I didn’t know how to make almost anything outside of an egg scramble until about 2020, or the year we now know as the beginning of COVID. During that fated March when most of America went into lockdown, I happened to be in the middle of my 200 hour yoga teacher certification program. As part of the course, my badass yoga teacher (shoutout Sesa!) encouraged all of us to experiment with giving up certain foods, like eggs, meat, dairy, etc. I was already vegetarian at the time, so I decided to go a step further and give my body a little reset by cutting out alcohol, sugar, and caffeine for three weeks. The day I started my cleanse coincided with the day of lockdown, which turned out to be the biggest blessing – but that’s a story for another day.

And so while most of the world panicked about buying toilet paper, I stayed calm by experimenting in the kitchen and learning how to create simple, healthy, delicious meals. When I first started, I had no idea what I was doing. I was so bad at cooking that an ex-boyfriend used to make fun of the way I cut vegetables (in my defense, you don’t know what you don’t know).

Over the years, I’ve gotten more and more comfortable in the kitchen and now have a loaded arsenal of delicious and nutritious go to recipes. Although I still don’t actually love to cook, I do LOVE nourishing my body in the cleanest, most satisfying way possible. You can say that nourishment is my love language. In fact, I strongly believe that food has the power to not only change your physical health, but also your emotional health and relationship to self. That’s why I created this post – to help you feel equipped in the kitchen so that you can start providing your body and mind with the nourishment it deserves.

Some of the items on this list are not crucial – if you love chopping garlic by hand, then you do you and skip the garlic press. Some of the items on the list are investment pieces – if you’re not ready to commit to an expensive blender, don’t sweat it. These are simply the appliances I use every week to make life a little easier, and I know I can always use a little more ease in my life. At the end of the day, investing in my kitchen has felt like an investment in myself. My hope is that it does for you too.

Vitamix Blender

The Vitamix 5200 Blender Professional-Grade is definitely an investment piece. At around $500, this is probably the most expensive thing I own in my entire kitchen, and also my most used and loved item. As a sidenote, I bought my Vitamix for around $350 on Black Friday, so you may want to wait til Amazon’s Summer Prime Day (which is coming up) or purchase one around the holidays. Yes, there are way cheaper blenders that do a good job, but if you are looking for an insanely powerful product that is consistently top-rated and will last you for years to come, then this is the one. According to Serious Eats, the Vitamix 5200’s slim, tall jar creates a vortex that pulls ingredients down and keeps them close to the blades, which is great for making soups, purees, nut butters, and the smoothest smoothies of your life (and I definitely do not want any spinach chunks in my smoothies, you know?) Plus, as someone who makes my own nut milk every week, I want a very sharp blade to get the best consistency I possibly can. If you spend money on one thing in your kitchen, then this is my vote. Trust me, you won’t regret it.

• Vitamix 5200 Blender Professional-Grade

Rice Cooker

For years, I refused to buy a rice cooker because I thought it was overrated. How hard is it to just heat up your couscous, rice, barley, quinoa, or whatever you’re making on the stove? Well, after burning my grains one too many times I decided I’d spend the $25 and see what happened. Turns out, I absolutely love my rice cooker and now use it at least 2-3 times per week. It makes cooking much easier when I’m prepping multiple things at once. This is definitely something you don’t need to spend a lot of money on – we have a cheap version from Amazon that has two buttons, warm and cook. It’s simplicity is simply perfect.

• IMUSA Rice Cooker

Dutch Oven

Alright, I know I said if you are going to invest in one piece for your kitchen that it should be a Vitamix. But consider investing in your Dutch oven, too. The two brands I suggest are Le Creuset and Staub. These iconic Dutch ovens have been a go-to for serious cooks for nearly a century, and for good reason. With both Le Creuset and Staub, you’re getting an extremely durable, long-lasting piece of cookware that you can literally pass on to your children (both companies even offer lifetime warranties). These pots are made from enameled cast iron and designed to enhance slow-cooking by distributing heat evenly, ensuring everything is cooked to perfection. A Dutch oven comes in handy when making stews and soups, fibrous cuts of meat like lamb shank and pork shoulder, and other recipes that call for a long, slow simmer. You don’t want chemicals leaching into your food when you are cooking at high heat, so having a high quality Dutch oven is extremely important for your health as well (i.e., it doesn’t use Teflon, a controversial compound found to release toxic chemicals at high heats). Both brands are expensive, but Staub will cost you slightly less than Le Creuset. I personally have the 5.5 quart Staub pot, which is perfect for almost everything I make. If you are planning on making larger batches of soup, I’d go with one size bigger. Both Le Creuset and Staub have a range of colors and both brands offer a well constructed and beautifully designed product with a reputation for quality.

• 5.5 qt STAUB Cast Iron Dutch Oven 5 Round Cocotte,

• 7 qt STAUB Cast Iron Dutch Oven Round Cocotte

• 5.5 qt Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Signature Round Dutch Oven

• 7.25 qt Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Signature Round Dutch Oven

Set of Non-Toxic and Nonstick Cookware

Nonstick pans are a popular choice for home cooks since nonstick surfaces are extremely easy to cook with and clean. However, most nonstick cookware is made from Teflon, a material with a good deal of drama surrounding it. As a bit of background, health agencies raised concerns about a compound used in Teflon called PFOA, which was removed in 2013. Although Teflon is generally considered “safe” when cooking at temperatures below 500°F (260°C), emerging evidence suggests there may still be safety issues with the material. That’s why I suggest avoiding it altogether and investing in brands that use alternate materials, such as Caraway. Caraway’s cookware is made from smooth ceramic-coated aluminum and avoids toxic materials like PFAS, PTFE, PFOA, and other chemicals. The ceramic coating can stand up to higher heats than the average nonstick coating, meaning you can put these pots and pans in the oven up to 550°F. Depending on how much you want to spend, you can invest in the whole set, or just buy one pan and one pot to get started. Since this is something you’ll be cooking with almost every single day, I suggest spending a little extra to avoid chemicals leaching into your food. As an added bonus, the cookware is absolutely beautiful and will definitely elevate your kitchen.

• Caraway Nonstick Ceramic Cookware Set (12 Piece) Pots, Pans, Lids and Kitchen Storage

• Caraway Nonstick Ceramic Sauce Pan with Lid (3 qt)

• Caraway Nonstick Ceramic Frying Pan (2.7 qt, 10.5")

Food Processor

I want to start off by addressing the difference between a food processor and a blender. At first, both products seem pretty similar and there is definitely some cross over – but they are not interchangeable. Food processors are designed to perform different food preparation tasks and are great to help you slice, grate, shred, dice, and more while blenders are designed to pulverize, puree, and combine wet and dry ingredients. A food processor is great for chunky results like riced cauliflower, tabbouleh, mixed dough for making protein balls, etc. The larger s-shaped blades produce precise cuts at slower speeds which is why it’s popular for shredding, grating, and dicing. If you're on the fence about getting both a food processor and a blender, I’d suggest getting a cheaper food processor to start off and to gauge how often you actually use it.

I’m linking two different food processors below to help you get started. The first one (pictured above) is quite small and only has one blade which means you can’t shred or slice, but it’s very inexpensive and great for chopping herbs, making sauces and dips, and mixing dough. If you want something that is a little bit bigger and can also slice and shred, then the second option is for you.

• Black+Decker HC150B 1.5-Cup One-Touch Electric Food Chopper

• Black + Decker Easy Assembly 8-Cup Food Processor

Glass Food Storage Containers

Throw out your cheap plastic Ikea food storage containers and invest in a set of sturdy glass containers. Glass has a non-porous surface that doesn't absorb like plastic and can be safely washed at higher temperatures in your dishwasher without melting or warping—most food storage containers made of glass are designed to withstand high heat without breaking. This means you can even heat up your food directly in the glass container without worrying about chemicals leaching into food. Win, win. There are tons of different options, but here is a great option.

• Pyrex Freshlock 8-Pieces Mixed Sized Glass Food Storage Containers

Garlic Press, Zester, Lemon Squeezer

I refused to buy these items for years because I hate clutter and didn’t think they were important. I was wrong. I use each one of these items multiple times every. single. day. If you are feeling overwhelmed and only want to buy one thing on this list, then buy the zester – it actually changed my life (I now have an obsession with lemon zest and add it to absolutely everything). You can even use the zester for your garlic – just make sure to wash it thoroughly afterwards)!

• Garlic Press

• Zester and Grater

• Lemon Squeezer