My Favorite Medifast Kitchen Gadgets

Q: What's the difference between a dreary diet and culinary adventure?

A: Having the right cooking gadgets.

Since embarking on the Medifast Take Shape for Life program last September, I have discovered a few clever gizmos that make preparing and eating Medifast replacement meals more doable.

Like most cooking geeks, I enjoy collecting kitchen gadgets; but I am not married to Donald Trump. So my first criterion for choosing a kitchen gadget is to find the most affordable (i.e., cheapest) version that will do the job. If you've ever perused one of those airplane shopping catalogues, you know it's possible to spend hundreds of dollars for the Cadillac version of a mere pencil sharpener. But why?

My second and third criteria for selecting a kitchen gadget is that it be safe and easy to clean. The reasons for both should be obvious to anyone who does not enjoy scrubbing food jetsam out of tiny crevices or being rushed to the Emergency Room.

With that in mind, here are some of my favorite Medifast cooking gadgets:

The blending container turns into a travel cup
that fits perfectly into my car's cup holder.

Hamilton Beach Travel Blender

This little blender hold 14 ounces and does not hog precious kitchen counter real estate. It's perfect for blending Medifast replacement meal shakes (which in my case are made out of the brownie soft bake powder). I fill the metal container half way with crushed ice and then add a little water and a packet of Medifast Brownie Soft Bake. In less than a minute I have something close to a Wendy's frosty I can drink on my drive to work. Sometimes I add coffee and sugar-free vanilla Torani syrup for my special version of a Fauxbucks mocha.

Stone Wave Microwave Cooker

I bought only one of these, but this set of two is a good idea
so you always have a clean one at the ready.

This cooking bowl is one of the few As-Seen-on-TV products that actually lives up to its hype. Almost any Medifast replacement meal -- from Ziti Marinara to soft bakes -- tastes better and has superior mouth feel when cooked in one of these magic bowls.

One of my favorite breakfasts is to mix the Medifast Chocolate Chip Soft Bake with a packet of Medifast pancake mix and 1/4 cup of water (this makes two meals). A minute in the microwave produces a magnificent cookie-pancake hybrid that is surprisingly satisfying.

Another big advantage of the Stone Wave is that it does not leave any mysterious white residue on the bowl, which I have finally  figured out is the magic Medifast fairy dust that melts off fat.

I have previously blogged about two of my other favorite Medifast cooking toys... er, gadgets: the Veggetti (which turns zucchini into noodles) and the Babycakes Mini Doughnut Maker (which turns Medifast replacement meals into crunchy-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside pastries). Click on the links to read about these terrific tools -- each of which costs less than $25!