Getting Started - "Kitchen" Basics for the Hotel

You're ready to start eating healthier in your hotel room (or even your own kitchen at home). But what can you do in such a tiny space with limited resources? Almost anything you want!

Here's a beginner's list of items you need to prepare healthy meals in your room:

• Electric skillet with lid
• Hot Pot and/or single burner and sauce pot
• Microwave
• Mini-fridge (or the ability to buy fresh food daily)
• Large mixing bowl
• Fork/Knife/Spoon
• Big non-scratch cooking spoon with no holes (so you can scoop sauces)
• Can opener
• Measuring cup
• Chef's knife
• Cutting board
• Plate or bowl (or even Tupperware)
• Large water/beer glass
• Wine glass (stemless is easiest to wash in a small hotel sink)
• Corkscrew of your choice

I recommend you invest in a Rubbermaid bin large enough to keep all your kitchen items. It makes moving to new hotels easier, and keeps all your similar items together.

Some totally optional items I like to keep with me:

• 20 oz. Blender Bottle (for mixing up protein shakes or salad dressings)
• Non-scratch spatula
• Wine aerator (For travel, I particularly like the Vin-O-Air Aerator found at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002RBSRAK/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00)
• Wine stoppers (My favs are by Rabbit, found at http://www.amazon.com/Metrokane-6119-Stoppers-Multi-Color-Selected/dp/B0028LEBRW/ref=wl_it_dp_o_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=492KCV7XPK90&coliid=I1DY250ZX7SYSH)
• Wine foil cutter (Again, a great amazon purchase at http://www.amazon.com/Vacu-Vin-6854450-Arch-Cutter/dp/B000GA0PCW/ref=wl_it_dp_o_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=492KCV7XPK90&coliid=I2B88BO8MHCUWB)
• Tupperware of various sizes for storage and leftovers
• Pasta strainer (The silicon pop-up kind makes for easy storage)
• Vegetable peeler
• Measuring spoons if you aren't good at "eyeballing" spices

That's it! Now all you need is some healthy food prepared in a great-tasing way. Recipes to come...