How to Prevent Burnout in a From Scratch Kitchen

If you are one of many people sick of their husband or children asking “what’s for dinner?”, these tips to prevent burnout in the kitchen will help you in your cooking.

A lot of people think that cooking food from scratch is way to much work. Although cooking from scratch might not be for everyone, it does not have to be overwhelming. Cooking from scratch will start to feel less daunting when you recognize that it is often simple, quick tasks that can fit throughout the day rather than hours at a time spent in the cooking in the kitchen. In order to prevent burnout you do need to find ways to think and work ahead.

I grew up in a house where making dinner rarely took more than 30 minutes from beginning to end. Dinner generally wasn’t a thought in my mom’s head until the hour before it needed to be on the table. I am very different. I enjoy thinking about meals hours if not days in advance, and I’ll be honest this is probably one of the things that helps the most when avoiding overwhelm. But even though I enjoy being in the kitchen, there are times where it gets to be too much. That’s when these tips come in handy the most.

I love spending all my time in the kitchen but doing so does take its toll. The dishes are constant and although I look forward to cooking dinner most days, it can get overwhelming if I do not stay on top of things. Here are a few of the ways I have learned to prevent burnout in my mainly from-scratch kitchen.

How to Make Cooking in a From Scratch Kitchen Easier

• Do your least favorite jobs first
• Always be one step ahead/finish tasks ahead of time
• If you can finish something in under 5 minutes do it now
• Include leftovers/easy dinners in your meal plan

Do your Least Favorite Jobs First

There are 2 types of people in this world: those who eat the foods they like first and save the best for last, and those who start with their favorites then are left with the foods they don’t like, often leaving them uneaten. I have seen this habit have an big impact with jobs in the kitchen.

If I start with the jobs I like, the jobs that are not my favorite often get left undone. For this reason I have found that it is vital to accomplish the things I like doing the least first. If a job you hate needs to be done, do it immediately.

I used to have a big problem. I hate unloading the dishwasher. So, I always assign the job to my husband, but he doesn’t always realize it needs to get done or doesn’t have time to do it. On days when he didn’t empty it before he left for work it would just stay full. This meant I was unable to do dishes all day. With dishes piled high, everything started getting so much harder. I had to make a change. When the dishwasher needs to be emptied I now do it right away. This way I can rinse dishes off immediately instead of waiting to do it all at the end of the day when I am very burnt out.

Finish Tasks Ahead of Time

In order to prevent a very stressful hour before dinner, it can be helpful to do as much as possible ahead of time. Find a time that works for you. For me this is during nap time or any moment my boys are playing happily. In these moments I always have the next meal in mind and am thinking about what I can do to prepare for it. This way I don’t get behind. My husband probably gets annoyed with how often I ask questions about dinner right after breakfast or while he is enjoying lunch, but I always want to be one step ahead.

Some things I do ahead of time are: chopping vegetables, making breakfast, or starting bread that can be used for a variety of meals. Last, probably because its my least favorite, is catching up on dishes so they don’t get the chance to pile up.

Some people prefer to do things in batches. For example, if you’re chopping veggies for lunch, chop dinners as well. You could even chop them for the full week. If you already have the flour and sugar out, mix together a loaf of bread with your cookies. When the oven is already warmed up, cook things together. This tip is especially important with little kids because I often have moments where my attention is needed elsewhere. When I have my hands free, it’s good to get as much done as possible.

If You Can Finish It in Under 5 Minutes, Do It Now!

In order to prevent burnout in your kitchen, If have a job that you can get it done 5 minutes (and you have 5 minutes), do it now. Don’t make excuses!

There can be a lot of steps when cooking from scratch, but often these steps are quick and can be spread out throughout the day, making time in the kitchen more enjoyable.

I remember hearing this tip for the first time when I was a teenager and I keep it in my back pocket for those times when I am feeling overwhelmed (in the kitchen or elsewhere). It can be so helpful when you have a long list of “to-dos” to knock a couple out really quickly. This reduces the overwhelming list, helping things to feel more manageable.

This rule can also be applied in the moment you recognize things that need to be done. Rather than adding a task like wiping down the microwave to a never ending to-do list, do it now. Then the messy microwave has no chance to weigh you down.

Include Leftovers in the Meal Plan

I try to have 1-2 meals a day that require little prep. Leftovers are my best friend. If I don’t have ready-made meals, I too often resort to feeding my boys chicken nuggets for lunch or cold cereal for breakfast rather than making something from scratch.

Make ahead breakfasts such as my 15 minute granola or apple banana muffins are a life saver. I can usually make these breakfast foods once and it will feed us for 3-4 days throughout the week.

For lunches I most often serve what we had for dinner the night before. If you don’t like eating the same thing for days in a row, you could also freeze meals for later. You could also find different ways to serve the same components in a different way to use what you have. For example, making wraps for dinner, then with the same prepped ingredients making salads for lunch, or making tacos for dinner, then nachos or quesadillas the next day.

To Prevent Burnout in the Kitchen, Always be Thinking Ahead

Something each of these tips has in common is thinking ahead. To stay on top of things in a from scratch kitchen you can not be leaving all the jobs for future you to deal with. It is always good to do things now so that you don’t have to do them later. If jobs start piling up, see if implementing any of these tips can help you.

Whether you are currently a from scratch cooker or you want to be. Using these tips can make the transition smoother and keep you on top of things instead of overwhelmed by your kitchen.