Cooking with Arthritis: 5 Tips to Make it Easier

Person organizing utensils in a kitchen drawer

As anyone who lives with arthritis already knows, not every task can be done easily or comfortably. Even activities like cooking can present a challenge. While it may be difficult at times to cook meals at home rather than purchase fast food or pre-cooked dinners, doing so lets you eat healthier and support your overall wellness in the long run. By using the following tips, you can make it easier to prepare and cook your meals at home while supporting everyday joint comfort.

Hands organizing utensils in a kitchen drawer

  1. Store your ingredients smart. By keeping your most often used ingredients at hand and in an easy to open container, you can reduce the amount of searching, bending, reaching, and opening that you have to do while cooking.
  2. Use the toaster oven. Most people don’t realize how efficient cooking with a toaster oven can be. Almost anything that needs to be baked, broiled, or reheated can be done quickly and easily in the toaster oven. It also spares you the hassle of operating a conventional oven, which usually requires frequent bending over.
  3. Cook and portion your meals ahead of time. Rather than cooking each meal individually, cook larger batches, using containers to portion and store individual meals. This method makes it far easier to have healthy meals ready to go at all times. It also spares you the time and effort of cooking a meal every time you’re hungry.
  4. Choose your tools and utensils wisely. There are a plethora of ergonomic cooking and eating tools available on the market. You’d be surprised how much easier it can be to use a kitchen tool designed to reduce effort when chopping, cutting, or mixing.
  5. Use a slow cooker. A slow cooker is perhaps one of the easiest and most stress-free ways to prepare a meal. Just throw the ingredients in and set it for whatever time you want it to be ready. You can also cook larger portions, storing them for ready-to-eat meals later on.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Individual results vary. Consult your healthcare provider before beginning any new supplement.