By Shaza Walid

Since we are on the verge of a new year and everyone is writing down his/her resolutions, Yaoota has one to suggest, leading a healthier lifestyle. With the air being more polluted, more foods are becoming processed and technological advancements are making us a bit more inactive, the need to develop a healthier lifestyle is becoming more important than ever. And what is a better place to start than our own homes? Yaoota will provide you with some valuable tips and appliances’ suggestions to lead a better and healthier lifestyle at home this year.

Prices listed in the article are the ones provided when the article was published, and they are subject to change according to supply and demand of the market.

Tips for a Healthier Life At Home

• Following the same habits together as a family helps keep you more focused on your health goals. To always keep track of your new healthy habits, write them down somewhere visible with this fridge notepad. Prices start from 30 EGP.
• Try to eliminate the presence of convenient canned food such as sausages, canned fruits and vegetables, microwave meals, chips…etc. because they contain a high percentage of sodium, sugar, and fat that exceed your recommended daily intake of these nutrients.
• Eating in front of the television or laptop or even your phone has proven to be harmful because when you are distracted, you would be tempted to eat more than the usual.
• It is vital to keep healthy snacks readily available at your home such as yoghurt, granola, fruits, nuts (cashews and almonds in specific), peanut butter, hummus dip, and dried fruits. But remember to track your portions as some of these snacks can be counterproductive when consumed in large quantities. You can always order your healthy ingredients from stores like Nature’s Gift Stores and Gourmet Egypt,
• Did you know that household chores burn significant calories? According to health.com, vacuuming for 60 minutes burns around 90 calories, washing dishes for 60 minutes burns around 100 calories, cleaning the bathroom from ceiling to floor is worth 35 minutes on the treadmill, and walking around while talking on the phone for 35 minutes burns around 90 calories. Burn even more calories by giving your home appliances a good clean. Read this article, “A Step by Step Guide to Cleaning Home Appliances” to know how.

You can also keep track of calories you burn around the house using a pedometer. Prices start from 115 EGP.

Appliances For A Healthier Life At Home

Yaoota suggests these appliances for a healthier life at home:

• Juicers

Skip the sodas and packaged juices, as they are loaded with unnecessary sugar and calories. Opt for freshly squeezed juices instead. There are two types of juicers to consider, centrifugal, which extract juice by spinning pulp around its chamber, while the pulp is pushed to a separate chamber and the juice remains ready for consumption. The second type is the masticating or a cold press, which squeezes and crushes fruits when pushed through a horizontal tube. Centrifugal juicers are less expensive, simple to use, light in weight, and fast in consumption. It does not blend leafy greens as well as the masticating juicer does and it can be a bit noisy. In general, masticating juicers are much more efficient, more suitable for people who make juices often, and does not emit noise during operation, but they are not as fast as the centrifugal ones are.

Check out centrifugal juicers here. Prices start from 199 EGP.

If you only prefer citrus juices, check out these citrus juicers here. Prices start from 109 EGP.

•  Food Steamer

Steam cooking preserves the structure of the food cooked, retains its nutrients, saves energy, and does not need any oil, which makes it a healthy way to prepare your food. Steamers allow you to cook vegetables, chicken, meat, and fish. When buying a food steamer, make sure you stay away from plastic containers because they could release toxic chemicals at high temperatures and retain bacteria; choose stainless steel instead. Think about electricity consumption compared to cooking time, because steaming prolongs the cooking process, and it consumes less energy. However, if you want faster steaming, choose a steamer with high-energy consumption (but watch out for your electricity bill). Another thing to consider is the steamer’s capacity; this will depend on your family size and how often you use the steamer.

Check out food steamers here. Prices start from 199 EGP.

If you want a steamer specifically for rice, check out this article, “All You Need to Know About the Kenwood Rice Maker,” to read its review and pros and cons. Check out different models of rice cookers here. Prices start from 299 EGP.

• Vegetable Cutter

A vegetable cutter makes preparing a salad or a stew quite easy and fast. Most types can cut all kinds of vegetables, including hard ones such as onions and potatoes. Some types can even cut fruit, cheese, and meat, but it will not come in handy if you want to cut them in specific shapes. A variation of the vegetable cutter is the spiral slicer, which is used mainly for slicing; but, it could be a bit hard to use with carrots. If you want a more inclusive device, you can get a bigger cutter, one that cuts, chops, and grates with different inserts for different shapes. Choosing which one to buy depends on your budget and needs; regardless of which one you decide to buy, you should always be careful with their blades as they are usually quite sharp.

Check out vegetable cutters here. Prices start from 69 EGP.

Check out spiral cutters here. Prices start from 50 EGP.

Check out the Nicer Dicer for cutting in different shapes and sizes. Prices start from 99 EGP.

• Air Fryer

Air fryers have made a breakthrough in the way we consume fried food. As we all know, fried foods are higher in fat and increase the risk for obesity and cholesterol. However, air fryers help us enjoy the crisp and tastiness of fried foods minus the health risks. They use almost 70-80% less oil than the regular frying method; they do not cause any mess or oil spills, they are also easier to clean and maintain. Moreover, they can also be quite diverse; with the right temperature and set timings and depending on the model, you can use them to fry, bake, and roast. Air fryers usually do not cook in large quantities and the food takes a while to cook. While using the air fryer, make sure not to overstuff it so there is enough room for the oil to circulate, and stir the food every 10 minutes to make sure they cook evenly.

Note: Coat the food in a thin layer of oil so they do not stick.

Check out different models of air fryers here. Prices start from 1375 EGP.

To know more details about air fryers, read this article, “Yaoota’s Experience With Oil-Free Fryers.”

• Yogurt Maker

Yogurt is considered one of the top healthy snacks there is. Yogurt contains probiotics, which are essential goods and active bacteria that your body needs. It also helps in digestion, contains a healthy intake of calcium, and helps prevent osteoporosis. How about you make your own yogurt at home? Homemade yogurt is less expensive than the in-store bought yogurt; it is also free from all chemicals added to the packaged yogurt.

Ingredients & Recipe

All you would need is milk and unflavored fresh yogurt. Quantity will depend on how much you want to make; full cream milk will result in thicker yogurt. You start by heating the milk in a pot, when it heats up and before it boils, remove the pot off the stove and leave it to cool until it is about 110 F. In a bowl, mix the yogurt and only 1 ½ -2 cups of the cooled milk with a ladle until smooth then pour the mixture on the rest of the milk pot, stir the new mixture then pour it in the designated cups in the yogurt maker. You can then adjust the temperature and timing according to how firm you want it to be. A few hours later, you would have your own yogurt. To add a bit of flavor, you can add toppings such as granola, strawberries, or berries.

Check out different kinds of yogurt makers here. Prices start from 139 EGP.

• Grill

In an attempt to find ways to cook healthier, grilling is a great option. Grilling rids the food of excess fat so the food becomes lighter and healthier and it makes the meat retain its nutrients. It is recommended that you get a gas or electric grill rather than a charcoal one because the they are much easier to clean and maintain, cook food faster, and are not associated with potential health risks as the charcoal grill. Grilling using charcoal might instigate certain compounds in the food that could be associated with health issues, but it provides this unique flavor that almost no other grill can offer. When shopping for a grill, consider its size with regards to how much you will use it and how much food you will cook. As for the material, stainless steel is your number one option. Look for a grill with thermostat so you can monitor the food cooking without opening and reopening the grill lid.

Check out different models of grills here. Prices start from 365 EGP. You would also need some utensils alongside the grill such as tongs and mitts.

Know more about the pros and cons of the Kenwood grill in this article.

• Food Containers

Food containers come in handy for a variety of uses. You can use them to store cooked food for the week, or leftovers, take your lunch to work, and serve your children their breakfast to take with them to school. They save you money because you can eat the leftovers without having to cook again and the food will still be fresh. They also come in a variety of shapes and sizes for your convenience.

When choosing food containers, glass is your safest option because it does not interact with your food, easy to clean, it is dishwasher ,and microwave safe. However, they could be more expensive and may not be convenient for people with a busy lifestyle due to their heavy weight; and of course, they break easily. If you will go for plastic food containers, make sure they are marked with numbers 1, 2, 4, or 5, which are considered the safest. Plastics that contain BPA and phthalates are considered hormone disruptors and can have negative effects on your body systems. Refrain from using plastic containers when they are scratched, and avoid putting them in the microwave unless specified otherwise. Make sure the containers’ lids are leak-proof and airtight to avoid any leakage; this will also preserve the flavor and freshness of your food. Make sure that the containers are freezer-friendly.

Check out plastic food containers here. Prices start from 59 EGP.

Check out glass food containers here. Prices start from 89 EGP.

• Popcorn Maker

Popcorn is actually one of the healthy snacks. You can give it to your children instead of chips or chocolates, the type of snacks which are loaded with unhealthy sugar and calories. Popcorn curbs your appetite and makes you fuller, it is also packed with fiber and whole grains that are great for your body. Try to refrain from microwave popcorn as it contains unhealthy additives and oils. Flavored popcorn such as caramel, chocolate, or cheese can also give you unwanted calories; opt for the regular salty popcorn or drizzle it with a tiny bit of butter for added flavor.

When buying a popcorn maker, consider its size, popping time, amount of un-popped kernels, amount of popcorn produced, and popping method (oil or hot air). Hot air poppers provide less un-popped kernels because the air is evenly distribute; if you choose the oil one, make sure it has a stirring rod for better distribution. Hot air poppers are easier to maintain and clean. Nevertheless, they do not taste as good as the ones provided by the oil ones; but you can add flavor manually after it is cooked, which gives you more control over the calorie intake.

Check out popcorn makers here. Prices start from 275 EGP.

• Salad Spinner

Whenever we hear the word “healthy,” the first thing that automatically comes to mind is salad. Salads are packed with various nutrients that your body needs everyday such as: fiber, antioxidants, beta-carotene, and vitamin C, just to name a few. Eating a salad right before lunch will make you fuller and thus it helps you in losing weight.

A salad spinner is a brilliant tool to help you make great salads at home. Instead of washing each vegetable by hand separately, you put all the salad ingredients in the salad spinner with water, and the spinner washes them thoroughly; the rotating motion will also dry them quickly. This makes the salad preparation process much easier. When choosing a salad spinner, consider its size with regards to how often you make salads and the amount of people in your household. It is rather important to make sure that the inner container is easily spun and can be cleaned without any hassle.

Note: salad spinners can be a bit cumbersome in the kitchen so you have to have room for it.

Check out salad spinners here. Prices start from 80 EGP.

• Sports Equipment

In the midst of our busy lives, we might find it hard to maintain a fit body, but not when you have readily available sports equipment at home that will motivate you to start working out more. You will not have to waste your time in traffic to and from the gym; and for moms joggling with many responsibilities, you can work out at home without having to worry about where to leave your kids.

When shopping for sports equipment, make sure you set a specific budget and a specific target, because they can be quite expensive (but worth the investment). Clear up good space beforehand so you can know which equipment you have room for. For people with physical conditions or injuries, make sure to consult your doctor first before trying a piece of equipment that might not be good for your condition. The sports equipment should be placed in a well-ventilated area, preferably away from children to avoid any injuries.

To know more about what kind of sports equipment can be used at home, check out this article, “Top Ten Home Fitness Equipment.”

You can check out sports equipment here. Prices start from 229 EGP.

How do you make your home a healthier place? Please do share your tips with us.

Some items may currently be out of stock, but they will be available soon. If you encounter similar problems, please place a comment below the article, or contact us through our Facebook page.