I was chatting about daily nutrition with a client earlier this week and as we talked, one thing became very, very clear: With a super busy life and barely enough time to fit in training on top of work, meal prep that took more than a minute or two was off the table. We needed solutions for his meals that wouldn’t add work, they would actually make things easier. So, I started thinking about the gadgets that we’ve gotten over the years that genuinely speed things up.
(We also talk a lot about easy meal ideas and meal prep in our latest book, Becoming A Consummate Athlete, in case you want more! (Including a super simple grocery list template.)
Instant Pot
We avoided getting this for years because we thought it was excessive, but let me tell you: The money we’ve saved has made it SO worthwhile. At least once a week, we pop a whole chicken in there, hit the Poultry button, and walk away. The result is perfectly moist chicken for dinner, followed by a yummy chicken soup when I take the leftover chicken and the resulting broth, and add a bit of spice and a package of frozen stew vegetables. Dinner? Ready in under 5 minutes for 2 days, 2 ways! The Instant Pot is also fantastic for making steel cut oats in minutes, or doing a big batch of lentils or other dried beans. I cannot recommend this enough for busy/lazy chefs.
Rice cooker
Meal prep made even easier. Once or twice a week, we make a batch of rice or quinoa in our rice cooker, then just pull the whole pot out of the cooker and pop it into the fridge, scooping portions as we go through the week. Total prep time? Under 1 minute. And zero risk of burned rice. (Could you use your Instant Pot? Yes. But I find I like being able to make rice while using the Instant Pot, and I usually have both of them on the go at the same time. It’s worth having both, I think.)
Good knife + sharpener
You know how chopping veggies for a big salad can be really annoying with a dull knife, so you quit after one tomato? A good chef’s knife is all you need to speed up salad prep. Forget about the slap/chop, or any other gimicky device, you just need a decent knife that will get through any vegetable’s skin.
Get the knife here and sharpener here
Spiralizer
I never thought of this as a must-have, but honestly, zoodles (zucchini noodles) are just so darn satisfying! And OK, while you can argue this doesn’t speed things up, I maintain that it does. If you’re trying to add more vegetables into your diet, chopping and slicing zucchini fine enough to make into a noodle format takes for-freaking-ever, but in under a minute, you can make spiralized zoodles that are a fantastic base for a simple meat sauce. Also fabulous for quickly getting beets into manageable eating size.
Electric kettle
When it comes to cold weather hydration, herbal tea is how I get through the winter. Not having super quick access to hot water gets super annoying, so I love having an electric kettle in the kitchen. It keeps me actually sipping all day (I’m the kind of monster who will ‘reheat’ a half-drunk mug of tea by splashing more hot water into it). If you struggle to drink enough, this is a must-have. Also great for keeping at the office so you can do oatmeal for breakfast or lunch at your desk without needing to wreck the microwave!
Food scale
I wrote about this last week, and I want to reiterate that I don’t think anyone should get obsessed with weighing food—but it’s a great way to check in to see what an actual portion size looks like. I was honestly super surprised to realize I was only eating a single serving of yogurt, I would have sworn I was eating two or three! While this won’t speed up your meal prep exactly, it will show you where you’re missing things or not eating full servings, and once you know what a full serving looks like, it’s a lot easier to tailer your eating to your daily energy needs.
Vacuum cork for wine
Not a speedy device, but wanted to mention this one if you’re the kind of person who, once a bottle of wine is opened, feels compelled to finish it ‘lest it go bad.’ Get one of these, and you’ll be able to put your wine away after a single glass, and pour yourself another glass the next night. It’s been really helpful for us, especially when stuck at home for…ever. (It’s also only $5 for two.)
Any other gadgets that have been gamechangers for you?
