These time-saving meal preparation tips will help you give your family healthy meals while saving on precious time. You will also learn some tools you can use to improve your efficiency in the kitchen.
(As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a commission from purchases you make from some of my links, at no extra cost to you! See full disclosure)
Time Saving Meal Preparation Tips
Time-saving meal preparation involves planning ahead, looking at the big picture, making wise investments and involving the help of your family.
One Time Saving Meal Preparation Tip is to Prepare Salads in Advance
Preparing raw vegetable salads in advance is an easy yet powerful way to cut time in the kitchen.
Refrigerate them in appropriate storage containers so they’ll stay nice and crisp for a few days.
I say “raw” because a steamed vegetable salad will not look or taste very palatable after a while.
To avoid monotony, provide a variety of salad dressings for each meal. Mayonnaise, vinegar-based, ranch, even a ketchup and mayonnaise combo (a favourite my children love to make themselves) can be easily added at the dinner table. These options will increase the sense of variety for the same salad.
Perhaps Sundays could be your salad-prep day along with one extra day in the middle of the week to re-stock.
If you don’t yet have sturdy, spacious storage, here are some plastic-free storage containers to consider: 
I like these because they all come as glass containers with bamboo lids so no plastics to worry about.
Time Saving Meal Preparation Tip No.2 – Make Juices in Bulk
Blending (or using a juice extractor) to make a fair amount of juice is a time-saving step.
I remember when I used to blend fresh juices every day. Vegetables and in-season fruits were the order of the day. I know – it was the dream!
However, that only worked well when I had two children, and also when I didn’t have another job.
Now I would probably be better off doing that same procedure every couple days then storing all that juice to last a couple days.
If you’re going to make juices in bulk, definitely use the end of the day to prepare ahead, instead of trying to incorporate it into your current day.
It’s also a good idea to supplement your juice supply with other liquids like coconut water and of course, water. It helps extend the time your supply will last.
(I add a few drops of lime juice to my jug of water for a more palatable and interesting taste, and also for its health benefits).
Some might opt for freezing the juices, but I just keep them very cold in liquid form.
Bake a Whole Meal
Baking makes meal preparation so easy.
So, if your family likes baked meats, make the most of it and bake the whole meal in one go.
Think of something like baked chicken in the same oven with baked macaroni and cheese pie, being baked right along with some corn bread.
Then all you do is set your timer, sit and relax (or fold some clothes or teach a homeschool lesson – whichever floats your boat!)
Either way, it’s a win-win-win!
All this would be made even better if a sizeable portion of leftovers remained for the next day.
So, go ahead mom, and bake all the things!
Cook on a Multi-level Steamer to Save Time
If you haven’t heard of multi-level steamers, they are pots with the usual base but with several options to go higher for steaming.
Imagine having a pot of meat boiling away at the bottom, with rice or veggies at the top!
Not only is this a time saver, but it is also a good option if you are trying to lower your fat intake. And then maybe you just don’t have any oil to cook with. (Things happen!)
Steamers can be used to cook rice, seafood, vegetables, cakes, fruits and even meats as well.
Cook One-Pot Meals
One of the challenges of meal preparation is just how many components a meal can have.
Enter the one-pot meal.
Things like soups, a host of pasta dishes, stews, fried rice, and many more are a tasty option when you want to save on time.
I love the flavours that all roll together in one-pot meals. They are a favourite of mine.
If your family loves them too, definitely include this in your weekly meal plan.
In Jamaica, soup day is traditionally on Saturdays. If this sounds too predictable, the good thing is that there are too many varieties of soups to get your family bored.
Pre-cut Large Meat Portions
Whether you buy or raise your own meat, cutting it just before each meal will get old fast.
So, when you have your processing day or on the day you collect from your butcher, get into the habit of piecing out your meats before time.
This will come in very handy if you meal-plan since you will already know what cuts you will be needing.
For example, if you plan for soup, you are going to portion the bones and bony parts.
However, if I plan for fried chicken, I separate legs and thighs.
On the other hand, if you’re planning to go for Jamaican jerked chicken, it’s normally leg/thigh or breast/wing quarters that are left intact.
Pre-season Meats Once a Week
Once again, it’s the little things that can make a huge difference in saving you time.
There is something so freeing and that brings so much relief when I can grab a package of meat, thaw if needed, and put it in a pot.
That is the power of pre-seasoning your meats.
You might be wondering what would happen if you changed your meal plan. Fortunately, pre-seasoning doesn’t have to go all the way down to the last detail.
You can apply a basic all-purpose seasoning or marinate in a blend of escallion, garlic and onions.
With a basic pre-seasoning like that you can take your meal in almost any direction.
Involve Your Children
As your children get older, they will be able to participate more in mealtime, especially in preparing their own simple meals. This is a huge way to save time in meal preparation.
For example, my children are now regularly preparing eggs, plantains, sandwiches, pasta, tortillas and fish.
They (along with a cousin) once caught, processed and “grilled’ their own chicken. It was edible and they felt so good about their accomplishment!
The more your children can handle is the less you will have to be responsible for every single detail of the meal preparation process.
Invest in the Right Tools
A knife is a good thing but when you are peeling a mound of potatoes or slicing a mile of pasta sheets, a knife loses its appeal.
(Kudos to you if you’re a master knife-handler!)
But if your hands get sore from cutting all day, maybe it’s time to make wise investments that will help you be more efficient in your meal preps.
Even if the tools you opt for are hand-powered they can still improve your efficiency.
Things like mandolin slicers, noodle cutters, frying baskets, potato peelers, French fry cutters, and even a pressure cooker, can cut your meal preparation time. They can also spare your hands from extra aches and pains.
Time Saving Meal Preparation Tips are Here to Help
These tips are a great way to get more time and rest out of a schedule that is already so full.
What tip would you add to this list?
Let me know in the comments!
