Time is one of the biggest hurdles when it comes to cooking at home—there never seems to be enough of it! Here are 6 ways to help you cut corners and shave minutes off your prep time, without sacrificing your healthy eating goals.
Stock up weekly Plan ahead, make a list, and buy enough groceries to get you through the week. Last minute trips to the store creates headaches—not to mention an opportunity to hit the drive through.
Find related recipes Dishes that feature similar ingredients make planning, buying, and prep easier. For example, you could make a big batch of brown rice to serve with a stir-fry one night, and save the extras to use in burritos later in the week.
Prep ahead Do all of your chopping and measuring when you have time, so later in the week when you’re spread thin you’ll be able to whip together a meal in minutes.
Buy some time If there’s room in your budget, consider picking up pre-washed, pre-chopped fruits and veggies. Or use packaged, frozen veggies—they’re already the perfect size and cut for most recipes.
Make your own frozen meals The next time you whip up a tasty meal, consider doubling the recipe. Leftovers can be portioned out into individual containers and placed in the freezer for quick weeknight dinners and easy brown-bag lunches.
Use the microwave Nuking a potato takes less than half the time of baking it in the oven—just poke a few holes in it with a fork and cook it on high for about 10 minutes. You can steam veggies and other dishes in mere minutes in the microwave, too.
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