Time saving tips for meal preparation.

Hi everyone, sorry it's been so long since my last blog post. I tend to update my Facebook page more frequently but have been a bit time poor to write a new post here for a while! Homeschooling 4 boys, helping my hubby run his business, studying and trying to keep fit and active means I'm left with little spare time some weeks.


Anyway, I'm busy in my kitchen whilst I type this and I had a great idea for some this blog, providing some time saving tips to help with meal preparation in your kitchen at home. If you're time poor, wanting to provide your family with the healthiest meals possible and wanting to ensure you've got less wastage in your kitchen then these handy hints may help you out.

1. Plan ahead: I'm not the kind of Mum that plans out meals days or weeks in advance but I do find it helps if I have a meal in mind at the start of the day. Most mornings I do a morning run that takes me past my local shops. It's here that sometimes I gain inspiration for meals and buy the ingredients I'll need if I know I don't have them at home. Other days when I'm out and about (you could do this on your way home from work even) I make a quick stop at my local fish market to grab some seafood for dinner. I also find picking up a simple BBQ chicken can make a good base for many dishes, with an added benefit of cutting cooking time down and you can use the leftover chicken in sandwiches/omelette/fried rice for lunch the next day!
2. Soak your rice to cut cooking time: If you plan on doing a rice dish for dinner just weigh the rice and pop into a container with water covering the rice and leave to soak for the day. This cuts cooking time down, especially when using brown or wild rice (both are much better nutritionally).
3. Prepare extra vegies with dinner for next day's lunch: If you're roasting or steaming vegies for dinner (say for a Moroccan couscous, curry or stirfry) you can do a few extra vegies and keep them aside to add into a salad the following day. Tonight I'm making a vegetarian curry with roasted sweet potatoes, potatoes, parsnips and carrots. I'm saving some of these to combine with salad leaves, chopped herbs, fetta cheese and walnuts for tomorrow's salad! Beetroot are awesome when roasted with dinner and then added the next day to a salad with goat's cheese or fetta and walnuts too. Yum!
4. Never underestimate how quick a soup can be: If you're searching for a quick and easy meal for dinner don't forget that using up any vegies you've got at home or even stopping at your local greengrocer on your way home to pick up a pumpkin can help you to produce a very nutritious soup with minimal effort. See next tip for quick ways to add flavour.
5. Pre-chop flavour enhancers: Chop up your frequently used fresh herbs and spring onions (I separate the white ends from the green thin tops), pop them into a well sealed container and keep them on hand in the fridge. I use these things daily in my cooking to boost the flavour and it cuts prep time down considerably when they're chopped all ready to go.
6. Use leftover pasta: Whether you use traditional pasta, wholemeal or gluten-free (like I use) you can cook a little extra pasta easily with your dinner. Keep it aside and add to a simple salad and even add in a small tin of tuna and you've got a filling and delicious lunch for tomorrow. It changes the meal enough so you're not bored of classic old leftovers the next day! Same can be said for rice too ;)

There's just a few handy hints I use to cut down on quick takeaway meals, to keep our wastage down and therefore save money and to ensure my family are getting healthy meals throughout a busy week!


(Sorry for lack of photo, Blogger is giving me problems)