#inform-video-player-1 .inform-embed { margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 20px; }

#inform-video-player-2 .inform-embed { margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 20px; }

Meal preparation takes time, and it can be overwhelming, especially on busy days. Here are some time-saving tips that can help reduce your kitchen stress and allow you to have more time to do other things.

Prepare staple items such as chicken, ground beef, rice, beans, etc. once a week. It doesn’t take much longer to prepare extra. Brown rice takes 45 to 50 minutes to cook, which can be time consuming if you must do it several times a week. Preparing staples such as rice in bulk and add more time to your evenings to do something else.

Cook one, eat twice. Cook once and eat twice or more. Such as cooking a roast allows you to have two or three meals. You can have roast, make hot sandwiches, and make roast beef hash.

Pre-cut fruits and vegetables. This will give you easy add-ins to stir-fry recipes and side dishes. If you pre-chop produce once a week, it will make it easy to grab a handful and add it to your meals.

Freeze it. If you are going to make a meal, make a double recipe. You can eat one meal now and freeze the other one to eat later.

Keep your pantry stocked. Include food items you can add to recipes or supplements on the side to make a MyPlate (five food groups) meal. If your meal isn’t as well rounded as you’d like, having a stocked pantry can make it easy to add something to the side or extend the food in a meal. For example, add black beans to your taco meat. You will use less meat and fill up on beans, which are usually less expensive and a great lean protein source.

Improve your cooking skills. If you invest time learning to cook in different ways, you will readily know how to make a quick meal. You’ll also be able to cut down on preparation time as you improve your skills.

Use leftovers as “planned overs.” Leftovers are not always very enticing, but they can be more appealing if you have a purpose for the extra food. Leftover baked potatoes can become hashbrowns. Leftover chicken can be come a chicken sandwich. Left over taco filing can be used to top a salad. In general, leftovers should be kept in the refrigerator for no more than 3 to 4 days, or they should be frozen for later use.

Keep a list of “go-to-meals.” Keep the ingredients on hand to make mealtime a breeze, even on crazy days. Easy go-to meals might include chicken fajitas, spaghetti, and breakfast for dinner. Include your family’s favorites in the rotation.

Keep a clean and organized kitchen. Have you ever tried to find a recipe or cooking utensil and not find it? If you keep your kitchen and equipment organized, you can immediately start cooking rather than spending time searching for what you need.

Source: Utah State University Extension and createbetterhealth.org

#inform-video-player-3 .inform-embed { margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 20px; }