How Using a Food Processor Can Help You Cut Meal Prep Time and Eat More Veggies

无论是新鲜的豆沙或可口的腌泡汁，食品加工是一个方便的厨房设备，它可以whip up all kinds of dishesin a jiffy.

However, food processor newbies shouldn't be intimidated by this gadget's clunky appearance (or many push-button controls!), as they can be easy and save you time — once you know to use them properly.

为了帮助新手厨房导航食品加工的境界像亲，我们抽头4名厨房专业人士（包括营养学家）打破有关这一流行的厨房援助所有的插件和奏。

In short, a food processor is essentially an appliance that allows you to chop, puree, shred or slice foods super quickly, according toVeronica Dailey在奎斯塔学院圣路易斯奥比斯波，加利福尼亚州的厨师和烹饪艺术教授。

Food processors helpspeed up the cooking process, allowing you to skip out on lengthy meal prep time.

Most food processor appliances usually come with plug and blade attachment parts that can be used for any of the different food prep methods such as chopping vegetables and grating cheese, Dailey says. These same parts either be hand-washed or placed inside the dishwasher for a complete clean.

准备好开始？厨师和营养师Abbie Gelmann, RDexplains exactly how to use your food processor:

1. Lock the bowl in place:碗应该符合特定的方式固定在底座上and be able to rotate and lock in place.
2. Select the blade:Food processors have different blades, so you'll need to decide if you want to chop, slice, shred or julienne. Once you pick the blade, place it in the bowl. There should be a circle in the middle of the bowl where the middle of the blade fits like a puzzle piece.
3. Fill the bowl:Depending on what you're prepping, this step may be optional. If you're pureeing a bunch of beans to make hummus, for example, you will add the items now. However, if you are going to julienne a bunch of carrots, you can skip this step.
4. Close the lid:一定要正常关闭盖子，锁定到位。如果所有的锁定机制不对齐，并锁定在适当的机器将无法启动。
5. 打开：Turn on the food processor. There may be a "pulse" option where you control when the blades move and for how long or you can simply turn it to on and it will chop continually until you turn it off.
6. Use the feed tube:If you're going to julienne carrots, as mentioned in step 3, you will add the food into the bowl via the feed tube. Many special blades require that you feed food into the bowl using this tube. There is a plastic pusher to help push the food in if necessary. For other foods, such as a bean dip, you may want to add a liquid like oil while the processor is running. The feed tube would be used for this as well.
7. 关掉：You may want to turn off the food processor periodically, open the lid, and add more ingredients or to use a spatula to wipe down the sides and reincorporate the ingredients together. Once finished, you can turn off the processor, remove the lid, unlock the bowl, carefully remove the blade and pour the contents into a regular mixing bowl or container.

Since food processors can chop and slice ingredients with ease, they can be used to help create a variety of different dishes.

"Food processors are extremely versatile appliances with many uses," chef and nutritionistSerena Poon, CN, tells us. "This includes finely chopping and slicing vegetables, making salsas, pesto, making nut butters and even kneading dough."

Svetlana Savchitz, New York restaurateur and owner of Sveta, a restaurant and bar in NYC, encourages getting creative with this handy tool in order to whip up tasty meals — even breakfasts and desserts.

"A food processor allows you to do things like slice veggies, shred cheese, grind meats, beat eggs and more," she says. "At my restaurant Sveta, I love using processors to make the pastry crust for ourdessert menu."

很容易混淆食品加工与搅拌机, as they both look alike at first glance.

However, Poon suggests they are actually two very different appliances used for completely different purposes, with food processors being the more versatile tool in the long run.

"Blenders are generally used forliquid-based creations such as smoothies, soups or purees," Poon says. "Food processors are used for finely chopping tougher produce like vegetables or nuts, and for making consistent sauces. Food processors are a bit more versatile, but it depends on what you're looking to make. You really can't make a smoothie in a food processor."

Dailey says blender and food processor blades also work differently.

"A blender uses a motion that pulls the food down towards the blade and creates a creamy substance if blended for long enough," Dailey says. "A food processor purees food in a circular motion (not pulling the food down towards the blade), so this creates more of a chopped or pureed substance."

Whether you are a beginner chef or a master restaurateur, Poon says food processors are a great investment buy, as they make a lot of recipes more convenient and are a gateway to healthier eating.

"I find that people tend to eat healthier when they have food processors," she says. "The difference in taste and nutrient value between a自制酱and a store-bought dressing, for example, can really be consequential."

而且，由于这些设备的范围在各种不同的价格和大小，它们可以是帮助最经济的方法，你在家里，而不是选择了外卖所有的时间创造可口的饭菜。

If you don't have a food processor on hand, the following tools can help you achieve similar results:

• A hand grater for chopping
• 一种斩刀
• A mandoline for slicing

Bakers who use food processors can also turn to a mixer in order to make dough, mix cake batter and make meringues.

And yes, a blender can accomplish some of a food processor's tasks includingmaking purees, juices and grinding — but you won't want to use one in lieu of a processor for certain foods like sauces, as the texture won't be as consistent, Poon says.