We’ve all heard that the key to good health is nutrition; but in today’s fast paced world, it can seem so much easier to just grab food on the go. The truth is, cooking at home is not only better for your health, it’s better for your wallet, too. Even if you’re intimidated by the kitchen, there are several food preparation strategies you can adopt to make your life easier, and your time in the kitchen a little happier.

Start With a List

It sounds simple, but list-making is truly the key to an organize kitchen and positive grocery shopping experience. When you head to the grocery store blindly, you may up end up overwhelmed and confused, spending a lot more time wandering the aisles than you should be. Moreover, when you don’t shop with a list to guide you, you may end up making impulse purchases that are unnecessary and unhealthy. Or even worse, you may spend extra money on things you may have forgotten you already have in your kitchen.

Each week, take a quick inventory of your kitchen, taking note of everything you need for the next week, including fruits, vegetables, eggs and lean meats. It’s also important to acknowledge any foods you find are spoiling on a regular basis, so that you don’t keep making those buys. For instance, if you notice you’re buying five bananas every week and two or three of them always spoil, buy only one or two bananas the next week. Or, if you notice you only go through about half a gallon of milk a week as opposed to the full gallon you always buy, it may be a good idea to buy less milk on your next grocery store trip.

Need some tips on how to create a healthy grocery list? Check out this article on WebMD.com.

Slicing & Dicing

Ask any chef or home cook, and most would agree that slicing and dicing ingredients is typically the most time-consuming part of making a meal. By chopping up commonly used ingredients like onions, garlic and veggies ahead of time, you can simply toss them in with chicken, fish, beef, or even pasta or rice, for a super quick meal with minimal clean up.

Slicing up fruits and vegetables like carrots, celery, tomatoes, strawberries and apples, and separating them into different containers, also gives everyone in your home easy access to salad toppings and healthy snacks to go with hummus or peanut butter.

Check out this video to learn how to cut your vegetables like a pro.

Get Your Grain On

Whether it’s brown rice, quinoa, couscous or whole wheat pasta, cooking up a big batch of grains can be a huge time saver when it comes to preparing meals for the rest of the week. These grains can make a quick and easy side dish to grilled chicken or fish, or as a main dish with some vegetables.

You can use these grains as a healthy base for other creative recipes like brown rice and vegetable stir fry; couscous cakes and quinoa breakfast cereal.

Get Saucy

While you’re preparing your big batch of noodles or rice for the week, why not prepare a big batch (or two) of sauce to go with it?

According to Detoxinista.com, “Freezing sauces, like Vegan Pesto or Sweet Potato Curry Sauce, in an ice cube tray leaves you with easily portioned cubes that are easy to store, and that will melt quickly in a hot pan. Simply grab 4-5 cubes, and toss them into a pan with the rest of your meal–> they’ll melt in minutes! Combine with chopped frozen veggies and your choice of frozen rice or noodles, for a quick and easy meal.”

Bring on the Leftovers

Even for those of us who love to cook, making dinner every night of the week is difficult, especially when work, exercise and family also require our attention. That’s why on the days that you do cook, one of the most helpful things to do is cook enough that you’ll have leftovers. For instance, if you’re making a pasta dinner for a family of four, double the recipe and everyone will have lunch or dinner for the next day.

Dishes like TheKitchn.com’s Chicken & Cauliflower Casserole or AllRecipes.com’s Easy Meatloaf, make great leftovers, while soups are a great meal you can even freeze for several weeks.

Gadgets Lend a Helping Hand

To make sure your time in the kitchen is quick and efficient, invest in the right tools. Start off with a great set of knives, which will make chopping fruits and vegetables a breeze. For preparing sauces and marinades, get yourself a good food processor. These handy little gadgets are also a great way to mince garlic and onions without having to deal with teary eyes and garlicky fingers.

Meanwhile, blenders are a favorite among smoothie lovers, while slow cookers can end up being your best friend on busy evenings. From slow cooker enchiladas, to slow cooker beef stew, this kitchen essential can help you make delicious and flavorful meals with minimal effort. You can even use your slow cooker to make breakfast like overnight oats while you sleep. In the morning, you’ll have a few extra minutes to relax and enjoy a hot and healthy meal that will keep you energized all day.

Just One Day

We’ve established that, especially for the cooking challenged, minimal time spent in the kitchen can definitely help make our lives easier. Along with all the useful tips you’ve learned throughout this post, consider dedicating one day a week to all your kitchen duties. This will free up the rest of your week to dedicate to other important things.

Janine, from the blog FitStrongSexy, says, “I’ve been doing this [prepping meals] for a little while now and have found that ever since, I’ve been getting leaner A LOT faster than before, and I’ve found it way easier to resist temptations. Basically, what I do is plan out around 3 meals to rotate throughout the week, and cook them all on one day!”

So whether you’re devoted to your slow cooker, a lover or leftovers or stock up your freezer with meals you prep all in one day, we can all agree kitchen time savers are a must to live a happier and healthier life. Who knows, maybe you’ll even find yourself with more time to relax.

What are your favorite time saving food prep strategies?