Kitchen Tools for Quick Weeknight Dinners

No need to get fancy when preparing a quick and nutrient-dense dinner! A few basic kitchen tools are all you need to get dinner on the table in no time. Read on for FEED’s favorite kitchen provisions for a delicious and nutritious weeknight dinner:

1. Cutting Board and Chef’s Knife 

The most basic tools for preparing a meal are a sturdy cutting board and a good, sharp knife. Whether you are dicing vegetables, slicing protein or chopping herbs, you need a safe surface to work on and a knife that’s going to make meal prep productive. Remember– if you are preparing any raw meat, use a different board to avoid cross-contamination with your other ingredients!

2. Kitchen Scissors

Got little helpers in the kitchen? Invest in a good pair of kitchen scissors that they can use to help prepare a meal. Kiddos can cut herbs, leafy vegetables and even pizza with a good pair of shears. Bonus– research suggests that including young ones in meal prep increases their intake of vegetables. Looking for more ways to get your greens? We’ve got you covered.

3. Olive Oil Spray

Olive oil in a spray bottle is the quickest way to dress a salad or prepare vegetables for roasting! It minimizes the amount you use and it doesn’t require dirtying anything else. Olive oil spray should not be mistaken for your traditional pan spray. Make sure the only ingredient is olive oil (with no additional propellants).

4. Sheet Pan for Roasting

Sheet pan dinners are everywhere lately– and with good reason. You can roast proteins and vegetables simultaneously and have only one dish to clean at the end of the night! This beautiful sheet pan dinner is the work of FEED founder Lara Field. Lara, can we come for dinner next time?!

5. Cast Iron Skillet

Another option for getting dinner done in a snap is using a cast iron skillet, which can easily go from the stove top to the oven for double duty. With a cast iron skillet, you can also use less oil to cook and may even get a boost of iron delivered to your food. Use yours to make our sweet and savory pork chops!

Need more quick dinner ideas? Check out our roundup of pocket stew recipes or our three-minute meals!