Laurie Recommends
It helps to have a guide on this journey. These are some of my favorite resources, and I will continue to add more. Let me know what resource ideas you need.
Disclaimer: Some of these are affiliate links, which means that if you click through a link and decide to buy something, I may get a little money for that. It helps my business continue to bring you this information about plant-based wellness. I am so grateful for your support. You can always opt to buy it directly elsewhere. The most important thing is that you have the help you need to make this lifestyle change.
Stackable Steamer Insert
Drop into the Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker for lasagna prepared with ease. After cooking I trop 1 layer at a time into an 8 x 8 dish to serve. Store the rest in the other layer (if it lasts that long).
Citrus Reamer
Better than a typical juicer that sits in place, this type of reamer allows reaching into the orange to get to all the juice and fiber. So easy to use and clean.
Silicon Soup Molds
I have frozen soup many times in mason jars, only to find that I need to defrost the entire jar for a day or more to even get the soup out of the jar. I also tried plastic bags, muffin cups, ice cube trays all with less than the desired result. These silicon containers and similar ones in other sizes are the perfect way to batch cook soup, freeze it and take out just what you need when you are ready for seconds. And after it freezes, you can remove and put into a freezer bag and use it to batch some more.
Silicon Burger Form
Batch cooking starts with batch prep. After many attempts at pre-making veggie burgers and trying to free them without sticking together, I gave up. There was often too much parchment paper, zip locks and misshaped burgers that didn’t stack. I found these and loved them right away. A simple veggie burger with oats, beans, brown rice, sauce and spices can be doubled to fit or two difference recipes can fit side by side to make 8 burgers. Drop in freezer overnight and pop out and put in freezer bag to keep until ready. So much easier to batch some burgers.
Rocker Garlic Crusher
After trying too many garlic presses to count, I saw this at a farmers market demonstration in San Francisco and knew it was the one that would work for me. Simple to use and clean, no garlic waste, can mince several cloves with ease, one of my favorite kitchen go-to tools.
Cheese Grater No More
Who knew that the box grater that I always referred to as a cheese grater could come in so handy? This is the perfect tool to shred a few carrots or some zucchini or other vegetables or fruits with ease. So much easier that taking out the food processor for small jobs. Easy to use and store.
Apple Slicer and Corer
Love adding apples to a dish, peel and all, but don’t like cutting them or wasting any? I love being able to make simple work of an apply to get all of the best and leaving the core behind. There are many versions of this tool in most kitchen supply stores.
Stainless Everyday Pan
Most of the time, not using oil is no problem. And a non-stick pan for most foods, especially those involving vegetables, is not problem. A little water or vegetable broth goes a long way. I love this pan and use it a lot and I especially love the glass cover so I can see the spinach wilt. I like it so much I have a few others as well. A little Bar Keeper’s helper goes a long way to keep it looking new when needed.
Potato Crinkle Cutter
I did not appreciate this fully until I got an air fryer. When we stopped using oil after going WFPBNO, I enjoyed steak fries with seasoning and never really made skinny fries. When I got the air fryer, we dug this out of the drawer and it made a big difference. Soak the potatoes for at least 30 minutes and use this to make familiar fries for the family.
Plant Pure Readymade Foods
While there are an increasing number of vegan prepared foods, finding WFPBNO short cut meals is still the exception. I like to keep some PlantPure Nation food kits for just in case. They have recipes to mix and match with what you already have on hand.
Yonana Frozen Dessert Maker
I am a big fan of almost everything about blenders, except cleaning out the bottom when something is thick and creamy and tough to reach. I hate wasting anything. When I first learned about the Yonana Frozen Dessert Maker, I thought there is something I won’t ever use, but I was wrong. I find myself buying extra bananas whenever they are on sale, letting them ripen, remove their skins and putting them in my freezer in a freezer bag awaiting the day that they will be joined by some other frozen fruit for an amazing soft serve nice cream. One thing to note – when you are all done, take the top apart all the way to clean it. Very easy to do and, as a bonus, you will find even more dessert as a reward your efforts.
Wide Mouth Canning Funnel
When I discovered Mason Jars, I knew I found an easy way to store delicious soups in clear containers in my fridge or freezer. But just like double dutch jump rope, the trick was getting the soup into the container. I tried ladles, serving spoons, pouring it into a pitcher first, most were a mess. And then I found a simple funnel, just wide enough to catch a hearty lentil soup en route to a jar for a day or two until it was all gone. This is a simple tool you will use all the time.
Vitamix
You do not need a high speed blender to eat more vegetables. In fact, I bought a juicer first but I didn’t like removing all the wonderful fiber from my juice. My old blender took too long and the motor was not happy trying to whir around kale or ground nuts or seeds or frozen fruit. Now, I use my Vitamix a few times a day and it makes quick work of almond milk, blends vegetable soups to make them creamy and I even made heated Thai soup (warmed from the speed of the blades). Not everything should be put into a Vitamix, but it is a work horse and one of my favorite kitchen appliances. There are many different models and sizes but this one is a good place to start your search. Sometimes food shows have special promotions too. BlendTec is another great brand.
Mama Sezz
While there are an increasing number of vegan ready-made products, finding a WFPBNO meal delivery service is still the exception. One of the services I enjoy when life gets busy is Mama Sezz. They have several healthy bundles that include no oil or nuts. Although their food is shipped fresh, I like to buy extra and freeze some. This is a link to just one of the many bundles they have on the site.
Tongue Scraper
We can’t imaging going through a day without brushing our teeth, so why do most of us not even think about scraping our tongue. With many varieties to choose, I have found this one to be a simple but practical choice.
Spice Grinder
What if I were to tell you that I use this for everything except…coffee beans?! I use it for grinding many whole spices or whole flax seed. Easy to use and clean. Makes just the right amount needed for most recipes. Just don’t use the same one for coffee, or the flavors would get too confusing. If you need a coffee grinder as well, get two. Just don’t mix them up. (Good news, they come in other colors to help you tell them apart).
Sharpening Steel
No matter how you slice it, pun intended, a good knife is only as good as the last time it was sharpened. I have tried many sharpeners but keep coming back to a simple high quality rod that allows me to sharpen my knives quickly before each use and keeps the blade sharp and safe. Read the directions so you get the technique and angle right and you will protect your investment in good knives, and your fingers.
Self-Watering Garden Container
There are may ways to start a garden in your yard, especially if you have a year round spot that gets lots of sun. I moved into a home where the prior homeowner had used pesticides so I didn’t trust the soil to grow organic vegetables right away. And some tall trees nearby cast shadows across our patio at different times during the season, so I wanted to be able to move my containers around, sometimes during the day, to maximize the sun. Found these and committed to using them for at least 3 years to recover the investment. So worth it. Great yield, easy to move, durable. Still using 5 years later.
Nut Milk Bag
My first attempt at nut milk was actually chewy. I thought my Vitamix could leap tall buildings and totally pulverize the almonds that I was blending to make almond milk. No such luck. After I realized that nut milk needed to be strained, I tried cheese cloth, but trying to keep the seams together was a challenge and led to spills. Finally I learned how valuable a simple nut milk bag can be. Pour the nut milk from the blender into the bag inside a big bowl and squeeze out the milk. When all you have left is pulp, freeze and later dry out (dehydrator or low oven) for use in muffins or breads.
Non-Stick Skillets
Wow. 240 Calories. 27 grams of fat, 4 grams of it saturated. Every time you innocently follow directions and start a saute with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Or you can get a good non-stick pan, follow manufacturers direction for care, and never worry about things sticking or clean up. Nothing is ever perfect but am on year 3 of these pans and no complaints. Whichever brand you use, make sure to avoid PFOA or any scratches in the surface. I use bamboo or wood utensils just to be sure.
Nesting Kitchen Mixing Bowls Set
I already had bowls, all sizes. But they didn’t stack well, sometimes they got chipped and there were never enough of the sizes I needed to make lots of food at the same time. So I decided to use the type of bowls I used in cooking school, a nested stack of simple stainless bowls. I even bought one larger bowl for those times when I needed something larger and keep those in that one. These are not heavy duty but they do the job well. I always hand wash because they are big. They clean easily and I have had them for many years. They will bowl you over too!
Natural Insect Repellent
As someone who tries to stay far away from anything that can do harm to myself or the planet, using Deet to avoid insects and mosquitoes has never sat well with me. Several years ago, I read about how the natural ingredients found in this repellent work very well to keep the bugs away. I tried it and ever since have used this for years, especially when I am out in the garden, and nary a nibble. Plus the smell is pleasant, though not meant to be applied indoors. I always bring with me when hiking outdoors in the summer.
Measuring Spoons
I used to waste spices every time I would sprinkle them into a round tsp or tbsp. Some would fall on the counter or too much went into the dish. Then one day I say measuring spoons that actually fit into spice jars or condiment jars and came out perfect. No waste. Buy two – one for you and one for a cook you care about. They will thank you.
Instant Pot
I love a pot. There, I admitted it. If I hadn’t seen all it could do in a cooking demo, I would never have even thought I needed this, not wanted, needed. I use it 10-15x a week easily making oatmeal, potatoes, grains and occasionally soups, vegetables and even vegan yogurt. It doesn’t always save you time but it saves you hassle. For those of us who cook but also have a life, need to run out while cooking, or have ever forgotten that we were cooking something when we answered the phone, this is perfect. Instead of hands on cooking, it is great for hands off cooking. Don’t get me started. By the way, this goes on sale from time to time. You are welcome.
Immersion Blender
If you are like me, you make soup, sometimes a LOT of soup. And in the cooler months when I am looking for soup to warm my soul, I find I crave something hearty and even creamy. I use a lot of potatoes, vegetables and beans in my soups and I love the variety of flavors and textures, but to get it to be a little thicker, I sometimes use my Immersion Blender and drop into the hot pot of soup and use for under a minute to blend the beans and potatoes especially into a thick broth and remove it before all the ingredients are creamy to leave the texture I love. Yum.
Felco #2 Pruning Shears
A pair of Felco #2 hand-held pruning shears have been my go to garden tool for more years than I can count. I rarely walk around my yard and vegetable garden without them in my pocket. It’s not that I don’t own other pairs, many of them in fact, but these are different. They cut. They last. They work in my hands and for most tough jobs. Today there are many choices and Felco even has a line of ergonomic models. I will be sure to check them out, that is when my Felco #2 pair wears out. It may be a while.
Farmers Markets
So many grocers are getting better at sourcing fresh local and organic produce if you know where to look. To me there is still nothing like buying freshly picked seasonal produce from a near-by farmer in your own community.
Forks Over Knives
The Forks Over Knives Documentary is to plant-based nutrition as The Inconvenient Truth was to Climate Change. It takes a topic with a lot of misinformation and vested interests and turns it into easy to understand language and a compelling call to action. For me, it was a great way to share the same research I found reading several books with friends who wanted to eat healthier but didn’t want to invest hours to read about the details. China Study changed my life; Forks Over Knives reinforced why. If you love someone, watch it together.
Food Processor
After 10 years of loving my Cuisinart 11-cup food processor, I found it easier for my cooking classes and batch cooking to upgrading to a 14-cup version. Love that the s-blade reaches the outside of the container to make manual stirring mid-way through less needed.
Lemon Juicer
Who hasn't spilled lemon juice in the fridge or thrown out what you didn't need for a dish only to realize it was your last lemon. I discovered this a few years ago. My favorite feature is that the pouring spout is covered until you need it. A must for my kitchen.
Nice Cream Maker
Store-bought vegan ice cream might be tasty but it is often loaded with added sugars and fat. The Ninja Creami Breeze is a simple way to blend small batches of healthy plant-based ingredients to make plant-based ice cream in 24 hours and enjoy it on demand.
Greek Yogurt Maker
This takes plant-based yogurt to the next level. I have always enjoyed soy yogurt made in the InstantPot, but making Greek Yogurt in the past involved cheese cloth and mason jars. Now it is so easy. Add 64 oz of plant based yogurt to strainer for 12-24 hours and you have about 4-5 cups of delicious plant-based yogurt.. Game changer.
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