Time-Saving Cooking Tips
By: Carrie Walco-Bowman
Many of us are constrained by time and never seem to have enough of it. Especially when it comes to cooking in our own kitchen. It can be hard to balance life, work, kids, continuing education, pets, family, internet issues, and still find time to cook at home. Here are some great ways to save time when you cook so you can have more time to enjoy your healthy culinary creations with your friends and family.
Plan Your Meals Every Week
If you have children in school and sports, you probably know that weeknights (and some weekends) can be hectic. Squeezing in time to make dinner can feel like an added stress. However, if you plan your meals every week, you’ll find more time to enjoy cooking instead of stressing about it. And, you’ll always have an answer for “What’s for dinner?” and “When are we eating?”
First, block out times during the week to dedicate to meal planning, grocery shopping, meal prepping, and cooking. Then, select the recipes and meals that fit comfortably into those time slots. For example, we’ve learned to limit barbeques to weekend nights when we have more time to enjoy them.
If you still need help eliminating some grocery shopping, meal prepping, and cooking time, look to MightyMeals. We provide healthy, fresh, chef-prepared, perfectly proportioned meals so that you can eliminate all of that. The only thing you have to do is plan what meals you want and order them, and then heat them when you are ready to eat. Breakfast, lunch, dinner (and even snacks) are made!
Read the Entire Recipe
Mac and cheese recipes are all simple and easy. Not if you haven’t read it all, and you get surprised by a particular step while you’re making it. Take the time to read the entire recipe before dedicating your time to it. Plus, humans write recipes, and they make mistakes. I encountered many with a skipped step or a recipe with way too much salt, especially when the other ingredients are also salted (like broths and soup bases).
Prep Your Food
Prepping your food as if it’s a production line can do wonders when it comes to cutting down on time. Cleaning, prepping, and storing your food will depend on the type of food and its storage requirements. Here are a few ways you can prepare your meals to save time.
- Wash and dry your fruits and veggies before putting them away after shopping, except for foods with delicate skins, like berries and tomatoes. These tend to absorb water, which can make them spoil faster.
- Cut and chop foods at the same time a few days before you need them. Doing this all at once saves time, including dishwashing time.
- Portion out and package meals, foods, and snacks. This can include freezing your smoothies, ingredients and portioning out the meat before freezing it.
Call in the Troops
Are you planning a special dinner but now something came up and you don’t have enough time? Ask for help. Give your kids a task. Ask a friend to help out. Or, let MightyMeals help. We carry several à la carte items to help you cut down on and even eliminate cooking time. Here are a few examples with their approximate prep and cooking times.
FOOD Total Time
Brown Rice 1 Hour
Meatballs 30 Min. to 1 Hour
Shredded Beef BBQ 10 Hours (slow cooked)
Brussels Sprouts 30 Min. (roasted)
Chicken Breasts 30 Min. (baked)
Pulled Pork Carnitas 8 Hours (slow cooked)
Saving time in the kitchen and enjoying cooking has many rewards, whether you are cooking for yourself, the family, or for a special event.
MightyMeals is here for you every step of the way, offering several à la carte items for your recipes or entire, ready-made meals that only take a few minutes to heat and eat.
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And don’t forget to sign up for our Mighty Points Rewards Program so you can save on healthy meals and à la carte items made fresh, just for you.