Cooking & Entertaining > Cooking Tips

10 Ways to Cooking Convenient Meals

If you are as busy as most people you are always looking for ways to feed your family in convenient, fast, yet not-too-expensive ways. Try the following suggestions:

1. Cooking several meals for the week at one time. It may take a few hours of your time up front but will pay off in the long run when you come home each evening and have a meal ready to eat in a short amount of time. Try cooking a roast and using part of it as a main meal and then using some for sandwiches, beef stroganoff or as part of a stir-fry. Fry several pounds of hamburger and make a casserole, taco meat and chili to freeze for use later in the week.

2. After you return home from the grocery store clean all the fruits and vegetables you can. When it's time for a meal all you will have to do is cook them or add them to a salad or soup.

3. Get ideas from the cooking shows on T.V. There are great shows that show you how to make a healthy meal in a short time.

4. Develop a revolving recipe file. If you get bogged down by the idea of having to plan 30 meals a month the recipe file is for you. Let family members choose some of their favorites and put the recipes in a monthly file. Flip to day five or fifteen and there is the meal just waiting to be cooked.

5. Enlist the help of the members of your family. As soon as the kids are old enough divide up the cooking responsibilities. Let everyone take turns with specific tasks or the whole meal. Pair these meals with fruit and veggies that have already been washed and cut-up and you are ready for dinner.

6. Share the cooking with friends or neighbors. I've known people who cook four or five of the same meal and then trade with four or five other people. This works best when people share the same basic ideas on what they like and don't like. It's a great idea though for a very easy week of evening meals.

7. Sometimes you just need a break from cooking and it is OK to resort to convenience meals from the grocery store. You can find fresh or frozen entire meals which can be heated up in no time. If you save coupons for these items it will help offset the additional costs.

8. It's O.K. to eat out from time to time. Clip coupons for these occasions and if you have kids keep a look-out for the places that have special prices for children. Some of the fast-food restaurants are trying to offer item choices that are a little more healthy.

9. Finding a business that prepares an evening meal for you can be convenient and easy. You might think they are expensive but when you consider the time you will be able to save preparing a meal yourself you might decide it is worth it. You can choose from lots of different choices and these services often offer special need diets.

10. Use the above ideas and put together a cooking plan that works for you and our family.

It is possible with a little planning to cook meals that are quick and easy without spending hours in the kitchen every day.