How to Plan Your Week with Minimal Kitchen Time
Today we are busting the myth that eating healthy takes HOURS in the kitchen.
It absolutely takes planning, but with the right planning your kitchen time can be minimized all while achieving your goals. While yes, it requires you to eat more at home than you would out there are so many ways to SAVE time in the kitchen which is exactly what we are doing to talk about today. So let's break down the top ways to time in the kitchen and stay aligned with your goals….
# 1- Using Bulk Proteins
The easiest and best way to save time in the kitchen, but stay aligned with your goals is to utilize bulk proteins in your weekly plan that you can use multiple times and in many different ways (because life is too short to eat boring food!). It includes an easy, quick cook ONE time and then just grabbing the ingredients you need to use for different meals using that cooked protein throughout the week. Let's talk through an example….
My favorite bulk chicken recipe is one from Lillie eats and Tells as it takes 5 minutes to throw the ingredients together for the marinade and it is just enough flavor to spice up your meals, but not too much that you can’t use it in a multitude of ways with different types of cuisine.
Here is the recipe!
Once I pick my bulk chicken I will then brainstorm exactly how I could use it for different meals throughout the week. Here was one of my recent plans:
Meal 1: Greek Chicken Bowl
This bowl included 4 oz of my bulk chicken, arugula, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, feta cheese, brown rice, pine nuts, and a dressing that consisted of olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinaigrette and minced garlic.
This meal was the perfect combo of protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs. When it came time for this meal, it took me just a few minutes to heat up my already cooked bulk chicken, cut up some grape tomatoes, a few mini cucumbers and red onion, heat up a quick rice packet, and mix my dressing ingredients together. Packed full of nutrients and flavor and ready in 10 minutes flat!
Meal 2: Cobb Salad
Homemade salads are WAY better than restaurant salads because you can literally pile them HIGH with all your favorite toppings and manipulate them to fit your goals. I keep all these things in my fridge and will just quickly chop up 1 serving of whatever toppings I am feeling, throw my chicken in the microwave to warm up, and toss in my favorite dressing
In my cobb salad I love to chop up and include:
4 oz of my already cooked bulk chicken, red bell pepper, cucumbers, tomatoes, 1 hard boiled egg, pickled red onions, avocado, lately I have been loving some previously roasted sweet potatoes, and sometimes a few croutons to add a crunch. My favorite dressing for this is honey mustard.
If you aren’t feeling a Cobb salad, another go-to with that bulk chicken is my BBQ chicken recipe which includes 4 oz of my already cooked bulk chicken, tomatoes, red onions, avocado, corn, black beans, tossed with your cheese of choice and bbq sauce.
Meal 3: Pasta Night
A family favorite! Cook up some chickpea pasta (our favorite one is Banza penne), heat up your already cooked bulk chicken, and toss with your favorite marinara sauce (ours is Raos). Lately, I have also loved sauteing some onions and mushrooms to mix in for some extra veggies and goodness.
Meals 4 and 5: Other meal options could include just eating the bulk chicken as is with your favorite veggies, and or one of my favorites is family pizza night and using it on a Chickpea pizza crust to satisfy those pizza cravings.
So many options with a ONE TIME cook. This is guaranteed to save you time, but it takes intentional planning.
# 2- Always Have an EASY Plan B
Another way to save time in the kitchen, but stay aligned with your goals is to always have a plan b easy protein option in the freezer for when your plan gets derailed (because let's get real it happens!).
It is WAY too easy when life gets busy to say “I don’t have time to cook the dinner we had planned” and to convince yourself that the local drive through is safer bet, but what if you were always stocked with backup options in the freezer that take MINIMAL time to throw together? DEFINITELY less time than going through a drive through.
I always usually have some frozen shrimp, frozen fish, previously prepared turkey meatballs, and some lightly breaded chicken breast strips in my freezer at all times. These are all quick toss in the pan or air fryer solutions that are packed with protein. Just briefly cook it up and toss in your favorite marinade or sauce. I usually couple them with some frozen veggies that are heated up in the microwave in 5 minutes max.
When you have a 10 minute throw together back up option always available it's so much easier to stay on track and not let cooking time derail your commitment to the plan.
#3- Eat the Same Things Routinely
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel every single week. If you have a week that really works, keep it in rotation. As they say, if it isn’t broken, do not fix it.
For all of my meals, my goal is to make it as balanced as possible so that I finish the meal feeling nourished, satisfied, and with balanced blood sugar. To do this is to include a high protein source (at a minimum 4 oz), a complex carbohydrate source, and a healthy fat source. For more info on this check out my previous blog post on building well balanced meals at home (you can find it HERE!)
I am a sucker for finding ways to save time in the kitchen because having two littles I realize that time in the kitchen is time I could be spending with my family. If you are really interested in making the most of your time you could also look into buying pre cut veggies (or buy one of those amazing choppers off Amazon!), buying already made meals from a meal prep location (such as Clean Eatz or Fit Five), or hiring a coach to help you make a more efficient meal plan.
Do not avoid starting your health journey because you feel that the amount of time in the kitchen required is too much for the season of life you are in. With the right amount of planning and intentionality, you can do this in even the busiest seasons (trust me I have!). Take this plan above and use it this week. Report back with your cooking time and it will surprise you.
Happy cooking!