Appliances that make you fat: top 5 kitchen appliances that will not let you lose weight

Freshly squeezed juices in the morning are often associated with a healthy lifestyle, but in fact they are on the list of foods that evidence-based medicine recommends consuming in limited quantities. For example, the UK's National Health Service warns that it is safe to consume no more than 150ml of fresh fruit juice or smoothie per day. This is due to the high sugar and calorie content of freshly squeezed drinks, as well as their low fiber content, which can cause sharp fluctuations in blood glucose levels and increase hunger.

Doctors also warn about the potential dangers of fresh juice, especially for those trying to lose or maintain weight. And although some people allow 200-300 ml of freshly squeezed juice per day, the scientific community does not have a positive opinion about juicers: consuming regular fruits and vegetables provides more benefits to the body and does not increase the risk of weight gain.

Proper dosing is key, especially if you are interested in preparing reserves of pasteurized juice for later consumption, serving at a holiday table, diluting sweet juices, or using aromatic citrus juices in cooking.

Many people associate morning smoothies with a healthy diet, but the UK's National Health Service recommends limiting your intake for much the same reasons as drinking fresh juice. According to nutritionists, smoothies are considered deceptive due to their smooth texture and pleasant taste: they are drunk too quickly, while eating the same fruit will take 15-20 minutes. Eating fruit quickly is not as beneficial, since the fiber in the smoothie is crushed and is not able to prevent the rapid absorption of sugars and a sharp jump in blood sugar, which can cause hunger following a sharp decline.

Blenders, regardless of type — submersible or stationary, are excellent assistants if used wisely: for making purees, sauces, mousses, crushing ice, batter and for preparing a variety of cocktails, including smoothies (it is important to remember the correct dosage). A variety of attachments turns certain blender models into versatile kitchen tools that are good at chopping, grinding and chopping vegetables, as well as making tender minced chicken and fish. Using a sports blender with a portable glass also makes sense: its small volume helps control the amount of smoothie and prevent it from exceeding a healthy limit. Adding protein-rich foods, such as nuts, to a sports smoothie, and moderate consumption of sweet and high-calorie fruits and berries (such as grapes, bananas, cherries) only contribute to the beneficial effects on the body.

Bread machines are often purchased for the purpose of preparing and eating “healthy” bread — whole grain, yeast-free, gluten-free, sugar-free and the like. However, it is no coincidence that the word “healthy” is used in quotation marks, since in terms of calorie content this type of bread is often almost no different from regular bread. Despite this, the taste, aroma and freshness of homemade bread (of any kind) is so attractive that its consumption in the family, after purchasing a bread machine, usually increases significantly.

First of all, it is worth understanding why there is a tendency in the beauty industry to condemn traditional bread — with yeast, containing gluten and sugar. Yeast does work in the raw dough, aerating it and providing rise (sourdoughs do the same). When baking at high temperatures, microorganisms, including both yeast and starters, are killed. Why differentiate so much and condemn one while praising the other? Gluten can only really be dangerous for people with celiac disease who are intolerant to it, which makes up about 2% of the world's population. The fashion for gluten-free products arose after the release of William Davis's anti-scientific book «Wheat Belly», which was repeatedly refuted by doctors and the scientific community.

If you are interested in creating homemade bread, experimenting with different recipes, adding delicious and healthy ingredients such as bran, a variety of seeds and nuts, then the process of making and eating bread can be fun and rewarding. However, it is important to consciously control the amount of bread consumed per day.

It should also be understood that the main function of a bread machine is precisely to process the dough: kneading and rising its various types, including dough for dumplings, dumplings or homemade noodles. Many people who are passionate about baking bread use a bread machine exclusively for working with dough, and bake the bread in the oven.

Everyone knows about the dangers of fast food, and among them, French fries fried in deep oil are one of the main “pests”. Despite this, some people buy a deep fryer to cook potatoes and other fried foods at home. Marketers claim that homemade fries are healthier because you can avoid using oil that has already been heated several times, thereby reducing the amount of carcinogens — free radicals that are released when vegetable oil is heated (their amount depends on the type of oil). However, in this context, it is usually forgotten that when fried, foods absorb oil, significantly increasing the calorie content of the dish. For example, the calorie content of boiled potatoes is 80-82 kcal per 100 grams, while traditionally prepared French fries are 312 kcal.

Traditional deep fryers, where food is cooked in hot oil, are generally not beneficial in terms of health — except that homemakers tend to change the oil more often than is done in restaurants or cafes. However, traditional deep fryers are gradually giving way to air fryers and other devices that use intense hot air (turbo convection technology) to cook food. Now you can cook multiple servings of French fries or fried chicken wings using just one tablespoon of oil or even without it, without submerging the food in oil.

Frequently cooking toasted bread in a toaster can increase the consumption of this high-calorie product by 2-3 times. In addition, such toasts are usually eaten with butter, cheese, jam, ham and similar additives, which significantly increases the daily calorie intake. For example, 100 grams of toast with egg is approximately 230-240 calories, toast with jam is about 300 calories, and if consumed in several servings, this can amount to a significant portion of the daily calorie requirement.

According to evidence-based medicine, the concept of “safe morning calories” is a myth because overall daily energy balance is important. Therefore, even in the morning it is not recommended to eat in excess. Moreover, a toaster can increase the consumption of fast carbohydrates (bread, sweets) to the detriment of more complete protein foods. Such nutrition does not provide a long-term feeling of fullness, which can lead to a constant desire to snack, especially “between breakfast and lunch.”

Yes, as long as you keep your daily caloric intake in check when eating toast in the morning (which means planning and sticking to the amount of toast you eat), and if you don't overindulge in toast as a snack during the day, which can be tempting, especially when working remotely. First, having a toaster encourages mindful eating in the morning by emphasizing the importance of breakfast. Secondly, gastroenterologists often recommend using toaster-dried bread rather than fresh bread for various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Of course, household appliances themselves cannot contribute to weight gain, but their thoughtless use does. We will be glad if our review helps you adjust your diet and use household appliances wisely, as well as save money and not buy an appliance you don’t need.