Meals in Minutes: 7 Time-Saving Tips for the Kitchen

Megan Adams Brown is a self-proclaimed health nut with a fascination with the power of food and the effect it has on our bodies. As a holistic health coach, she works with people to help them find balance for themselves and achieve their own personal health goals. Find more tips from Megan at her blog, Megg Salad.

After a long day, just about the last thing we want to do is spend hours in the kitchen making dinner. Most of us have a good four to six hours of me/family/friend time in the evenings and that time should be spent doing what makes you happy. For some, that may include cooking, but I realize for most it does not. And that's OK.

You don't have to love to cook or be an expert in the kitchen to have great-tasting homemade meals during the week. With just a little planning and prep work at the beginning of the week, you can set yourself up to be one heck of a home chef, capable of turning a few ingredients into a masterpiece of a delicious and nutritious dinner.

 Here are a few ways to save time in the kitchen and get you back to whatever YOU want to do:

• Plan your week - What nights do you have plans and what nights will you be at home? Determine how many meals you'll be eating at home and decide what you'll have those evenings before going to the store. Search online for recipes, but remember to keep it simple (read: not Martha). Look for recipes with fewer than seven ingredients and 30 minutes or less on the prep time. Of course things will come up and plans will change, so if you're worried about spoilage, opt for ingredients that will last. Usually the sturdier the produce, the longer its shelf life -- think broccoli over spinach.

• Shop then chop - Instead of tossing your veggies in the crisper, chop them up and put them in containers in the fridge. This ensures that 1) you will eat them, and 2) you'll have less prep work to do before dinner. Often the most labor-intensive part of making dinner is the prep work. If you can get that out of the way (say while watching Sunday Real Housewives marathon?) you can save that time during the week.

• Opt for frozen – There’s nothing wrong with frozen fruits and vegetables. They’re the next best thing to fresh and in some cases can even pack more nutrients because they’re frozen at their peak. Keep your favorite frozen veggies in the freezer so you’ll have them on hand for a quick side dish or stir fry.

• Stock-the-fridge Sunday - If you know you're going to have whole grains or beans during week, make them ahead of time and store them in the fridge. You can make quinoa salads, chicken, roasted veggies, healthy dips and spreads. Bring them to work for lunch (think of the shoes you could buy with the money saved!), or just have them ready and waiting for you for dinner.

• Buy the whole bird - Whether it’s from the precooked section or you’re going to cook it yourself, buy the whole bird instead of just the breast. You're guaranteed to get more than one meal out of it and plus it's crazy how much cheaper it is when you're buying a whole raw chicken versus the pieces.

• Cook once, eat twice – Maximize the return on your time investment. Always plan to have at least something leftover. It doesn't have to be the complete meal in its entirety. Who wants to eat the same thing every night? Boring. But if you're roasting vegetables to go with your roasted chicken, make sure you'll have some extras. Then throw them in your salad the next day.

• Build your spice/condiment cabinet - Start cultivating a varied collection of spices and condiments. Spices can be expensive to stock up on all at once, so start by just picking up one or two the next time you're grocery shopping. When you have leftovers, change up the flavors by adding a different seasoning.

Try out one or more of these techniques with this recipe for a simple stir fry.