Holiday Cooking Tips with RA

Christmas is approaching!  How many of you are the ones cooking Christmas dinner?  It's so tough on us with RA, if our hands are bothering us, it makes cooking that much more difficult.  If our knees, or ankles are bothering us, standing in the kitchen is difficult.  Here are some gadgets and tips that could help us through the holidays. 

If you're the one hosting the dinner, it might be easier to go with a potluck, that way most of the cooking isn't put on you.  Design a menu, and ask guests to bring 1-2 dishes.  This will help you immensely. 

Arthritis pain can affect cooking in general, especially our hands. 
Ergonomic, lightweight cooking tools which have easy grips and non-slip handles are very helpful to people who have arthritis. There are many choices and designs for cooking tools and kitchen aids. Spatulas, spoons, ladles, whisks and other cooking tools which feel comfortable in your hand can greatly improve manual dexterity, reduce pain, and compensate for swollen and deformed joints.

Pots and pans can be heavy and clumsy, especially with swollen or deformed joints.  Lifting pots can be troublesome, if your in pain it be very unsafe and could lead to dropping the pot. Using pots and pans with two handles, can make things a lot easier.   The two handles distributes the weight more easily for both the hands and wrists. 

A necessity in the kitchen for RA sufferers, is a food processors, especially for people who have difficulty with manual cooking tasks like chopping, cutting, and slicing. It will automatically chop, shred, or slice after you load it.  Make sure you choose a food processor which is manageable for you by considering physical limitations you have developed from arthritis. Before you buy it, be sure you are able to change the blades easily and remove the plastic bowl and plastic lid from the food processor. Consider mini food processors for your needs as well.

Another great tool for cutting is the Rocker knife!  It's a great tool for cutting and chopping, it's two handled design adds strength and control. 

To help ease the pain of standing for so long, kids play mats are a great idea.   I've seen them for sale at Walmart.com, check them out.  They're a soft idea instead of standing on our floors.  They might sell cheaper elsewhere, but it's an idea.

Next, pull up a stool!  While the mats are a great comfort for standing on, let's face it, standing for long periods of time will have strain on our joints.  Always have a stool nearby, a high one that you can still work on the counter comfortably.  Don't worry about the stool ruining your decor, think of it as part of your life managing your arthritis.  It will definitely help. 




It is helpful for people with arthritis pain to be able to cook nutritious meals but in less time or more simply. Crockpot recipes are just that - simple, one-pot nutritious meals.  Click Here for some great Holiday Crock Pot recipes. 

Another handy-tool to have in the kitchen is a Jar Opener.  Pampered Chef makes an excellent one!  I always have trouble opening bottles and jars of different sizes.   








I hope these tips and tools make your Holiday cooking easier and more convenient!  I love to bake myself, so these tips will help me and make me want to bake more often. Wishing everyone Happy Holidays!!