The New Year is upon us, the chance to start fresh and explore new opportunities. A growing trend in recent years has been the focus on eating healthy. 49% of UK adults now try to eat healthy most of the time, up from 45% in 2020. (Source: UK Attitudes towards Healthy Eating Market Report 2023) Many New Year's resolutions focus on health, and improving diets, so here at Cooksmill we wanted to share our top 10 kitchen and dining essentials for easy healthy eating.

Eating healthy might sound boring, or difficult, but it’s not. It’s a celebration! It’s about focusing on nourishing your body and discovering the joys of delicious food. Introducing small changes over time can make a massive difference in the long run.Over 55% of adults (16+) now consume 5 or more portions of fruits and vegetables per day, exceeding the "5 a day" target. This marks a steady increase from previous years. (Source: Healthy eating among adults - Ethnicity facts and figures - GOV.UK, 2020). If you’re a business owner, providing healthy options for meals and drinks shows your customers that you’re aware of the ever-changing hospitality market. Healthier options also expand your menu, ensuring your establishment caters to everyone.

Did you know that cooking for health is important to your customers? 29% of Britons report making healthier meals since the pandemic, showing an increased focus on home-cooked, nutritious food. (Source: British Nutrition Foundation survey reveals 62% of Britons have altered their diet to get healthier, 2021) Despite the positive trends at home, unhealthy options often dominate outside environments. Appealing to customers with healthy options is a no brainer for tempting customers after the indulgences of the holiday season.

10: Salad Spinners

Vegetables and fruits are packed with minerals, vitamins and fibre, a powerful trio for good health. Aim for a rainbow on your plate - think vibrant berries, leafy greens, colourful peppers, and juicy melons. Having the perfect backdrop for these culinary creations is important, and only helps to boost the look of the meal.

Prepping a perfect plate requires planning. If you’re looking to create a salad from scratch, the OXO Good Grips Salad Spinner quickly dries freshly washed salad, and features a one hand operation for easy use. The spinner’s basket can also be used as a colander, and the clear bowl is perfect for serving, making this an incredibly versatile tool to own.

For professional kitchens we also have high duty, large capacity spinners available in both 10 litres and 20 litres. These large capacity salad spinners are ideal for hospitality use. They make it easy to wash and dry large loads of fruit, salad and small vegetables, allowing you to serve customers with fresh produce easily.

9: Knives & Chopping Boards

Colour-coded knives aren’t just for professional chefs, they’re a great way to keep home kitchens organised and hygienic too! Brown knives should be used for root vegetables and green knives for fruit and salad. The Cooksmill’s Colour Coded 8.5” Chef Knife in Green can be used for slicing and dicing melon, apples, lettuce and herbs as well as many other kitchen tasks. A cook’s knife is essential in all kitchens. It’s designed to perform a range of tasks from chopping and slicing to crushing and carving.

Cooksmill colour co-ordinated chopping boards are also available to ensure complete food safety. These are available in high density chopping boards for the busy commercial kitchen and low density coloured chopping boards. Using colour coded chefs knives together with their corresponding boards helps to prevent potentially harmful bacteria from spreading across preparation areas.

8: Presentation Plates

Why not try Steelite’s range of Craft Crockery for your presentation? Steelite International is a world-leading manufacturer and supplier of award-winning tabletop and buffet solutions for the hospitality industry. The products in this range are incredibly durable and have exceptional resistance to thermal and mechanical shock. Steelite Aqua and Steelite Green are an especially inspired choice, with their colourways allowing the fresh produce to speak for itself.

Seasons Crockery by Porcelite is also a popular choice. The Seasons by Porcelite range of crockery is a hand crafted collection that gives a rustic look to casual and fine dining. It comes in a range of eight complementary colours which can be mixed and matched to give limitless presentation options. Oatmeal and Sea Spray are fantastic choices for plant-based and vegetable filled dishes.

7: Sugarfree Syrups

Monin’s Sugar Free Syrups are a great alternative for cocktails and hot drinks. We have a range of flavours, including vanilla, hazelnut, caramel and gingerbread, all of which would be welcome additions to hot drinks in the cold month of January. The sugar free syrups are made with sucralose which is a no-calorie sweetener. Sucralose is derived directly from sugar: it offers a sweet sensation without the usual metallic aftertaste you experience with other sweeteners. This product has been tested and approved since 1991. These syrups can be easily substituted in hot drinks.

6: Paddle Picks

We also have a range of bamboo paddle picks available which can be used to identify sugar-free or low-sugar options at cafes and bakeries. Having sugar-free or low-sugar options informs customers that you are aware of all dietary requirements, and ensures everyone has a comfortable food option for their dietary needs.

We also have gluten-free options and allergy options, ensuring your entire menu is clearly labelled and requirements are taken care of. As these picks are made from bamboo, they can be easily disposed of when you’ve finished using them.

5: Kilner Jars

Kilner Jars aren’t just pretty to look at, they’re also incredibly useful for storing and preserving homemade goods. The tightly sealed jars provide effective storage for all foods, from pasta to rice, coffee and jam. If you want to try your hand at making your own food, these jars help to keep the food fresher for longer.

Preparing your own food at home is often much healthier than eating out, or buying pre-made food. This is because you can control exactly what goes into the food, and you can cut back on sugar and other potentially unhealthy ingredients. For example, making your own jam at home is easy and often has less sugar than store-bought jam. With the Kilner Berry Fruit Preserve Jar, you can add a fun and stylish element to your jam storage. There’s nothing better than freshly made homemade jam on a perfectly toasted piece of bread!

4: Blenders

Smoothies are a great way to stay hydrated and get a drink full of vitamins, vegetables, fruit and all the goodies you need for healthy eating. For the best smoothie result, you want a blender you can trust. Blenders can also be used to blend a hearty, vegetable-filled soup or create a delicious pasta sauce.

Hamilton Beach Bar Blenders are powerful but simple to operate. They are equipped with ergonomic controls that are easy to reach and easy to understand to help bartenders concentrate on mixing the perfect drink rather than wasting time with complicated controls. We have bar blenders for drinks, and food blenders for soups and sauces, so whatever you’re looking for, you’re sure to find it with a Hamilton Beach Blender.

For domestic kitchens and smoothie drinkers, the Fimar BL020 Bar Blender is a reliable choice. The plastic body has a two-speed motor and four stored programs. It is ideal for making frappes, cocktails, mocktails, milkshakes and more. The blender has a 2 litre capacity. With powerful motors and blades, this blender makes quick work of smoothies, sauces and soups.

3: Non-Stick Frying Pans

Using a non-stick frying pan may not seem that important, but in reality, it makes a massive difference when you’re cooking. Non-stick pans have a special coating which prevents the food from sticking when cooking. This means you use little to no oil when cooking, which instantly makes the meal healthier.

Cooksmill’s non-stick frying pans are the perfect companion for domestic chefs and culinary experts in the restaurant. Designed to deliver outstanding cooking performance and exceptional food release, these pans are a must-have for any kitchen that values efficiency, quality, and ease of use. Crafted from high-quality materials, these pans can withstand frequent use, both in commercial and domestic kitchens.

Frying pans are incredibly versatile and can be used for a wide range of cooking techniques. From searing, sautéing, and frying to making delicate omelettes and crepes, these pans excel in various culinary applications, making them an essential tool for any professional or home kitchen.

2: Non-Stick Tawas

Similar to frying pans, non-stick Tawa’s provide a healthier cooking surface. A Tawa is an important element in authentic Indian cooking, adding to the flavour and experience of the dish. In Indian cooking, a Tawa is often used as a frying pan by busy cooks and is generally used to help move vegetables around in a type of stir fry motion. As well as this, a Tawa is used to prepare popular types of flatbreads often required in Indian restaurants.

As the Tawa is finished with a non-stick coating, food can be fried without the need for excess oil. This Tawa would be a great addition to both domestic and commercial kitchens, allowing you and your chefs to create tasty dishes quickly and easily.

1: Biodegradable Food Serving

Why not start the new year off by being kind to yourself, and the planet? With a growing emphasis on environmentally friendly options, any venue that switches to biodegradable cutlery or recyclable cutlery may boost its reputation. As customers make choices based on which companies recycle and which don’t, switching to biodegradable or compostable cutlery will help you stand out from your competitors.

Additionally, biodegradable food serving items are fantastic for those who are health conscious. Unlike traditional plastic cutlery, which can leach harmful chemicals like BPA into your food, especially when heated, biodegradable options are typically made from natural materials like wood, bamboo, or plant-based bioplastics. This minimises your risk of ingesting these potentially harmful substances, safeguarding your health. By choosing biodegradable cutlery, you contribute to reducing plastic waste and the resulting risk of microplastic contamination in your body, ultimately protecting your health from potential negative consequences.

Healthy Choices with Cooksmill

The New Year brings the opportunity to change your habits for the better, and here at Cooksmill, we want to help you cook yourself healthy this year. Making small changes everyday can result in a massive improvement over time, so why not start your healthy lifestyle today?