Kitchen Organization: 5 Tips to Streamline Meal Prep and Storage

How long do you spend cooking dinner each evening? And do you enjoy it? For those of us who do it every single night, it can quickly become a chore that eats away at our time to relax. However, with a bit of advance planning, strong kitchen organization habits, and a little help from your household, it doesn’t have to take up your entire night. I’ve shared some of my best tips below to help you make meal prep move faster, so that you can save time and stress when it comes to feeding your family. 

1. Plan a Weekly Menu

The hardest and most stressful part of any meal is often deciding what to make. After a long day, it can feel like a daunting task to come home and spend time brainstorming meal ideas. It’s even more challenging if you don’t know what ingredients you have on hand. 

You can eliminate the frustrations that come with daily decision-making by planning a menu ahead of time. Try to block out a weekly time on your calendar when you can invest a few extra minutes to brainstorm meals for the entire week. 

Knowing what you’ll be cooking in advance will save you time in the kitchen during the week and at the grocery store, too. It can also help to quell the common question, “Mom, what’s for dinner?” I recommend keeping the menu in a place where everyone in your household can see it, such as on the refrigerator. 

2. Shop Smart

Once you’ve finalized a menu for the week, you may need to make a trip to the grocery store. Before you do, take a few minutes to look through your kitchen and check what ingredients you already have in your refrigerator and pantry. Then, with your menu in mind, you can create a grocery list of any items that you need to purchase. Be sure to note how much you will need as well. This will help you ensure that you have everything you need, so that you don’t have to make any extra, last-minute trips that delay dinner. 

When you’re at the store, remember to shop smart and stick to your list! It might be tempting to pick up some extra treats, but try to avoid impulse purchases and large quantities of items that you’re not sure you will use. This will help prevent overbuying and reduce food waste.

3. Simplify Meal Prep

In addition to planning a menu and shopping in advance, you can also take steps to simplify meal prep for especially busy evenings. In the morning, get a head start by taking out any frozen ingredients that you will need for dinner that night. This way, they’ll be defrosted and ready to use when you start cooking. 

For meals that include salads, consider purchasing pre-cut and pre-washed lettuce. You can also chop vegetables the night before or in the morning. Most vegetables, like bell peppers, onions, celery, and carrots, can be prepped ahead of time and stored in the fridge. Frozen vegetables are another great option when you’re in a hurry, as they only take a few minutes to prepare. 

A crockpot is an indispensable tool for families who are always on the go. You can do all of the prep work ahead of time, toss the ingredients into the pot before you leave for work in the morning, and let them cook slowly throughout the day. Dinner will be ready when you return home!

If you frequently have the same meal, consider making a large amount of it and freezing it in the correct portions. Frozen food typically has a shelf life of 1 to 6 months, which should give you a better idea of exactly how much to make. It can easily be reheated on the evening you plan to serve it.

Freezing meals is a great solution to save time on meal prep because it eliminates the need to repeat steps involved in the cooking process. For example, you can cook and season a large amount of ground meat for tacos in advance. Whether you plan to make enough for one meal or five, you will need to wash the pan when you’re done cooking. However, if you make enough for just one meal, you will have to wash the pan again the next time you have tacos. 

4. Get Organized

So far, we have talked about the steps you can take to streamline meal prep, but what is your experience when you actually begin cooking? Do you have to spend 20 minutes searching for a knife to chop vegetables, or pull everything out of the cabinet to get to the pot in the back that you need? Implementing some simple organization systems in your kitchen will also help save you time and streamline the cooking process. 

Most importantly, be sure that the items you use frequently are within easy reach. If they require upkeep, such as knives that need to be sharpened, consider blocking out a monthly or bimonthly time on your calendar to check and maintain them. Appliances and tools that you rarely use should be stored separately, in the back of cabinets, or on higher shelves. The goal is to reduce the amount of clutter on the countertops to give yourself more space to work when you’re cooking.

In cabinets and drawers, I recommend grouping similar items together, so that you can find them quickly when you need them. This also makes it easier for other members of your household to put things back where they belong. Don’t forget to consider the practicality of the storage location, too. For example, it makes the most sense to store spices near the stove, as this is where they will be used most often. Take a look at my blog for more tips on kitchen organizing.

5. Cook Together

These meal prep and kitchen organizing tips will be very helpful in streamlining the cooking process, but you can also put the other members of your household to work. Assign specific tasks to family members or roommates to make cooking dinner feel less like a chore and more like a social experience. For example, one person can set the table at a designated time each evening, another can prepare the salad, and so on. Assigning clean-up duties can make the post-dinner routine more efficient, too.

A well-organized kitchen is the cornerstone of streamlined and stress-free meal prep. By planning a weekly menu, preparing ingredients in advance, and involving the other members of your household, you can save yourself time and transform your cooking experience into one of the most enjoyable parts of your day.

If you already have a lot on your plate, I know that setting up systems and maintaining kitchen organization might be more than you can fit into your schedule. That’s how you know it’s time to reach out to us at Transformare Organizing. We can provide you with tailored, hands-on support to help you establish organized habits and create a kitchen that works for your lifestyle!