10 tips to reduce the time spent in the kitchen

Time requirements are high. 

Between work, appointments, getting the kids to school and home, and other activities, it's hard to find time for yourself or your family. 

The best way to reclaim time for a week is to be more productive. I have found that mealtimes are a great time saver. Of course, it is possible to eat at the restaurant, but it is expensive and not always the healthiest solution. 

Instead, here are some ways to prepare hot , healthy meals at home while still having time to enjoy your family or your free time. Productivity adds up , the same meal can take 30 minutes with a plan or 1.5 to 2 hours without . Over a 7-day period, if you don't have a plan for lunches and dinners, that's another 2-9pm wasted!

Here are 10 ideas I found to improve productivity around meals:

Take a meal rolodex: In our house, we have 10-15 rotating meal recipes that are food staples. I love them, the kids love them, and they're easy to make mid-week. I went so far as to list all the ingredients in a spreadsheet so I could quickly create a shopping list ( that even lets you pre-fill the shopping list! #excelgeek ) .

Meal plan: 

Before shopping, sit down and make a list of meals for the week. Be as specific as possible. You might have 3 or 4 breakfast options that work each week, but it doesn't hurt to know exactly what you're cooking and when . If you're like me, it's hard to think in the morning!

Prepare your meals on the weekend:

I know, the weekend is your time off , but a little time on the weekend saves some midweek hours. We will cut vegetables, do simple cooking (boil eggs, sauté onions) and measure the ingredients so that the middle of the week is all about assembly and cooking . If you want the preparation process to seem faster, launch a podcast, a few songs, or stream a show while you cut, slice, and mix. The other big advantage is that you will have less to do the dishes during the week.

Get ready without children:

This may not be the most popular comment, but nothing slows you down more than the presence of children. Wait until the kids are in bed or busy before you start preparing your meals for the coming week.

Enjoy the preparation: 

Prepare 2 or 3 recipes with the same ingredients . Fajitas, stir-fries, salads, and pasta can all be made with julienned peppers and onions, and the same ingredients can be used to accompany grilled steak or chicken.
Do more than you need and heat up : if you liked it the first time at dinner, why not eat it again later in the week? Thanks to the Heated Lunch Boxes , you can easily heat up your meal in the morning and keep it warm for the day. If you don't like leftovers, it may be how you reheat the meal. Microwaves can make food feel rubbery and reduce the flavor of the original meal. To retain flavors and textures, reheat the meal as it was cooked (heating pasta in a pan, roasting a chicken in the oven, etc.)

To heat up your meals for the weekend and save even more time, don't hesitate to discover our collection of Heated Lunch Boxes.

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Transform the leftovers:

I understood. There are people who don't like leftovers, no matter how they're reheated. Don't worry, we have a solution: use your leftovers to create another meal . We tend to do a roast on Sunday, which can then become the protein for sandwiches, salads or pastas during the week. Once your leftovers have been processed, don't hesitate to put them in wooden Lunch Boxes, in addition to making them more appetizing and very practical, it will save you time.

if the link does not work, click here to access the collection.

Limit the dishes:

Wash washing up also takes time. Mid-week we tend to do more "one-pot wonders" (pans, stir-fries , pasta, soups) and saving more complex meals for the weekend. You can also take advantage of downtime during cooking to clean up. Waiting for the onions to turn translucent? Take this time to clean your prep dishes. Your future self will thank you!

Get the kids involved: 

We 've all had kids so we can put our feet up while they bring us a beer and we watch the game or stream a show: ? ??? Maybe not, but why not involve them where they can. Our little ones are young, but they already like to help. 

Additional benefit: we have found that our children tend to want to try more of the foods they prepare, which increases the likelihood that they will have a healthy, balanced meal. I wouldn't say they make meals any faster yet, but we like to think it's an investment for the future!

Keep the kitchen clean:

I know I'm asking you to do more work with our last tip, but it helps. A tidy kitchen, or at least a tidy workspace, will make you more productive because you'll have quick access to all the tools you need to prepare a hot, tasty meal for your family.

You now know how to save time preparing your meals with the Lunch Box!

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