Time saving tips for the kitchen
In this chat with Rachelle, we’re diving into:
Why having the right tools is so important
Why being prepared and having a plan is half the battle
How to get in the zone and stay focused
A tip to get more done in a set amount of time
Introduction
Hello, and welcome to episode two of the Beyond Nourished Podcast - the place to become a better, more efficient health-focused cook in just 10 minutes or less.
I'm your host, Rachelle Girardin. I'm a Certified Nutritional Practitioner (aka holistic nutritionist), a holistic private chef, and I've also been running my own business Beyond Nourished for over 10 years.
In this episode, we are going to be talking about ways to minimize your time in the kitchen. Now I like being in the kitchen, and I know that a lot of you like being in the kitchen, however, we all want to find ways to shave off a little bit of time so that we can spend more of our time doing other things that we love to do.
Tip #1 - Have the Right Tools
I've built an entire career around kitchen efficiency, and when it comes to minimizing your time in the kitchen, one of the best things that you can do is to make sure that you have the right tools. If you haven't had a chance to do this, you can click here to download my list of the 10 Must-Have Tools for Saving You Time in the Kitchen so you can become a more efficient cook.
The number one thing on that list is to make sure that you at least have a sharp knife. I can't tell you how many chefs or cooks I see that are working with a dull knife, and just how painful it is to watch! Not being able to work efficiently with a sharp blade is one of the biggest time sucks, so make sure that you invest in some type of knife that can hold an edge. (Heads up: Check out episode three which is all about choosing knives and mistakes to avoid when buying a knife!)
Tip #2 - Be Prepared
The next thing we have to do is to make sure that we're prepared. You don't want to get into the grocery store or into your kitchen without really knowing what you're doing. You also don't want to go to the grocery store and just buy a bunch of random ingredients and then get back to your house and start deciding what you’re going to make at that point! Take the time ahead of time to find three or four recipes that you are interested in making and make a plan. Make your grocery list (Tip: make sure that you double-check your grocery list when you get to the store and when you are about to leave the store!) and when you get home, set aside some time that you can cook a bunch of things at once. This minimizes the overall time you spend cooking weekly drastically.
Meal prep is one of the most fascinating approaches to cooking. This is how you get you out of the kitchen, instead of making every single meal just before you're about to eat it - every. single. day.
It is the opportunity for you to get home, open up the fridge and see a bunch of already made meals that are only going to take you 10 to 15 minutes to heat up, eat up and clean up!
Tip #3 - Stay Focused
Focus is everything. Not staying focused when you’re working in the kitchen is a huge time suck. This might mean that you need to ship your kids off for an hour or two. It might mean that you need to tackle it during nap time or kick your husband out of the house! It also might mean putting your phone away or putting your phone on silent so you can stay focused on the task at hand.
Get into flow - put some music on and make sure that you're just focusing on cooking while you are cooking.
Tip #4 - Set a Timer
The next tips is one of my favourite hacks for kitchen efficiency: set a timer on your phone! If you're one of those people that struggle with getting into flow, or if you're constantly distracted with things around you, try setting a timer on your phone (assuming the kids are out of the house at this point!).
Start with 20 minutes and use this time to concentrate and commit to uninterrupted work. I bet you’ll be surprised by how much you can actually get done in this short amount of time - especially if you’re organized and have a plan. Make a deal with yourself when you set your timer that you’re not going to look at your phone for any reason (yes, this includes not checking social media!).
Tip #5 - Get In The Zone
If you like to use your phone for following recipes while you’re cooking, well - I actually suggest that you stop using your phone for recipes. There are way too many distractions when we get on our phones. You're better off using your computer, printing or writing out or using a cookbook because - let’s be serious - every time you pick up your phone to look at ingredients, the likelihood of you finding something that's going to pull you away from the task at hand is extremely high.
Do yourself a favour and just find your flow, uninterrupted. You want to make sure that you're using the right tools and that you have a plan.
We're going to be diving into more detail around all of these tips in future episodes, but I hope that you've enjoyed episode two of the Beyond Nourished Podcast.
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