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10 Ways to Save Time in the Kitchen

Think you have no time to cook? Check out these 10 ways to save time in the kitchen to cut down on cooking time and be more efficient.

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woman cutting vegetables in the kitchen

Contrary to what you see on popular cooking shows, home-cooked meals don’t have to be complicated or take a lot of time. With just a little planning and preparation, you can save a lot of time in the kitchen and give your family foods with more flavor and nutrients to stay healthy.

10 Real Food Tips to Save Time in the Kitchen

1. Plan your meals.

You don’t have to plan an elaborate menu or schedule, just have an idea of what you want to make during the week to make sure you have all the ingredients you need. Plan to cook at least 2-3 nights out of the week. On the other nights, eat leftovers or make a quick meal with the leftovers like a burrito or school lunch.

2. Batch cook.

Make a roast chicken or pot roast in a crock pot on a Sunday, and save the meat to use for dishes throughout the week. This cuts down a lot of time and provides nourishment from a whole food source rather than relying on convenience foods out of a box or can. Use the meat for salads, soups, stews, burritos, quesadillas, pastas and even school lunches. I store my meat in freezer-safe glass containers.

3. Make your own staples.

Keep the bones from a roast chicken to make a healthy chicken broth (how to make chicken bone broth). I can usually make two batches (about 4-5 pints) of broth with just one whole chicken. Use that broth for everything from soups to mashed potatoes to stir fry. Sometimes I’ll even just enjoy a cup to get all the benefits of collagen and amino acids from the bones. If you store broth in the freezer though, I do recommend using freezer-safe glass containers rather than glass Mason jars. I made the mistake a couple of times and it resulted in broken glass in my freezer. No bueno!

You can do this with other staples too, such as cooked beans, salad dressings, condiments, fermented vegetables (here’s an excellent source for buying fermented foods and starter cultures for milk or water kefir), granola, etc. Keep reading for recipes.

4. Buy in bulk.

Buy foods in bulk to save time and money. Rather than make frequent trips to the store every week to buy meat, vegetables and dried goods, buy in bulk from local sources such as local farms and CSAs (community-supported agriculture).

I get my kitchen pantry supplies like sea salt, black pepper, spices, coconut oil, and other essentials either on Amazon or my local health food store.

5. Prep foods ahead of time.

With bulk meat, you can ration out portion sizes for various meals and store in the freezer until needed. With dried goods such as beans, nuts or grains, you can cook or soak them as needed and store in the pantry. I especially love this method for fruits and vegetables. I buy them in bulk from a local CSA, and then wash, cut and store them as needed for my meals throughout the week. This includes a huge vegetable tray  that my kids eat after school and in between meals.

6. Ditch your microwave.

Food that needs to be heated in a microwave is usually processed or single serve – the opposite of what you want in a family meal. Real food doesn’t have to take along time. Opt for leftovers heated on the stovetop, toaster oven or Instant Pot. Or cook popcorn with a stovetop popper – it takes just as long as microwave popcorn, yet it tastes so much better.

7. Keep food simple.

Meals don’t have to include a laundry list of ingredients to be healthy. Try recipes with simple ingredients, and build from there to include spices or other add-ons that your family enjoys. For instance, make a simple burrito with homemade cooked beans and raw cheese. Build on it by adding diced tomatoes, onions, cilantro and spices.

8. Enlist a sous chef.

Kids love helping in the kitchen. Get them involved in meal planning, prep work, cooking, cleaning or serving dishes. Kids learn every facet of the process of cooking and more likely than not they’ll be more willing to try new foods if they help to cook it.

9. Clean as you go.

It’s easy to have dishes pile up as you prep and cook meals, so clean up as you go. Load the dishwasher or clean cutting boards and other cooking utensils as soon as you’re done with them. This keeps your kitchen space clean and makes cleaning manageable at the end of the meal.

10. Make mealtime fun.

Make breakfast for dinner once a week. Make pancakes (try these gluten-free buttermilk pancakes) and bacon or omelets – whatever your family enjoys eating. Kids especially love to swap foods and make things silly. Plus, breakfast is usually a quick and easy meal to whip up.

Want More Recipes?Gluten-Free Real Food Recipes for Kids

Check out my new book, Gluten-Free, Real Food Recipes for Kids. I wrote this book with YOU in mind. Parents who want to provide kids with wholesome meals without artificial colors, preservatives and other additives. All the recipes are gluten-free – with many options for grain free or Paleo, dairy free, egg free and vegetarian.

What’s Included In This Book

It’s filled with 130+ pages of content and recipes, including:

  • Real food nutrition 101
  • Detailed information on how to properly soak and sprout nuts, beans, grains and seeds
  • A guide on how to spot chemical additives and what to avoid
  • Kitchen essentials and cooking tools
  • Tips on how to get kids to become better eaters and help in the kitchen
  • 70+ gluten-free recipes – such as snacks and appetizers, beverages, condiments and dressings, main meals, desserts and more

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Did you try these tips? Comment below to let me know how it went. You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to see what other fun things I’m getting up to.

Photo credit: Bigstockphoto.com / MalkovKosta

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