Source: Pexels
If you’re finding it harder and harder to balance work, family, and a myriad of other responsibilities and commitments, we’re here to tell you that you’re not alone. According to a survey by Pew Research Center, parenting today is not only different than it was a few decades ago – it’s also harder. And it’s especially difficult for mothers who tend to take on more housework, including cooking and cleaning. Yet, providing healthy meals for our loved ones remains essential.
The good news is, even if you’re doing most of the cooking yourself, there are ways to make the process faster and easier, even if some of your family members or, indeed, everyone follows a strict diet. Here are our very best time-saving kitchen hacks to help you put nutritious meals on the table in record time.
Meal Prep Everything You Can
One of the most effective ways to save time (and money but that’s a different topic) in the kitchen is by meal prepping everything that can be meal-prepped. That’s right – if you take some time to just plan and prepare meals in advance, you can save a ton of time without sacrificing nutrition and taste.
The easiest way to go about this is to spend some time on the weekend (or any other day off) to chop veggies, marinate proteins, and cook grains in bulk. Then, you store them in portioned containers in the fridge or freezer that you and your family can grab when you’re in a hurry. This way, even when you’re in a rush, you’ll have a healthy, quick meal waiting for you.
Organize Your Kitchen Better
A well-organized kitchen goes a long way in cutting down your meal preparation time. We’re sure you already have your kitchen organized in a way that works for you, but if you’re looking for ways to make small changes so things are better organized, we suggest the following strategy.
Keep all your frequently used ingredients, such as oils, spices, herbs, and grains within easy reach, and all your rarely used appliances, pots and pans in the back of your cabinets. Speaking of rarely used items, if you have things that are quite literally gathering dust, consider purging them. As for your pantry items, store them in clear storage containers (that you can also label) so you can reduce clutter and make finding what you need at the moment easier.
Buy in Bulk and Freeze for Later
Buying groceries in bulk, especially non-perishable items, can be a lifesaver for busy parents who find even grocery shopping difficult to manage at times.
Purchasing things like rice, pasta, canned goods, and frozen vegetables in larger quantities can go a long way in reducing the frequency of your grocery runs. Same thing with proteins – buy several rotisserie chickens, debone them, and then bag and freeze them for later use.
Consider Meal Services
Sometimes, even the best-laid plans can be ruined by a hectic schedule. But don’t worry, that’s what meal delivery services are for. No, meal kits are not cheating – if you pick a reputable service that offers natural, high-quality ingredients.
For example, if your family follows a low-carb diet, consider subscribing to a ready-to-eat meal delivery service that has easy keto meal delivery options that require minimal to zero prep to eat. There are plenty of reputable services out there now that offer balanced, nutritious meals that can save you the hassle of cooking everything from scratch every single day. Don’t knock it ‘till you’ve tried it!
Invest in Time-Saving Kitchen Gadgets
Certain kitchen gadgets and tools can make meal prepping and cooking faster and simpler. If you don’t already own a quality instant pot or pressure cooker, we highly recommend investing in one, as it can greatly cut down cooking time for dishes like stews, chili, roasts, and rice.
Also, a good-quality blender or food processor can make quick work of chopping vegetables or whipping up sauces. Not to mention, it can help you and your family, especially kids, eat more fruits and veggies in an attractive form – colorful smoothies.
