Kitchen Hacks for Working Moms
Being a working woman and a mother is no easy feat. Between managing your career and caring for your family, there just never seem to be enough hours in the day. But guess what? You can still whip up delicious and nutritious meals for your loved ones and at the same time keep time for yourself without affecting your work, even on the busiest schedules. Here are few amazing cooking tips and kitchen hacks for the working moms which can do wonders in their daily lives.
Cooking Tips for Busy Working Moms
Being a working mom is a full-time job, and sometimes squeezing in healthy meals seems impossible. But fear not, superhero moms! Here are some time-saving cooking tips for Indian working moms:
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Plan and Prep Like a Pro:
Sunday afternoons become your secret weapon. Plan your weekly meals, make a grocery list, and prep as much as possible. Chop veggies, marinate meats, and even cook grains in advance. This sets you up for quick and easy meals all week long.
You may also read: Easy Breakfast and Snacks Recipe with Sooji!
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Stock Your Pantry Wisely:
Keep a well-stocked pantry with essentials like spices, canned goods, and whole grains. Don’t forget staples like bread (check those expiry dates!) – perfect for quick sandwiches or toast. This ensures you always have a base for whipping up something delicious, even when time is tight.
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Freeze Your Veggies:
Prepping and freezing vegetables can save precious chopping time. Wash, chop, and blanch them beforehand. Then, pop them in a freezer bag for quick access to healthy additions for stir-fries, soups, or stews.
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Embrace the Power of Appliances:
Technology is your friend! Utilize time-saving appliances like a pressure cooker for quick and healthy meals or a chapati maker for perfectly round and fluffy rotis in minutes. These tools help you get dinner on the table faster, leaving more time for family.
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Grind and Go:
Prepare dosa or idli batter in advance and store it in the refrigerator. This saves you time in the morning and allows for a quick and filling breakfast for the whole family.
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Stock up on some healthy instant options:
Healthy instant options like pre-cooked lentils or single-serving brown rice pouches. These can create quick and nutritious meals when you’re short on time. These can also ensure that you stay fit and can act as weight loss options for a busy mother/parent.
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Readymade breakfast mixes:
Readymade breakfast mixes are another lifesaver. Invest in mixes like instant oatmeal, whole-wheat pancake batter, or savory options like upma or dosa mix. These provide a quick and balanced base to add fresh fruits, nuts, or veggies for a complete and delicious breakfast.
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Soaking up the Beans:
Beans are a fantastic source of protein and fiber. Soaking overnight helps break down complex sugars that your gut struggles to digest. This not only reduces gas but can also improve your bean’s overall digestibility, making it more nutritious. Just remember to discard the soaking water before cooking for maximum effect!
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Preparing the Dough:
You can prep your roti dough in advance! Simply combine flour, water, and a pinch of salt to form a smooth dough. Knead for a few minutes, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. You can also go for various healthy flour alternatives.
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Boiled in Advance:
Certain ingredients become weeknight heroes when pre-cooked. Hard-boil a batch of eggs on Sunday – perfect for quick salads, sandwiches, or protein additions to stir-fries. Similarly, boil potatoes in advance for speedy potato salads, mashed potatoes, or roasted wedges later in the week. By having these staples ready, you shave off valuable prep time and have versatile ingredients on hand for countless meals.
Conclusion
Remember, these cooking tips for working moms are just a starting point. Don’t be afraid to get creative and experiment! Explore online resources for quick and easy family-friendly recipes. Many websites offer meals that can be whipped up in 30 minutes or less.
Involve your family in the process whenever possible. Get your kids to help with age-appropriate tasks like setting the table, washing vegetables, or stirring ingredients. Not only will this lighten your load, but it will also teach them valuable life skills and foster a sense of connection around mealtimes.
Most importantly, don’t be afraid to embrace imperfection. There will be days when takeout feels like the only option, and that’s perfectly okay! The goal is to find a balance that works for you and your family. With a little planning and these handy cooking tips for busy moms , you can create a happy and healthy kitchen routine, even amidst the whirlwind of work and family life. So put on your apron, working moms, and get ready to conquer the kitchen! You’ve got this!
This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’
hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla
in collaboration with Dr. Preeti Chauhan.
Great tips that would surely help all busy moms and not just working ones. I have been doing most of them except the boiling part beforehand. I also peel garlic in advance, my hack to pop them in an air fryer and the peels come off easily within a few minutes.
There are more than enough tips for working mothers in India. One observation is that when their time is divided between work and food planning, when can they relax?
I like the tips, am not a mom, full timer or kitchen lover. Therefore, I agree with preps and appliances being truly helpful is miniising cooking time.
These tips to save time and cook nutritious meals for the family in minutes are good. Women are smart today and know how to multitask by using such hacks:)
Even if I’m not a busy working mom anymore, I love your tips, especially the pre-boiled potatoes and freezing balanced veggies. great options. Will definitely use them.
Great tips- will keep in mind the next time I am cooking up a storm for friends and fam
Although I am not a working mom anymore, my cooking schedule is still quite tight… so your tips are helpful Neha. I like the blanched veggies idea the most… saves a lot of washing and chopping time. Thank you for the tips.
Freezing the veggies, ready breakfast mixes and soaking the beans, are three things that work really well for me. I’ll try out the other options; especially eager to see how ‘Grind and Go’ and ‘Boiled in advance’ work for me. Thanks for these tips, Neha
Great tips. I think these tips can be used by any busy working professional to not have a chaotic week.
It seems you prepared the list of tips for this mommy specially. I follow a few of them already and you added few more which will be truly helpful for me, especially the boil in advance tips. Thank you so much
Very useful tips. I know my sister is a working mom, and I can understand what she has to do every day for the baby. These hacks are really helpful for any working mom. Sharing it with my sister.
I always preboiled potato. it is handy and rescue me most of the time. all your tips are helpful to mom’s whether working or stay at home mom. Meal planning is most important at least for me. otherwise I ended up take out food 😁
I really look up to working moms. They are superwomen. Your tips are very handy for organising the menu. I just wonder how healthy the instant or breakfast mixes are. I feel simple, but home-cooked meals work out the best, isn’t it?
Such lovely tips. Been there done that ..Being a working mother , needed to be well-planned. today I wonder, “was that me?”
Why just working moms, these tips are useful for everyone. Prior planning helps us choose healthy foods over junk and definitely saves time too.
Indeed, small preps during the weekend goes a long way to ease weekday pressure. And these days, tons of options are available, we must embrace them–whetehr technology, assistance from family members or even home-made pre-mixes.
Some of these hacks are well integrated in my routine. My day is easier when I have already kneaded the dough in the morning. I am not very good with appliances because I find cleaning them to be quite a chore.
Very useful tips. I used to follow most of them. It is also better to freeze the vegetables ourselves than buy them from the market.
Fantastic tips, Neha, and not just for working moms. I am not one for planning the menu for the week but a stocked pantry and some quick fixes in the fridge sure help when in a rush.
Though I am not a mom, these are some really helpful tips. I am sure, mothers who come across this post will find them helpful.
I must say, I love your tips! It’s simple yet very useful. I hope you don’t mind me making it into a poster =) Great idea indeed that every household would appreciate.
Thank you, please go ahead.
I liked all the tips. I used to do most of the things when I was working after marriage. These little tricks save time and help the working moms to work faster.
Nice and practical tips which will really help working people to stay on top of things.
You’ve shared some very practical and easy to follow tips that are sure to be helpful to all working mothers.