Home cooking tends to be a priority for parents, due to being healthier than takeaways, but fitting a couple of hours in the kitchen into your busy schedule may be out of the question. Here are some top tips to help save time in the kitchen so that you can focus on the things that mean the most to you.
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Use a pressure cooker
Investing in kitchen staples like pressure cookers will dramatically reduce the amount of time that you need to spend in the kitchen as you simply place all of your ingredients in and let them cook away! Pressure cookers are a healthy cooking method as they retain nutrients well so you can ensure that your kids get as much out of the meal as possible. There is a huge range of recipes that you can make in a pressure cooker including soups, curries, stews and pasta dishes so you are sure to find something that the whole family can enjoy which is ideal if you have fussy eaters!
Make meal plans to save time in the kitchen
Meal plans can be helpful if you find yourself becoming overwhelmed when you enter the kitchen and they can save you money. Sitting down once a week with your family, planning meals around ingredients you already have, and then heading to the shop can be a great way to organise your evening meals while also giving your kids some responsibility – making mealtimes much easier. Meal plans can reduce the amount of money that you spend on unnecessary groceries making them good for your sanity and your wallet! If the thought of planning a week in advance is overwhelming, there are many family-friendly menu plans online that you may wish to use.
Try batch cooking
Batch cooking involves cooking more food than you need for a meal and then storing it for another day. This is a great idea for busy parents who want to ensure that the little ones are getting all the nutrients from a home-cooked meal but struggle to find the time each evening to cook from scratch. The best batch recipes will be ones that can be stored in the freezer and then reheated; you will find plenty of these online. Some favourites include fish pie, Moussaka and Bolognese. They are a great way to save time in the kitchen.
Make the most of your leftovers to save time in the kitchen
If you often find yourself with leftovers don’t just throw them away. Leftover stock or red wine can be frozen in an ice cube tray and added to a variety of meals for a quick boost of flavour while cooking. For meals where you don’t have enough leftovers for another serving, freeze them and create a soup later or use leftovers, like chilli, the next day as a pizza or pasta topping.
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