By Lauren S. Edited by Lauren O.
Imagine, you’re getting ready to cook your next meal of the day. You go to get all your ingredients out only to realize the worst, you’re out of that one essential thing. This situation is everyone’s worst nightmare when it comes to cooking because it forces us to make a choice. Now, this situation may not be completely unavoidable, life happens and sometimes we can’t avoid it. But that’s not to say there aren’t ways we can try our best to stay on top of it. One of the best ways to avoid this nightmare is to keep your kitchen stocked and prepped with what we think are the top 3 kitchen essentials.
Number 1: Cooking Oil
I can’t begin to remember the amount of times I went to either cook or bake something and have gathered all my ingredients only to realize I am either out of or don’t have enough oil to make my desired dish. Cooking oil is an essential ingredient to many dishes whether you’re cooking or baking. So it’s important to not only keep your kitchen stocked with it but also to make sure you’re using a decent quality of oil to further support you and your cooking. Cooking oils come in a lot of different forms. Here are our top 3 favorites when it comes to quality:
- Avocado Oil
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
Keep in mind that an oil’s quality depends not only on the type of oil but also on the source. For example, Chosen Foods is a well known brand that has really high quality oils but is a little pricey. However, the most important thing to remember when selecting an oil are the terms, “virgin” or “extra virgin”. Extra virgin oils, regardless of the source, are typically a higher quality compared to those without this label and are better for your health.
Number 2: A decent cooking pan
Much like cooking oils, the material your cookware is made of is also important and influences the quality of your dish. As college students, it’s hard to care about the quality over price. But, it is important to remember that the material you use to cook is influencing the quality of your meal. Again, like cooking oils, pots and pans have many different materials in which they come. Our favorite for quality or convenience are:
- Cast Iron
- Stainless Steel
- Nonstick
Cast Irons are great if they are well taken care of. They can provide richer flavors than other materials and are also a high quality of material that is easy on your health. And, can even last generations. Stainless steel has its own perks, too. Its surface doesn’t react to acidic or alkaline foods like copper pans and on top of that, it doesn’t scratch easily. Lastly, nonstick kitchenware is beneficial because they provide an easy clean up and don’t require a lot of oil to use.
Number 3: Spices
Now of course, the spices you need depend on the type of meal you’re making. For example, when cooking a Mediterranean or Latin dish, dried oregano is an essential spice to make the meal come together. So, it’s difficult to limit it down to just 3 types of spices to keep within your kitchen. But, what we can give is the best 3 brands of spices to keep your kitchen stocked with. That way your meals have the best quality of flavors. These being:
Each of these brands of spices can be found in grocery stores and can provide your dish with a higher, more fuller quality of flavor taking your dish to the next level.
Your kitchen is the backbone of your healthy lifestyle. So, keeping it stocked with the essentials is pivotal to allowing yourself to achieve your desired goal. So, next time you’re at the grocery store, remember to ask yourself, “Is my kitchen stocked with the top 3?”.