8 Prepping Hacks to Cut Your Time in the

Most people would agree that life is busy - with days filled from start to finish with various commitments. Long hours, family time, personal time, and mealtime compete for our attention, making it a challenge to create a work-life balance while juggling multiple responsibilities. While we may not be able to control some aspects of our daily routine, meal preparation is something we can in ways that directly benefit an important element of life—our time. Here are eight great ways to reduce your time in the kitchen.

Menu Planning. Prior to grocery day, outline a plan for the week. If you have kids, encourage them to provide input and suggestions. Planning ahead for and automatically results in the creation of more than half the grocery list. This also helps the budget as well by avoiding random purchases that eventually go to waste.

Produce Prep. Select one day a week that is devoted to produce preparation. Grocery day is ideal because the produce is fresh, and your focus is on meal prep. Since much of meal preparation is spent chopping or peeling veggies, do this work ahead of time and store in individual containers or plastic baggies. Label each container according to a “use by” or “processed on” date so you know which items to use first.

Pre- Grains. Once you have outlined your weekly menu, you will know which grains you will need to balance the you have selected. Instead of waiting, precook grains earlier in the week. Quinoa, brown rice, and whole-grain pasta are all easy to prepare in advance and store in the fridge for easy access. Quinoa and rice are also great cold and can be served as part of a .

Cook Once, Eat Twice. Leveraging leftovers is a simple way to reduce time in the kitchen. If you make tacos one night, transform the leftovers into taco the next night. Consider making extra servings of two weekly dinners and you will have for two extra nights.

Semi-homemade is O.K. A meal doesn’t have to be 100% “made from scratch” to be healthy. Markets have excellent healthy options to enhance a meal without creating extra work. Don’t have time to prepare a homemade tomato sauce? Look for premade sauces at the store that are made with simple ingredients and zero added sugar. Other semi-homemade products include frozen cauliflower pizza crust, frozen riced cauliflower and sweet potato mix, microwavable rice, or other grain options.

Containerize. Investing in reusable containers is key to meal-prep success. Purchase a variety of sizes to accommodate different meals and side dishes. Choose easily packed containers (such as an all-in-one option) that allows you to pack lunches and in one easy to use container. It’s also helpful to have freezable containers for and leftovers. Freeze . Just as you can leverage leftovers, you can make large pots of homemade chili, soups, and stews for freezing that allows you to stockpile meals for busier weeks.

One-pot Meals. Crock pots and other slow cookers offer opportunities to fix and leave a meal to cook for the day. If you prepare veggies ahead of time, you can add these to the slow cooker with your choice of lean protein and low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth and let it cook throughout the day. You will come home to a hot and ready meal with minimal cleanup and potentially some leftovers.

Mealtime stress, preparation, and hours in the kitchen can be reduced with these simple steps, which can result in more opportunities to connect with family and friends and add valuable minutes back into your week.