No Time To Cook? No Problem!

When you have a to-do list that is as long as your arm and you feel like you are going to crumble from all the pressure, even the smallest of household duties can sometimes tip you over the edge. Moms these days are expected to be able to do it all - hold down a full-time job, keep the house immaculate and ferry their kids from one after-school club to the other every single day! If that didn't sound exhausting, add on the fact that more often than not, moms also have to make sure their children are eating healthily too. It can be all too tempting just to cave and order takeout when the last thing you feel like doing is spending hours slaving away in the kitchen. Sometimes, this isn't even a bad thing - the occasional takeout never harmed anyone! But make a habit of it and you could not only jeopardize your own health, but you could instill unhealthy habits into your kids. Convenience food and fast food is even said to have addictive qualities, so the more you can stay away from it, the better for your whole family. But what do you do when you honestly don't think you have time to cook? The first thing to remember is that you don't need to be cooking a spectacular three-course meal every night for you, your partner and your children. Something simple will suffice, and simple doesn't mean you need to compromise on taste. Plus, there are plenty of ways you can save time in the kitchen - a tasty, healthy meal can even be out in 30 minutes or less providing you know what you are doing! Here are some time-saving tricks you just HAVE to use in your kitchen today.

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Master the basics

Do you consider yourself an experienced cook? If there are some areas you know you could work on, take the time to go back to square one and master the basics of cooking. Running before you can walk in cooking is a complete no-go, as your recipes will never live up to expectations. For example, learning basic knife skills might not sound like something you need to do if you're just cooking at home, but you would be amazed at the amount of time it could save you when preparing a meal. Don't be afraid to use a high heat either - learn about what foods cook at what temperatures and you will be able to make your cooking much more efficient.

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Prep in advance

Got a busy evening ahead of you but still want to put an enjoyable and nutritious meal on the table? Turning to food prep could be an absolute lifesaver for you. If you already know what you are going to cook that evening (planning is essential!) and you have a few minutes spare in the morning, get prepping for the evening ahead. Even if this just means chopping up a few vegetables and storing them in containers in the fridge, you have already saved yourself a job later in the day - and that tasty meal will be on the table sooner than you think!

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Invest in time-saving equipment

Even the best chef occasionally needs a little help from certain modern conveniences. Buy the right ones, and you could see the time you spend in the kitchen pretty much halved - at no expense to the quality of your meals. For example, an essential piece of kit for any self-respecting home chef is the food processor. Why grind away with a pestle and mortar when you could master the same effect in just a couple of minutes, with a food processor? Healthy But Smart lists the top 5 ones here, so you can find the one that best suits your needs and your price range.

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Swear by the one pot recipe

If there's one thing that can save you time and hassle when cooking, it's the one-pan recipe. Cooking a meal that requires some different ingredients that all cook at different rates can be pretty stressful - and the whole process can be pretty costly in terms of time. Learn some amazing one-pot recipes, such as this amazing one pot pasta. You don't need to compromise on flavor at all when cooking a one pot; it's just a lot more convenient for you! You only need to think about what's in the pan itself, and it saves you a LOT of washing up afterward!