Being able to cook home meals is a great skill to have.
Home cooking is usually a healthier and less-expensive alternative to eating out. For people who prioritize sustainable living, cooking your own meals also allows room for you to control the process such as choosing ingredients that align with your values, reusing leftover scraps, having your own garden, and composting (among other things). Not to mention, cooking can be fun!
Yet, the process of cooking home meals can easily become a significant time commitment that leaves you wondering if eating out is really that bad. To help alleviate that temptation, here's a guide on how to get you back in the kitchen for a fraction of the time:
Prepare for the week ahead
For most people, Sunday is a day of rest. A "rest" day is the perfect time to plan meals and assemble ingredients in order to eliminate the first step of the process for the rest of the week.
Precut raw ingredients
Whether it be vegetables, fruits, meats, or anything else, frontloading the process of chopping everything up at once will reduce your time in the kitchen for the rest of the week.
Pro tip: This is a great time to put on your favorite music and relax (while still being productive!)
Cook enough for leftovers
When planning your meals for the week, consider meals that would be good as leftovers. You can save yourself the hassle of spending time in the kitchen every day if you cook a meal with a larger serving size to have as an easy reheat option later in the week. Need inspiration? Here's a list of meals that become great leftovers.
Minimize Dish Use
Washing the dishes can quickly become the most time-consuming part of cooking your own meals. That's why planning one-pan meals to cook all of your ingredients is an easy way to reduce time spent on clean-up. Here's a list of 25 one-pan meals to get you started.
Make cooking a hobby rather than a chore
When it comes to the kitchen, there are ways you can work smarter so you don't have to work harder. By using the tips in this post, you can make cooking a relaxing, fun, and accomplishing task once again.
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Keywords: Cooking, Time Management, Meal Preparation, Sustainability
Credits:
Created with images by jchizhe - "Various organic vegetables ingredients and empty iron cooking pot, wooden bowls, spoons on wooden background. Top view, copy space. Organic vegetables ingredients for vegan cooking. Clean eating food" • Artem - "The chef in black apron cuts vegetables. Concept of eco-friendly products for cooking" • Ljiljana - "woman hand holding yellow sponge and washing saucer with washed dishes."