1. Order a meal
Instead of cooking we can of course order a meal from numerous sources. For example – home delivery from local restaurants, weight loss meal providers, and gourmet meal providers.
When you order home delivery, you are not just saving on meal preparation time; you are saving time on grocery buying, and saving time on cleaning up. (These extra savings should be factored into any price concerns).
When you order home delivery, you are not just saving on meal preparation time; you are saving time on grocery buying, and saving time on cleaning up. (These extra savings should be factored into any price concerns).
2. Bulk cooking and using leftovers
Cooking in larger quantities reduces the average preparation time per meal. This strategy involves cooking enough to supply two or more mealtimes.
3. Set up an organized and well-stocked kitchen
Some items to consider:
- Is your kitchen organized in such a way that you can easily find things and start cooking? Perhaps you need to rethink the way your kitchen is organized. A good test might be if someone else can find things in your kitchen.
- Are the most used items in the most accessible locations? Are items logically grouped? (e.g. –the bowls are all together)
- Is your fridge and pantry stocked with all the ingredients you need to cook? How often do you need to do random shopping trips for missing ingredients?
4. Share the preparation work
“Many hands make light work” (old proverb).
Obviously there is a lot more to meal preparation than cooking. So if you want to save time consider getting others involved in (say) the shopping, chopping, preparation, table setting, and of course the cleaning up afterwards. Train your kids when they are young.
Obviously there is a lot more to meal preparation than cooking. So if you want to save time consider getting others involved in (say) the shopping, chopping, preparation, table setting, and of course the cleaning up afterwards. Train your kids when they are young.
5. Weekly meals with extended family or friends
A number of households I know (including ours) have a weekly meal with the extended family. In addition to the weekly catch up, there is the benefit of a reduction in (or sharing of) the meal preparation time.
6. Advanced meal planning
If you plan most of your meals in advance (say weekly or fortnightly) then you can save a lot of time. Planning in advance may involve some or all of the following - Deciding in advance what to cook; preparing an appropriate shopping list and doing the required shopping in one trip; package and label the groceries to facilitate the meal planning; and pre-cook or pre-prepare some items. Some websites also offer on-line meal plans to aid the process. Read more about advanced meal planning.
7. Buy Time-saving kitchen tools to get the job done quicker
Do you have the necessary equipment in your kitchen to get the job done quickly? For example – can-openers, food processors, dishwasher safe items (if you use a dishwasher). Read our top time-saving tools in the kitchen.
8. Buy pre-prepared food items
Buying pre-prepared food items will save you time in getting a meal ready. For example - marinated meats, pre-shredded cheese or carrot, cake mixtures, etc.
9. Build a repertoire of quick meals
Building a repertoire of quick and healthy meals will save a lot of time. Do you have some quick and healthy meals you can prepare in (say) 15 minutes? For example, 15 minute pasta dish. If not, consider spending some time to find a few dishes to enable minimal cooking time in the kitchen. Here's our list of 15 minute quick and health recipes.
10. Simplify what you eat
The last option is to simplify what you eat. Perhaps a cooked meal could be replaced by (say) some bread and fruit, or perhaps a soup. Eating light and simple meals can also give your digestive system a break.
Link: http://www.cravetime.com/save-time/household/save-time-cooking-meal-preparation
Link: http://www.cravetime.com/save-time/household/save-time-cooking-meal-preparation
TOP 9 time-saving tools in the kitchen:
1. Microwave
For heating up frozen vegetables, melting butter or defrosting meat, the microwave oven remains a staple for the time-savvy cook. Who would try and live today without a Microwave?
2. Sharp Knives
A collection of frequently sharpened knives will not only save time but they are also safer.
3. Immersion blender
When it comes to making soups and sauces, nothing saves time more than an immersion blender, also known as a hand or stick blender. This item allows you to turn solid foods into puree in just minutes and can be cleaned by briefly rinsing in the sink.
4. Mini food processor
If you’re pinched for time and have lots of vegetables to cut, a miniature food processor can do the job in just seconds with the press of a single button. Smaller units are especially great because most of the parts are dishwasher safe and take up only a small amount of room.
5. Digital cookbook or laptop
Thanks to the Internet, we now have thousands of recipes at our fingertips, and having a laptop or digital cookbook in the kitchen brings new recipes directly to you, without having to waste paper or worry about organizing cookbooks. Careful not to splatter, though!
6. Slow cooker
Your grandmother’s favorite method of cooking big family meals is regaining popularity in modern times as a great time saver for busy families. Slow cooker recipes require you to just chop and toss ingredients into the cooker and then let it do the hard work throughout the day, ready for you to enjoy when you get home.
7. Dishwasher
Saving time isn’t relegated simply to the process of cooking meals. A quality dishwasher can save you hours of dishwashing after dinner, when you most want to be relaxing.
8. Bread machine
Homemade bread not only tastes much better than store-bought bread, it’s also far healthier. As much as we’d all love to have homemade bread in the house every day, most of us do not have the time to make it. Bread machines offer a simple alternative by making homemade bread a fast and easy process.
9. Rice cooker
For perfectly cooked rice with minimal effort, a rice cooker is a great option. Set it and then carry on with preparing other parts of your meal. In twenty minutes your rice is ready.
Quick and healthy 15 minute meals:
Save Time Cooking by Planning Your Meals Ahead
2 February, 2011 - 14:24 — CraveTime-Team
No matter what you do, planning ahead will save you time. This is especially true when it comes to grocery shopping and cooking for your family. Planning ahead means that you don't have to waste time trying to think of what you will cook tonight. It also avoids the annoying situation where you decide to cook something but then realise that you're missing an important ingredient and have to make a last minute dash to the grocery store. I've done that before.
Planning your family meals a week or two ahead of time will also reduce waste - think of all those veggies that have gone moldy. It also helps when a meal needs additional preparation for example you need to take something out of the freezer or marinate some meat.
If you think that advance meal planning might work for you and your family, here are a few tips to get you started:
- Pull together a selection of trusted recipes – Whether they are from your personal collection, from a book or from the Internet, pull together all of the recipes that you are sure your family will eat and enjoy. Including fast and easy recipes such as spaghetti with frozen meatballs, tacos, pasta bakes or pan-fried fish with frozen vegetables into your regular meal rotation will aid in timesavings.
- Organize a pattern to your meal plans – You don’t have to eat the same food every Sunday or Monday, but if you set a basic pattern to your meal schedule, you’ll find it even easier to stick with the plan. For instance, if you cook a roast on Sunday, Monday’s meal will include the roast leftovers in fajitas. Fridays may always be pizza, but you can switch the ingredients every week. Thursday may be ground beef night or vegetarian night. Set the pattern in way that works for you
If doing all of this on your own seems overwhelming, there are some great online sites that can assist in creating meal schedules for you, including detailed shopping lists and with the ability to alter ingredients to include more of your family’s favorite foods. Try MealsMatter.org
With a little preplanning, you and your family will have extra time to enjoy together.
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