You’ve heard it before and the words may have even come from your own lips: “I would eat healthy if only I had the time!” Indeed, time is valuable and limited for each of us, and it can seem especially scarce when juggling the many challenges of bariatric surgery in Frisco, Denton or Lubbock. Still, healthy eating will be essential after your operation—grabbing a meal from the fast food window is out of the question.
There are many ways to save yourself time in the kitchen and make it easier to cook healthy meals for your whole family. By making your culinary habits more efficient, you can save time to spend on other important tasks in your daily life—like becoming a better cook!
Ready to boost your meal-making efficiency? Start by:
- Organizing your kitchen. Sometimes, it isn’t the act of preparing items that slows us down, but fumbling to find the tools we need. Having utensils thrown into drawers willy-nilly can make every meal feel like a scavenger hunt. Instead, take some time to meticulously order your drawers. Store utensils nearest to where you’ll need them and keep similar items together. Clear clutter by putting items you use infrequently out of the way. The same logic can be applied to your ingredients—be sure that important foods are always easily accessible.
- Breaking out the appliances. There are other ways to cook than with your stove and oven. The microwave is a great tool for boiling and steaming just about anything. Rice cookers and crock pots are great for cooking big batches, which will give you healthy leftovers for more meals later on. Of course, the best thing about the crock pot is that it doesn’t need your constant attention—throw the ingredients for a soup or stew in your crock pot before work and you’ll be greeted with the delicious smell of a meal well-done when you get home.
- Planning ahead. When it comes to dinner, the first dilemma is simply figuring out what to cook. Help yourself out by planning the whole week’s meals ahead of time. This way, you can always have a suitable dish in mind instead of puzzling over recipes. You should also plan ahead with your ingredients—once you know what you’ll be cooking this week, head to the grocery store and buy everything you need to prepare those meals.
Time is valuable after bariatric surgery, but so is a healthy diet. Instead of stressing out in front of the stove, make cooking easier by improving your efficiency in the kitchen.
What else has helped you save time on cooking after bariatric surgery in Plano, Denton, Frisco or Lubbock? Please share your strategies in the comments below!
