Be prepared. Boy scout or not, this is a great motto. Being prepared can often mean the difference between being able to whip up a simple, healthy meal or resorting to fast food or the delivery man. The desire to eat healthy food makes quick preparation a bit more difficult than simply boiling up some macaroni and cheese with hot dogs and frozen peas. But, with a little planning, you can make it much easier to quickly prepare a delicious and nutritious meal.

Here are some of my favorite gadgets for quick and healthy cooking:

1. Small and large nonstick skillets (you'll use nearly every day)
2. Several different sizes of glass measuring cups (for quick and easy measuring)
3. Sharp knives (a godsend!)
4. Blender (great for whipping up sauces, dressings and smoothies)
5. Food processor (also great for shredding, and making sauces, dressings)
6. Steamer basket (super-quick and healthy vegetable preparation)
7. Pasta pot with drainer lid (make pasta with less dishes)
8. More than one cutting board (so you don't have to wash between chopping meat and veggies)
9. Gas or charcoal grill (many healthy grill recipes)
10. Large ziploc bags for marinating (quick prep and quicker cleanup!)

Here's an example of a quick dinner using several of the gadgets listed above. Boil angel hair pasta in your pasta pot. Chop tomatoes and basil on your cutting board with your sharp knives. Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet with minced garlic; add tomatoes and basil and heat through. Serve over hot angel hair with shredded fresh parmesan cheese.

If you have great tools to work with, cooking becomes easier and even fun! So, invest in some quality equipment and the use it to create great healthy dishes in a flash.

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Credits: Erin Rogers