Your kitchen counter???

Morning!

I had my surgery last Wednesday and am feeling well enough to start thinking about the food I am going to eat soon.

In my pre surgery days I relied heavily on the microwave and takeout, and my counter top proves it. I have a toaster, an electric can opener, a crockpot and a small blender I bought to mix my Opti.

In order to give myself the best shot at long term results, I'm going to have to find my inner chef. I just need the right tools, but am not sure where to start. I'm thinking a good food processor is a good start, but am curious as to what you would suggest.

What kitchen appliances do you use most? What do you use them to make?

Magic Bullet! I make protein shakes, protein banana pancakes, I grind flax seeds to add to every thing etc...!!

I am not post op yet.. but the appliances that i use that i know will help post op is my vitamix! you can buy them refurbished! I make protein shakes, fresh soup, pureed food, minced food, etc. I also grind flax seeds in a lot of my foods. It pretty much does everything. I do have a food processor but since i bought the vitamix i havent used the food processor much.

Also a scale! Just to weigh all of your food! 

-Michelle 

I have a weigh scale on my counter top, I use it every day. Make sure you get a good one that has a 'tare' function on it. That means you put your plate or bowl on it hit tare and it minuses the weight of the plate. Mine has grams and ozs as well.

Measure cups and spoons...lots of herbs and spices!

the obvious things are good measuring cups and a food scale. I was always a good cook previous to surgery. Pampered chef clay bake ware are probably my most prized kitchen possessions(but they are very expensive). Lots of seasonings/spices to add to your food to make it more flavourful. A good website for recipes is http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.ca/, don't be afraid of the kitchen and try something new..worst case scenario it doesn't work out and you don't make it again. I think the most common things that I use now is muffin tins. they are the perfect size for things like crustless quiche and meatloaf, wonton tacos are just a few things. Have fun!

~Brittany~

I use the oven and the crockpot the most.  I make Chili in the crockpot.  I bought a cookbook called "Weightloss Surgery Cookbook for Dummies" and I use it a lot. Hope this helps.

Good pots and pans and decent knives.  You won't use a food processor or blender much after the first few weeks unless you make protein shakes daily and if you do, sounds like you have a blender already.  I cook lots and seldom use my food processor and never ever use my blender.  Gadgets don't make one a good cook, trying and trying again and not being afraid to try something new is the trick. Experiment lots and if you fail at it then try again, never give up. I hate using the crock pot but that is just a personal preference and I have all the time in the world to cook since I don't work outside the house.

I love my Presto pressure cooker.  It will turn a tough cut of meat fork tender in about 30 minutes.  I find that perfect for a lot of my cooking.   Great for pot roast, stews, and soups.

For me, my best kitchen friends are my food scale, my measuring cups and spoons, my pots and pans and my stove.  You don't need fancy appliances in the kitchen in order to make healthy food for yourself.

I did buy lots of small, airtight containers of various shapes and sizes to hold my lunches and snacks for work.  I didn't do a ton of cooking post-op right away, but I did a lot of food prep and putting lunches and snacks together to carry with me.  Yogurt, ricotta, berries, some veggies, prepared meat type things like pepperettes, roasted chick peas for snacks - all fit nicely into those containers for lunch.  Having a couple of temperature-controlled containers is helpful too.

Good luck!

I have a magnet on my fridge that shows/tells me what a proper portion size is..other than that I didn't buy any fancy gadgets or appliances.  I am 5 yrs post op...and eat a lot of grilled chicken and by a lot I mean probably 4/days week.  The crockpot will come in handy for making stews and soups later on.  I personally didn't measure things like rice/pasta etc..for me even now it's about 4 tablespoons rice and maybe 4 forkfuls pasta...bread was never an issue and for the first couple of years I couldn't even eat an open faced sandwich.  I still eat only 1/2 bun if I eat any and often I will ask for my hamburger to me without bun and a side of vegetables or smashed potatoes.

I did have an old blender that I sued for my protein shakes and that worked just fine..I tend to be a person that doesn't buy things unless  necessary.