Three Tips for Easy Cooking

When you have a busy work schedule, cooking often gets put on the back burner. But the benefits to both your health and your wallet make it worthwhile to cook at home as often as you can. Here are a few tips to make it faster and simpler.

1.    Stock up your kitchen. One reason eating out seems easier is that, if we have nothing in our fridge or pantry, we have to take the time to stop at the grocery store. Making sure your shelves are filled with staple ingredients – like brown rice and frozen chicken breasts and veggies – means you can whip up a meal without the extra trip. Try to minimize specialized ingredients you’ll only use in one or two meals. Buy the foods you eat the most of in bulk, that way you’ll be sure to have them on hand and you’ll save money. Having plenty of basic, versatile ingredients means you can put together several meals before going shopping again.

2.    Store your food properly. It’s easy just to cover your leftovers with a piece of plastic wrap and call it a day. But storing them in glass containers means fewer meals to prepare. The same holds true for produce. Take your fruit out of the plastic bag you put it in at the store – unless you’re trying to ripen it quickly. If you buy bags of chopped lettuce, store it in a glass container with a lid once the bag is open.

3.    Plan ahead. There are a few things you can do over the weekend to make your life easier. Pop a couple chicken breasts in the oven and save them for the next day – all you’ll have to do is heat them up. Make a big pot of soup or a casserole – something you can make several servings of in one pot or pan. Prepare any meal you enjoy and freeze it. You can freeze more than you might think – even milk (though the flavor won’t be quite the same when you thaw it, so it will be better for cooking or baking than drinking). In addition, it can be helpful to invest in a slow cooker and have dinner waiting for you when you get home. You can even make oatmeal overnight in a slow cooker - a great way to enjoy a filling, healthy breakfast on the go. Finding the time to cook can be a challenge – but following these tips will make it more manageable.