Healthy Helpers

10 key kitchen items for the nutrition-minded cook

1. Organic: A New Way of Eating Great recipes, along with a bonus: everything you always wanted to know about organic farming ($40).

2. Frieling Personal Health Assistant Scale Input a code and you can get detailed nutritional analysis for 400 foods. You can even keep track of how many carbs or calories you've had in the past day, week or month ($165; 800-827-2582; www.frieling.com).

3. Bosch Porsche Citrus Juicer Hit a button and the machinery speeds up to squeeze out extra juice from the pulp ($250; 866-44BOSCH; www.boschappliances.com).

4. Foley Food Mill The bowl has small holes, so tiny seeds won't slip through. It's ideal for making baby food (2-quart size, $20; 3Å-quart size, $40; 800-458-2616; www.thekitchenstore.com).

5. Anolon Advanced nonstick cookware Like all nonstick, Meyer's top-quality line lets you cook with minimal oil—and it's got heat-resistant handles for stovetop-to-oven transfer (5-quart covered sauté pan, $120; 800-326-3933; www.anolon.com).

6. KitchenAid 12-inch steamer Steaming retains nutrients. Asparagus can lie flat in this insert, the widest on the market ($50; 888-801-1707; www.kitchenaidcookware.com).

7. L'Equip Dehydrator It hums along, drying out fruits and vegetables for snacks in as few as 3 hours ($189; 877-453-7847; www.lequip.com).

8. FoodSaver Vac 420 Most meats go bad after six months in the freezer. Vacuum-sealed, though, they'll keep for three years ($120; 800-777-5452; www.foodsaver.com).

9. Miele Convection Steam Oven This ultrafast oven lets you cook without fat, sealing in vitamins—as well as flavor ($1,800; 800-463-0260; www.miele.com).

10. T-Fal Multigrill Move over, George Foreman. T-Fal's cunning grill and griddle, with its pan of water to catch drippings, keeps steaks moist and your kitchen smoke-free ($90; 800-395-8325; www.t-falusa.com).

Published January 2003