Meals during the weekdays can be quite stressful, here are five tips to help you rev up your kitchen game!

1. Plan your meals

Instead of fretting over meals before you get to work in the kitchen, plan meals ahead of time, taking into account your schedule and these six principles: adequacy, balance, calorie (energy) control, nutrient density, moderation, and variety.

2. Buy in Bulk

Bulk-buying prevents those moments of frantic ingredient-searching--you will always have your needed ingredients at hand. Not only that, multiple batches of the same meal will make more sense to do, and thus greatly reducing your meals’ cost because buying in bulk is a lot cheaper.

3. Prepare foods ahead of time

Outside food can be very expensive and filled with preservatives and other unhealthy ingredients. Preparing your food before your busy weekday schedule will have your wallet and health thanking you. During the weekend, prepare your meals in containers that are both freezer-safe and over-safe, then during the weekdays, defrost, heat, and enjoy!

4. Keep the basics at hand

Whether it will be for saving a “dying” dish or quick tweaking of your meals, basic kitchen ingredients will always come in handy so make sure to stock up on them. Here are a few basic ingredients that are a must in the kitchen:

• salt, pepper, olive oil, vegetable oil, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, onions, garlic, potatoes
• canned chicken/beef broth, canned tuna, tomato sauce, tomato paste,
• soy sauce, vinegar, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce
• dried basil, bay leaves, curry powder
• rice, pasta (any type), dried bread crumbs

5. Use the right kitchen tool

Other than having the right ingredients, to be able to properly and efficiently execute a meal is by having the right tools to prepare it.  Find time-saving kitchen tool you can use, like some essentials that are a must are: non-stick frying pans, saucepans, stock pots, glass baking dish, measuring cups and spoons, wooden spoon, knives, peeler, tongs, cutting board, colander, and can opener. You can save time and money with the right tools like the 3 in 1 Three Slices Detachable Dessert Maker. It will allow you to create different desserts such mini donuts, tarts and Taiyaki with just one tool!

Moments in the kitchen does not have to be stressful. Giving your family balanced meals does not need to have you sacrificing your schedule and your sanity. Happy cooking!

Looking for all these tools can be quite a pain, so going to a one-stop-shop like Starblue can be of great help to reduce your time of searching.