Not sure what gift to give the guy who has everything his Man Cave would crave? After all the electronics, video entertainment and creature comforts have been covered, maybe friends and family could take him on a trip down the hall to that room called the kitchen. Perhaps that room is bleakly under-equipped. Kitchen gifts are practical (ranging in price from $1 to $500), smart – and perhaps not something he’d think of by himself.

But would kitchen gifts for guys factor into your guy’s lifestyle? Getting help in this area could go a long way to helping achieve a likely goal, to get in better shape. Here’s something to chew on: meals made outside the home contain 55 percent more calories than those made at home, according to the American Dietetic Association. Cut out the burgers, fries and pizzas and replace with skinless chicken, a vegetable or two and a microwaved sweet potato. So without counting anything, chances are he’ll make a net health improvement if he tries this thing called “cooking.”

With a little guidance, he’ll discover that cooking is pretty simple and might take up just as much time as ordering in. He already knows how to make mac-and-cheese; a lot of healthy meals are much easier and faster. But you can’t do it without a few basic utensils in your house, which is where friends and relatives come in. Herewith are the top ten kitchen items to help your favorite bachelor become better kitchen-equipped:

#1. Can opener (cost: $7 on up)

Function: Opening cans

Why it’s so healthy: Canned vegetables (and frozen) retain nutrients better than most of what’s sold as fresh. Best bets are beans (Garbanzo, black, kidney, navy) and stewed tomatoes. A Garbanzo bean snack (with lemon juice and hot sauce) can be made in <45 seconds.

#2. Deep skillet (cost: about $50)

Function: Stir-frying meats and vegetables

Why it’s so healthy: With a minimal amount of good fats (e.g., olive, canola, peanut, flax oil) a guy can make a meal of lean meat with broccoli and tomatoes in about 12 minutes, flavored any way he chooses. That’s about the same time as it takes to get a drive-through meal, and he won’t stain his nice work clothes with chalupa schmutz.

#3. Sauce pan (cost: about $30)

Function: Cooking very wet things

Why it’s so healthy: A variation on the skillet, this can be used to make soup, hard-boil eggs (excellent snacks), steamed vegetables – plus macaroni-and-cheese.

#4. Steamer insert thing (cost: about $15)

Function: Steaming vegetables

Why it’s so healthy: The physics of steaming is mildly entertaining to guys. The real payoff is taking vegetables from frozen solid to cooked in about ten minutes (e.g., a bag of broccoli, add lemon juice and Parmesan cheese to get five vegetable servings in one meal).

#5. One great knife (cost: $20 on up)

Function: Slicing stuff; Halloween costume accessory

Why it’s so healthy: It’s mostly about the onions, since most other foods come pre-chopped. The truly focused guy might branch into chopped cabbage, perhaps the smartest addition to dinner for someone trying to lose a few pounds (it’s low in calories, receptive to flavorings and very filling).

#6. Cutting board (cost: $8 on up)

Function: See #5 above

Why it’s so healthy: Doubles as a dining table, wedged against the chest to facilitate dinner on the couch while watching TV. Glass, polyethylene or stone are microbe-resistant, but wood is just fine if you wash it between uses.

#7. Mixing bowls (cost: $1 at a dollar store)

Function: Not mixing. Microwaving.

Why it’s so healthy: There are many healthy meals that can be made in a microwave (e.g., frozen breast of chicken, flipped midway at 4 minutes, add vegetables at 8 minutes, then wave it another 3 minutes). Eating directly from the bowl reduces dish washing (guys already know this).

#8. Orange juice mixer and potato masher (cost: try the Dollar Store; otherwise, $10 on up)

Function: Orange juice on hand, every morning (from frozen, why you need the masher)

Why it’s so healthy: People who skip breakfast are 4.5 times more likely to be obese. If you go through the motions of drinking orange juice (and the small chore of making it), it’s not much of stretch to imagine you’ll also microwave a bowl of oatmeal or pour yourself a bowl of whole-grain cereal. With a potato masher in the house, there's no telling what else he'll mush up for dinner (beans and cooked sweet potatoes come to mind).

#9. Colander (cost: again, the Dollar Store gets the gift giver a break here)

Function: Washing vegetables and fruit

Why it’s so healthy: Frozen and canned produce are fine, but a green salad once in while is good for all kinds of things. Greens are sold pre-washed and chopped, but in an antiseptic world it’s reassuring to wash them one more time. Wash some apples and grapes, too.

#10. Blender (cost: $25 and up)

Function: Blending stuff

Why it’s so healthy: The protein drink is pure guy gastronomy. No real measuring is required, it’s a lot like a milkshake and ideally it contains antioxidant-rich fruit (berries), lower-fat dairy and the protein powder guys buy at the gym. In a pinch, this can be breakfast, lunch or dinner.

#11. Clamshell-style grill (cost$25 on up)

Function: Fast grilling, reduction of fat in some items

Why it's so healthy: A guy can make a lot of fatty, processed types of food in one of these, but show him how to grill a smart, pannini-style sandwich (whole grain bread, tuna, cheese and something green like lettuce or chopped celery) and he's at least making something at home. Oddly, these are the kitchen utensil men seem to understand most, thanks to George Foreman.

Assume that your guy gift-recipient has a stove, microwave, spatulas, stirring spoons, dinner plates, knives, forks and spoons. For grocery ideas and recipes, I recommend my book (“A Guy’s Gotta Eat, the regular guy’s guide to eating smart”). Compared to eating out, take out and drive-through, meals at home can save a guy hundreds of dollars ever – the gift that keeps on giving.

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Russ Klettke is a certified fitness trainer, speaker and author of A Guy's Gotta Eat, the regular guy's guide to eating smart (Marlowe & Co., NY 2004, with Deanna Conte, MS RD LD). The book is available where books are sold, and in more than 100 library systems in the U.S., Canada and the U.K.