OMG—can you believe it’s August already? I’m not rushing summer, but I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately from clients about some meal prep habits to get into now to make their lives easier come September, when their kids go back to school or their work kicks into high gear again. Or they get started with a new semester of classes. I know I’ve shared a ton of recipes on here, so today I thought it would be fun to mix things up a bit and share some of my favorite kitchen tools I rely on to make meal prep easier. I’d love to know what your must-haves are too!

My Favorite Meal Prep Tools

*6-Quart Fagor LUX Multi-Cooker

This thing is essentially the same as an Instant Pot—I use it as a slow cooker or pressure cooker, depending what I’m making and how much time I have. It’s made my life so much easier for batch-cooking proteins. This chicken recipe is one of my staples.

*Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus 4-Cup Food Processor

A food processor makes chopping and dicing a breeze. The 4-cup is perfect for me, and I even found one in pink!

*GreenPan Rio 12 Inch Ceramic Non-Stick Fry Pan

I spent a really long time looking for the perfect non-stick pan, and after surveying some of my RD friends, this company came out a clear winner. I’m so happy I listened—it’s perfect for sautéing big batches of veggies and browning ground turkey or other meat to add to soups and stews. I use it all the time for non-meal prep stuff of course, too. LOVE it.

*Veggetti Spiral Vegetable Slicer

I know there are lots of higher-end options on the market, but I just find that I really like the simplicity of this hand-held spiralizer. Also a plus: it takes up virtually no space.

*ZYLISS Chef Santoku Knife with Sheath Cover, 7-Inch

Before I had a lovely knife set, this was my go-to. For the price point, the quality is outstanding—key if you’re just getting started with cooking more at home.

*Wüsthof – 2 Stage Hand-Held Knife Sharpener

Having a sharp knife is actually safer than trying to work with a dull blade. This is the best knife sharpener I’ve found and it’s surprisingly cheap.

*KitchenIQ Non-Slip Cutting Boards

Secure cutting boards are also key for safety. These are nice and durable and easy to care for. The variety of colors helps you avoid cross-contamination between things like raw meat and vegetables.

*Veggie Wash Natural Fruit & Vegetable Wash, 16-Ounce Spray

I recommend this wash to my clients all the time to make sure they get off gross residue before prepping their food.

*Pyrex Storage Containers

Storing food in clear containers makes it easy to find in fridge and saves valuable time. I love how durable these are. I’ve had my set for almost ten years!

What are your favorite meal prep tools? 

This has been another installment of the Running with Spoons Thinking Out Loud link party, where randomness is the name of the game. Thanks to Amanda for hosting.

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