410 Nutrition & Wellness for Life Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. At mealtime, do you find yourself opening the refrigerator and grabbing whatever is handy? Meals thrown together without planning often lack nutrition and appeal. With a little planning, meals can be healthy, appealing, and save you some money. Planning Begins in the Kitchen Before you begin planning meals, you must familiarize yourself with the kitchen and its contents. The types of equipment that your kitchen is stocked with influences the types of meals you can plan and prepare. To become a successful cook, you need to understand the appliances and tools that are most useful for preparing food. Ingredient availability also influences the types of meals you can prepare. Certain ingredients are used on a regular basis. Planning a meal is much easier when the kitchen is always stocked with these ingredients. Kitchen Appliances Every kitchen has basic appliances. Each appliance has been carefully designed to perform a certain function with ease. In the kitchen, you will find major appli- ances and small appliances, each with a different function. Major appliances are large pieces of equipment powered by gas or electricity. They differ from small appliances because they are not portable. Every kitchen has several major appliances, such as a range, refrigerator-freezer, and dishwasher. There are numerous small appliances. Range A range is a large kitchen appliance that usually consists of an oven, cook- top, and broiler. Ranges may be powered by gas or electricity (Figure 17.1). A conventional oven is used to bake, roast, and broil food items. When baking or roasting, a heat source on the bottom of the oven cavity generates the heat. Figure 17.1 Ranges may be powered by gas or electricity. What reasons might influence your decision to purchase one type over the other? Pro3DArtt/Shutterstock.com Pro3DArtt/Shutterstock.com