by Do you want to eat healthier, but don’t have much time to spend in the kitchen?
Good nutrition is difficult to maintain without having some skills in the kitchen. Whether you’re learning to cook or looking for time-saving kitchen tips, you’ll find this post as the perfect guide for getting started. Once you learn the basics of cooking, you’ll have the tools to continue creating delicious meals for the rest of your life. Although it takes time and willingness to try new things, the end result is well-worth the effort.
How to Save Time when Cooking
Set Up for Success
Plan Ahead
Create a weekly menu and grocery list at the beginning of each week so that eating healthy becomes an easy part of your routine. Be sure to include days you’ll need a packed lunch and meals you’ll be dining out. With a weekly menu in place, it’s much easier to eat healthily, prevent food waste and even save money.
Stock Up
Half the battle of eating healthy is to have nutritious foods on hand. Prepare yourself by stocking your fridge, freezer, and pantry with healthy ingredients so you can whip up something delicious in minutes. If you have it on hand, you’re more likely to eat it. The same goes for junk food, so don’t buy it!
Keep it Simple
Cooking doesn’t need to be complicated or intimidating. You don’t have to be Rachel Ray to work your way around the kitchen. Learn a few easy go-to recipes and everything else will seem even easier to pick up.
Sharpen Your Knife
A sharp knife results in less injury, faster results, and better food. Your knife should be sharp enough to slice through a piece of paper. If your knife is dull, sharpen it with a sharpener, such as AccuSharp.
Appreciate Mistakes
You’re not going to become a master chef after making one meal. Repetition is key to learning any new skill. It’s important to learn from, and appreciate, your mistakes by keeping notes of what worked and what didn’t. With plenty of practice, you’ll begin to cook more delicious foods frequently.
Time-Saving Tips
Batch Cook
Prep and cook food in batches or double the recipe so you have plenty of leftovers. Cook once and eat for 4 meals to save time. For example, if you’re roasting a chicken, add sweet potatoes, cauliflower, winter squash, or mini quiches. With a little creativity, you can spruce up those leftovers for more variety.
Kitchen Appliances
A high-speed blender and an Instant Pot make mealtime a painless feat. A blender is ideal for quick and easy meals on-the-go. An Instant Pot is perfect for making an entire meal that awaits you after a long day.
Team Work
Get your family and friends involved. Cooking is a great way to spend time together and work as a team to create a dish everyone can enjoy. Getting kids involved is a great way to breakthrough picky eating habits.
Shop Smart
Many supermarkets have healthier pre-made entrees, side dishes, salads, soups, rotisserie chicken, nitrate-free deli meats, sustainable seafood. You can also buy pre-cut or frozen produce to save on prep time.
