There are many advantages to cooking at home. Preparing your own meals means that not only can you eat exactly what you want the way you want it, but you can also control the ingredients that go into your foods, making a diet that’s naturally healthier.

Furthermore, eating at home is far less expensive. Home-cooked meals cost an average of one-third of the price of dining out. However, many people with their busy lifestyles today, feel that they simply have no time to prepare meals. Here are some cooking tips for the busy woman that can help you get organized to enjoy the benefits of home cooking, without stealing too much time away from the other important aspects of your life.

1.   Plan Meals Ahead of Time

One of the best time-saving tips for busy cooks is to plan the week’s meals ahead of time. That way, you can minimize trips to the grocery store and ensure that you have the ingredients you need when it’s time to cook. If you know that you’re going to be particularly busy on a certain day, you can organize your week so that you’ll have leftovers from a big meal the day before, or plan to make something easy that day.

2.   Keep a Good Supply of Basic Staples on Hand

Planning and shopping ahead is a great tactic for the busy cook. However, sometimes the best-laid plans fall through: you don’t feel like eating what you planned, you forgot an ingredient at the store, etc. Luckily, many kitchen staples, like canned beans, potatoes, carrots, tomato sauce, diced garlic, and rice have a long shelf life. Keep these easy supplies on hand, so that you can whip up a quick meal on short notice if necessary.

3.   Cook Ahead When You Can

If you have some extra time on weekends, or plans fall through and you have an unexpected evening at home, use that time well to make some preparations for your weekly cooking. You can chop onions and other vegetables and store them in plastic bags, pre-cook meats and freeze them for later, or boil rice and refrigerate it for later use. Check the recipes you have planned for the week for portions that you can cook ahead of time.

4.   Make Extras and Freeze Them

Many times, it’s not much more time-consuming to make a large meal than a small one. In those cases, you can often freeze the extra portion and use them for a later meal. For example, a large batch of lasagna will freeze nicely and will make a great, quick meal when it’s thawed. You can also freeze unfrosted cakes, breads, and many main courses.

5.   Stay Organized

Busy cooks don’t have the time to spare searching through their kitchen for ingredients or utensils. By keeping your kitchen well-organized, you can find what you need at a moment’s notice, and concentrate all of your precious time on preparing healthy meals. Good organization will also help you notice when staples are running low or when you need to replace appliances or other cooking aides.

By following these five simple tips, you can enjoy the benefits of healthy eating at home, while still having time for work and play.

Article provided courtesy of Only Cookware - a resource for cookware sets, stainless cookware and enamel cast iron cookware.