Are you the type that wants to spend as little time cooking as possible? Do you look forward to healthy great-tasting meals, but don’t exactly love all the time and energy that goes into them? What if there were tips that could help you to save time in the kitchen, making the process smoother and more enjoyable? If you’re ready to embrace change and save time on cooking these tips are sure to help.
Get Into the Habit of Planning Your Meals
How many times have you stood in the kitchen wondering what you should cook? Maybe you open the fridge or cupboard doors, peering in and hoping that something will inspire you. Simply coming up with the meal idea can be a huge time waster, which is why meal planning is such an effective tip. There are meal planning options for everyone, whether you have dietary restrictions, specific likes and dislikes, or maybe you just want to stick to quick meals.
Planning your meals also means you’ll be able to stock your fridge and cupboards accordingly. Most experts recommend planning a week or more. You can even write down the meals on a calendar if it makes it easier for you.
Use a Grocery List When Shopping
This leads right into the next tip, which is to use a grocery list when shopping. If you walk through the aisles just randomly picking up items that catch your attention, you’re going to get home and realize they don’t necessarily work together. A whole bunch of “stuff” doesn’t magically create the perfect meal.
There are so many list apps that you can download on your mobile phone that will make creating, organizing, using, and sharing a grocery list seamless. It’s just a matter of making it a habit.
Make Enough for Leftovers
Part of making cooking faster is to eliminate the need to do it every day. Rather than making a fresh dinner each night, get into the habit of making larger portions so you can have it as leftovers or even repurpose those items in a different meal the next night.
Embrace Kitchen Gadgets that Make Life Easy
There is a huge array of kitchen gadgets and appliances available today, all designed to make your life easier when it comes to meal preparation and cooking. But which ones make a difference? Which ones are the must-have items? There are a few worth looking into, as they can certainly save you time and hassle in the kitchen.
Standout kitchen gadgets and appliances worth considering include:
- Food processor
- Stand mixer
- Toaster oven
- Slowcooker
- Instantpot
- Rice cooker
- Electric grill
- Microwave
- Blender
- Deep fryer
It’s unlikely that you need all of these, but some of them are sure to appeal to you, your cooking style, and the kind of meals you like to have.
Stock Your Kitchen With Quality Cleaning Products
Finally, there is the clean-up. This is usually everyone’s least favorite task. Ideally, you want to clean as you go so that by the time you finish cooking the mess is minimal. It should also be expected that others in the house help with clean up so it’s not all on you. Outside of that, you must have the essential cleaning products that work well and get the job done fast. This includes paper towels, microfiber cleaning cloths, and a surface cleaner/disinfectant.
Take Back Your Time
These simple tips are relatively easy to incorporate into your everyday life and they can have a huge impact on how much time you spend cooking. It’s time to take back your time in the kitchen and allow yourself more time to relax.
