My Mini Prep Station
When it comes to Keto there is no shortage of things I will try to make things easier for us, our extended family or his school. Keto takes time and patience but there are a lot of little tricks I've picked up along the way that help keep me organized. During the first few weeks of the diet I realized there were a number of 'keto essentials' I was always ping-ponging across the kitchen to retrieve. After weeks of being frustrated trying to find and put away everything I needed six times a day for his meals, I created a mini prep station in my kitchen.
What's in my Mini Prep Station?
Taylor Food Scale - 11 lb Capacity
Chwares Food Scale
Taylor High Precision Travel Food Scale
Norpro Wireless Mini Mixer and Attachments
Silicone Muffin Cups
Morton's Lite Salt & Measuring Spoon
Washi Tape
Small Cutting Boards
Sharpie
Pen
The Scales
So you might be saying to yourself - why on earth does this lady have three different scales on her counter? Well I'm glad you asked because there is a perfectly sane and logical reason for this, I think. For us, each scale serves a different purpose during food prep. My 11 lb capacity, Taylor brand scale is great for when I am doing large batch recipes that don't require I measure out to a tenth of a gram. And it easily supports larger bowls and heavier weights allowing me to mix up a month's worth of freezer-bound, egg yolk pancakes in one shot. My Chwares brand scale is my 'everyday' scale. It weighs out to a tenth of a gram and is my go-to scale for all my standard food prepping. If you plan to have more than one parent, family member or caregiver helping with food prep, I highly recommend buying two of these. The entire food prep process is centered around the scale so each person prepping will need their own. And finally my high precision Taylor brand scale is just that - I use it for items that are difficult to weigh out even on a good standard scale. For example, we add collagen powder to a lot of William's meals and sometimes a meal will only call for .9 g of powder. My Chwares scale isn't always reliable when it comes to powders, flour etc. when weighed out in very small amounts such as this. So, I will typically reach for my high precision scale when needed to ensure I'm giving him the proper amount. It's also great to keep in your bag or car because it's pocket-sized and its cover doubles as a measuring tray. If you've already read my post Unpacking the Secrets to Packing the Perfect Lunch, it won't surprise you to find out I actually own three of these travel scales. I keep one in the my kitchen, one in my purse and one with the school nurse's office. Despite its high precision feature, I don't often reach for this scale because it weighs out to a hundredth of a gram. Since I only weigh meals out to a tenth, I prefer the simplicity of looking at a scale that only shows the measurement I need.
The Mini Mixer
Don't let this mixer fool you, for its size and simply design it's quite powerful. Within a few seconds I can turn William's heavy cream into whipped cream, mix collagen, cocoa and electrolyte powders into his drinks and even whip a small portion of egg whites into stiff peaks. It comes with four attachments, it's small enough to fit in your pocket and for under $10 the price can't be beat.
Silicone Muffin Cups
I would be totally lost without this versatile keto kitchen essential. I use these for everything! I use them for measuring out food, portioning and freezing, baking, roasting vegetables, heating up food and more. I love that they are dishwasher, oven and microwave safe and stack easily in my prep station for me to grab as needed throughout the day.
And the Rest...
William must consume 1/8 of a teaspoon of Morton's Lite Salt throughout the day. Every morning I portion out his salt for the day right from my prep station and add it to his meals as needed. My Washi tape, Sharpie and pen are always on hand for numbering meals for school or family, labeling/dating items in the freezer and labeling pantry items that are reserved for William. I also like to keep one or two small cutting boards close by which come in handy several times a day.
There you have it! That's how I keep myself a little more organized throughout the day. I encourage all keto caregivers to create a little space in their kitchens with all of their food prep essentials. If keeping it on the counter doesn't work for you then get creative - clear off part of a cabinet shelf or place everything into a bin or basket that you can easily retrieve when needed then stow away. If you're looking for more tips on staying organized make sure to visit the Shop My Fav's page for honest reviews on my favorite products.