As much as I enjoy cooking, I will admit that it can take a lot of time. Between cutting, slicing, marinating…it can take up to an hour to actually start the cooking process which is definitely not in my schedule! To help save you some time, and stress, I am going to share a few of my easy time-saving kitchen tips!
Thanks so much, Sprouts Farmers Market, for sponsoring this post. As always, all thoughts and opinions are truly my own.
PLANNING & PREPARATION
Planning and prepping your meals ahead of time can save you a lot of heartache during those busy weeknights. I like to plan out my meals and grocery list the week before to make that I have everything that I need. Once my grocery list has been made, I head to Sprouts Farmers Market to stock up on all of my ingredients.
I love shopping at Sprouts because they have everything that I need at a very reasonable price. As you all know, my favorite department is the produce section so I usually spend a lot there filling my buggy with lots of goodies!
WASH FRUITS AND VEGGIES BEFORE PUTTING THEM AWAY
As soon as I get home, I like to give all of my fresh produce a good washing. Cleaning your fruit and vegetables PRIOR to storing them is a great way to speed up you daily kitchen chores. Simply half fill a sink with cold water and add in 1 cup of white or cider vinegar, 1 tbsp. baking soda, and a little lemon juice.
Place all your produce in the solution and let them sit for 5 minutes. Scrub the skins of root veggies with a brush to prevent you from having to peel them later. Rinse your produce and let them air dry before storing.
PRE-CUT YOUR FRUITS & VEGGIES
Once all of my produce is dry, I like to chop up any of the fruit and veggies that I am going to use for the following week. I like to place them in bags for easy access. I also make sure that I put a few of the sliced fruit and veggies in a couple of snack bags for the kids.
PORTION OUT MEAT
Meat can be expensive, so when you find a good deal, it’s smart to stock up. When you come across a bargain, split your stash up and save portions to use for one meal at a time. You can even pre-season your meat before placing each meal-size portion in a freezer bag to save even more time when you’re ready to cook it. Be sure to label and date your items before placing it in the freezer.
PORTION OUT SNACKS
My kids are big fans of snack time! If allowed, they can literally eat a whole box of crackers in one sitting! To help control portions and prevent me from having to prepare a single snack every time they ask, I like to prepare and portion out snacks before putting the groceries away. This includes portioning out snack crackers, nuts, and fruit and keeping them in a safe place for easy grabbing. prepare and portion out snacks.
Thanks so much for following along this month. I hoped that you enjoyed my organic shopping tips & tricks! For more great content, make sure you are following @sprouts and @beautifuleatsandthings on Instagram.
