift that will last for years. The recipient can simply buy spices in bulk and fill up the jar as it gets low. I filled up a jar with organic oregano recently for 96 cents. Buying that jar originally had cost me $4.99. So, help a friend, sister, mother, father, brother, grandmother, or whomever out. Get them started with a set of glass spice jars and help them save a lot of money over time.

Aozita’s 24 pcs Glass Spice Jar Jars/Bottles set (affiliate link) is a great starter kit at $24.99. It comes complete with labels, shaker lids and a funnel.

Blender

Yes, giving a Vitamix (affiliate link) would definitely put you at the top of the nice list next year, but if you can’t afford that, don’t worry. There are plenty of less (some much, much less) expensive blender options that will do just fine. The main thing is that every healthy kitchen needs a blender. From smoothies to soups to marinades to purees, this is one appliance that no one that you love or even like should be without.

As someone who blends at least a couple of things every day, I can tell you that the $24.99 versions do just fine. Yes, they are going to wear out after 2-3 years, but as the gift giver, just keep track of when you give one and your gift several years after that will already be decided.

Oster (affiliate link) is the inexpensive brand that I can swear by. The ones I get cost around $30 and can do anything that I need them to. And I need them to do a lot.

Knife Set

A good knife set is sure to be one of the most appreciated kitchen gifts that you can give for any healthy cook. While you can certainly go all out if you want to, there are plenty of high-quality sets that will help you stay within your budget. (You do have a holiday shopping budget, don’t you?)

Farberware (affiliate link) is the brand that I use. It’s very reasonably priced – generally in the $16 – $70 range depending on the set you get – and makes all of my cutting, slicing and peeling as easy as I need them to be.

Food Processor

A food processor is an absolute essential in a healthy kitchen, and they’re probably not as expensive as you think they are. This is one item that many people don’t have and don’t truly understand how much they need one until they have one. That’s why they make such great gifts. If you know someone who wants to cook healthier but gets intimidated by all of the chopping and grating that has to be done, a food processor will change their world. You can also make sauces, dips, mayonnaise, nut butters and pesto just to name a few other uses.

I have a Cuisanart food processor (affiliate link) that seems like it will last forever. I would highly recommend either that brand or Hamilton Beach. You can find 8-11 cup versions for between $60 – $130 but definitely try to get one that comes with the slicing and shredding discs. You can also usually find them on Craigslist, but honestly, the prices I’ve seen for them are similar to the lower end of buying them new.

Stand Mixer

While a stand mixer may have to be a group gift, it is absolutely one of the best kitchen gifts for healthy cooking that you can give. Every working kitchen should have one of these. As someone who lived without one until four years ago, I would never go back. If you have someone on your list who is cooking healthy foods and doesn’t have one of these, do them a favor – go in with other family members or friends and buy them one. I say that because they can be fairly expensive, but it will certainly be a gift that will be used and loved many times over. A basic Kitchenaid (affiliate link) version can be found for $199.

Glass Food Storage Canisters

I love using our food as part of our kitchen décor, and clear glass food storage containers lets you do that in style. They can be displayed openly on counters or shelves or can make food storage much more manageable in cabinets or a pantry. Most home cooks would rank these high on their list of “wants” but many don’t buy them because it’s easy to think that they’re an extravagance or there are simply so many other needs that take priority.

That’s what gift-giving is all about! Buying things for someone else that they really want but won’t buy for themselves. You can find sets of very nice glass food storage canisters (affiliate link) for between $25-$45.

Measuring Cups and Measuring Spoons

This may sound like a boring gift to give, but unless they’ve just gotten married, these absolutely rank as one of the best kitchen gifts for healthy cooking. They’re among those things that you get as wedding or housewarming gifts and you expect them to last forever, but they don’t – especially as kids get older and things from the kitchen just seem to disappear. Healthy cooks always need them, and for heavy cooking days, having more than one set will be greatly appreciated. A set of three OXO plastic measuring cups (affiliate link) can be found for around $20, a three-piece set of Pyrex glass measuring cups (affiliate link) can be found for between $12-$15, and a set of stainless steel measuring cups and spoons (affiliate link) can be found for between $20-$30.

Hint: if you’re giving these, give at least one 2-quart measuring cup and one 4-quart. Both are needed!

Mixing Bowls

Mixing bowls are essential in any active kitchen. If you know someone who cooks a lot, you can’t go wrong with giving them a set of nice mixing bowls. Mixing bowls are like measuring cups and spoons in my kitchen – they just disappear – so I don’t think you can ever have too many.

The nice thing about mixing bowls is that you can go all out and buy nice ceramic or porcelain ones that look pretty enough to put on display, or you can buy perfectly fine glass or very practical stainless steel ones. It really depends on what stage of life your gift recipient is at. If they have young kids who frequently help with the cooking, stainless steel bowls probably make more sense. If you have empty nesters that you’re buying for, it may be time to help them upgrade to ceramic. Mixing bowls (affiliate link) can range from $20-$35 for a set of stainless steel ones to $35-$60 for a set of ceramic or porcelain.

Reusable Food Storage Bags

While buying plastic storage bags on a regular basis is not inexpensive in the least, the cost of investing in a set of reusable bags may seem a little much if you’re doing it for yourself. The bottom line though is that not only are reusable bags better for the environment, they’re much better for our pocketbook. It just takes making that one-time investment to reap those benefits. That’s why they make the perfect gift. It’s something that will benefit the recipient for years to come that they may not buy for themselves. I highly recommend buying silicone bags (affiliate link) to be sure that no chemicals leach into the food. You can easily find multi-packs of between 3-7 bags for between $20-$30.

Electric Griddle

Griddles are fantastic! Pancakes made with healthy ingredients turn out perfect, eggs cook evenly and sandwiches can be heated to perfection. We got a griddle years ago, and it took a long time for us to use it for the first time because I never thought that we needed one. I was wrong. We did. We realized how wonderful it is and have used it many times a week since. Electric griddles (affiliate link) can cost anywhere between $25 – $50.

Gift giving for someone who cooks healthy doesn’t have to be difficult. Just give them one the options on this list, and you’re sure to get as much joy from giving a gift that you know they’ll love as they’ll experience receiving it.