Cooking on weeknights can be a real challenge when you're balancing a full workweek. But it doesn't have to eat up your evenings or zap your energy. With a few clever tips and tricks, you can whip up tasty, nutritious meals in no time. These ten tips will help you navigate your kitchen more efficiently, even on those busy nights.
AUTHOR: Maya Capasso
Table of Contents
- 1. Make Enough for Leftovers
- 2. Find Simple Recipes
- 3. Set a Daily Cooking Time
- 4. Prep Ahead of Time
- 5. Collect Staple Recipes
- 6. Buy Groceries in Bulk
- 7. Shift Your Mindset
- 8. Make It a Habit
- 9. Make It Fun
- 10. Cook in Bulk on Weekends
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- 12 Poor People Meals We Will Eat No Matter How Rich We Get
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- 20 Easy Dinners That Come Together In Just 20 Minutes
1. Make Enough for Leftovers
Cooking two or three nights per week feels much more manageable than doing it every night. If you make meals like soups, stews, chilis, or roasts, you can keep the leftovers in the fridge and eat those the following night or for tomorrow’s lunch. That way, you can get a few days off from cooking every week.
2. Find Simple Recipes
There’s no shame in eating something simple a couple of nights a week. A box of mac and cheese and a salad is delicious in a pinch. One user on the forum shares that they rely on instant noodles and toaster oven fries to get by on particularly draining days. Another quick, easy, and nutritious meal option is anything from the Trader Joe’s frozen foods section.
3. Set a Daily Cooking Time
If you work a 9-5, you usually get home around the same time every day. Some people find it easier to get motivated to cook when they set themselves a strict after-work routine. For one respondent, that looks like working until 5 p.m., going to the gym until 6:30 p.m., and then heading home to cook at 7 p.m. so the family eats by 8.
4. Prep Ahead of Time
Most of the tiring, tedious parts of the cooking process happen during prep. Instead of chopping ingredients every night, plan your meals over the weekend and do the prep on Sunday night or whenever you have more free time. During the week, all you have to do is take the chopped veggies out of the fridge or freezer and add them to the pots to cook, which saves tons of time.
5. Collect Staple Recipes
One commenter says they rely on ten to fifteen staple recipes their family always loves. These recipes take less than an hour to prepare, and over time, you’ll learn ways to shave off extra time during the cooking process. This is a fantastic way to find reliable, healthy meals that are simple and delicious.
6. Buy Groceries in Bulk
Grocery shopping takes up a ton of time, especially if you go multiple times during the week. Plan your meals so you only have one weekend stop at the grocery store for everything you’ll need all week. That way, you won’t have to stop at the store on your way home and have more time to spend in the kitchen.
7. Shift Your Mindset
Many people see cooking as a chore, but those who love cooking find it much more bearable to do every day. If you learn to appreciate the cooking process, you may look forward to cooking daily. One user finds it “relaxing” and says it “creates separation from my workday.”
8. Make It a Habit
When something becomes a part of your routine, it doesn’t feel quite as taxing. One commenter urges new cooks to take it slow and try cooking one or two meals weekly and building up to every day. Working and cooking five nights a week is bound to feel overwhelming, but taking it slow will make whipping up substantial meals easier over time.
9. Make It Fun
Cooking doesn’t have to be a chore you slog through. It can become an enjoyable, relaxing part of your day. One way to make cooking more pleasant is to turn on music, a podcast, or a TV series to play in the background. This can make cooking feel more like a leisurely activity than a chore.
10. Cook in Bulk on Weekends
If you’re too busy to cook during the week, do it on the weekends instead. You can freeze the leftovers and heat them throughout the week for each meal. Dedicate a Saturday, Sunday, or day off as your cooking day, and make three or four dishes to alternate between for each meal during the work week. The food will be just as delicious the next day!
Source:Reddit.
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