Kitchen

[Desert Lily]

I rarely use my stove top. It's gas, and after 3 years I'm still not used to it. I've never used my gas oven.

My Oster XL toaster oven will be sitting at the curb on Monday morning for trash pickup. It came without directions & there was a recall on the burn hazard french doors that I've been waiting for a fix kit for 2 months now.

I never used it.

Mostly I use my microwave; on occasion I use my stove top; & in winter I sometimes use my slow cooker. I've been eating too much take out, deli food, & processed food. 

I want to change that.

I exercise regularly & walk 3.5 miles/day. So if I'm doing that, I think I should be eating more healthy foods too. Greasy fried chicken take out last week grossed me out. My BFF was recently diagnosed with type-2 diabetes, & that's also a factor in my wanting to eat healthier.

A Breville smart oven air fryer pro is arriving next week, and I'm thinking about getting an estimate on an induction stove top that I'd actually use. I'd like to bake fish, make turkey meatloaf, grill fresh veggies, etc.

Do the cooking appliances you use have an impact on how healthy you eat? 

[Janey2]

@Desert Lily  Just curious....why can't you get used to a gas stove?

[Sweet Kitties]

Most fresh fruit & vegetables don't need to be cooked. When it comes to cooking, I could not get by without my gas stove and oven. I also love my Ninja countertop double oven. It makes salmon good.

[PA Mom-mom]

It isn't about the cooking method, unless you are deep frying. It's about what you are making. Only eat whole foods. Nothing processed. 

[TheMemphisVette]

air fryer.....

-  veggies

-  chicken

-  meats

slow cooker.....

-  chicken

-  turkey

-  meats

pressure cooker

- chicken

stove top.....

- eggs

- saute veggies

microwave...

- warm up something

reg oven...

- nothing

- is storage

under 20 carbs per day

it's not what you cook on, it's what you cook

[Kachina624]

• I bought a new stove in 2009, and have never used the oven except for storage.  Mostly use the top for counterspace.  I use the mvvicrowave, air fryer, pressure cooker, and Breville oven.

[wagirl]

You can cook healthy on/in any type of cooking item--not understanding what you cook in makes your food healthy or unhealthy. I use my Breville little oven 99% of the time, my cook top all the time, my crock pot, airfryer, pressure cooker and Ninja grill all the time. It's how you cook meals and what you cook.

[Still Raining]

I would love to have gas again 😢 but gas never arrived up this hill.  Water, sewer and cable didn't either, but that is a different problem.

So no, I don't think any appliance you use will matter.

The best way to start eating healthy is to take a couple of hours to check the selves at the store.  Added fat?  Added salt?  Added sweetner (of any kind)?  All go back on the shelf.  Don't forget to check what the meat is injected with 🤬

Eating out isn't so good either.

It will be eye opening.  I was able to toss my can opener.

[Goldengate8361]

I haven't used my oven in over a decade. I use my ninji indoor grill, my Breville oven, and microwave. That's it. 

[Bella8888]

@Desert Lily 

Having spent the last 2-1/2 years dieting to successfully lose 100 lbs, I relate to your difficulty.  Since February '25 I have been in my maintenance phase, which will continue for the rest of my life.

Here is what worked for me, but it is really important to find what works for you.  

1/ Eat simple foods, meaning fresh fruits, vegetables, meats.  Choose those that you love. 

2/ Learn umami and other flavorings to make food interesting.  I followed cooking shows and learned a lot along the way, made a lot of yucky meals too before finding flavor balance.

3/ Keep processed foods as minimal as possible, including canned, take-out, pre-packaged, most crackers, sauces (use spices), etc.  READ LABELS!  Don't eat anything you can not pronounce.

4/ Eat to heart's content healthy snacks like nuts, grapes, etc.  Eat to half-heart's content popcorn (can't eat a lot of that). 

4/ Eat mindfully.  No eating standing up, out of a bag or box.  Be aware of what you are putting in your mouth, chewing, swallowing and yes, even the digestive process (how does that food feel in your body? - good or heavy or unsatisfying ???).

4a/ Along the same lines pay attention to the difference between being actually hungry and carb-hungry.  Eating carbs (which we do need some amount of) brings on a sugar spike, then a sugar drop - the sugar drop makes us feel hungry and when we are not objectively hungry.  And the food industry wants you carb hungry!!!

5/ Find and engage with things in life that are fulfilling, other than food.

6/ Don't count calories, let the calories count on side of health. 

7/ If you need guidance talk to a knowledgeable nutritionist, who is usually more than happy to be of help.  Sometimes this is covered by insurance.

8/ Don't deny foods and at the same time don't blame yourself if you eat something unhealthy.  Just bring awareness, take a moment, look at the food and choose health.  Put blame in the garbage can. 

9/ There is more, but that comes from our own discoveries of what works for us and our body.

Good Luck!