
If cooking feels inconvenient on busy days, some of the preparation can be moved to an earlier time.
Suitable vegetables can be washed, cut, and stored properly in advance so they're ready when it's time to cook. Different produce has different storage requirements, so not everything should be prepared the same way.
Having ingredients ready reduces the number of steps between deciding to cook and actually starting.
Sometimes the most useful cooking shortcut happens days before the meal.
© USDA