Cook Quicker after Bariatric Surgery

Posted: Feb 04 in Post-Bariatric Diet by Staff

Time is something we all feel short on, but it can become especially scarce after having bariatric surgery in Albany or Macon. As you work hard to balance your normal responsibilities with the added challenges of your new healthy habits, you may be wondering where you’ll find the time to get everything done. After all, lack of time may have been something that made it difficult for you to lose weight long before you had bariatric surgery.

Fortunately, healthy cooking is not something that has to take hours of labor to complete. There are many ways to become a more efficient cook and make healthy meals for yourself and your family without slaving over the stove.

Want to save some time in the kitchen? Start by:

Organizing

Time spent searching for tools and ingredients would be much better spent on preparing a meal. You’ll make things much easier for yourself if you develop an organizational system that works. Go through your drawers and cabinets and sort out your tools, putting similar items together. It’s also a good idea to keep items where you’ll use them most—keep spatulas near the stove, potholders near the oven and so on. If you have storage space somewhere outside of your kitchen, use it for tools and appliances you use infrequently.

Of course, your organizational strategies can also be applied to your food. Be sure to sort your fridge, freezer and pantry and keep go-to items front and center for easy access. If you’ll be using ingredients like spices often, try keeping them close to the action.

Planning Ahead

Fumbling for the right recipe can lead to serious delays in your dinner plans. Rather than figuring out what to make when you get home from work, plan out the whole week’s meals and head to the grocery store to buy every ingredient you’ll need.

A crockpot can also be an excellent tool for planning meals in advance. Because of how slowly a crockpot cooks, you can prepare all the ingredients for a healthy soup or stew in the morning and leave it cooking for six to nine hours as you get all your other daily tasks out of the way. When you get home, your crockpot will greet you with delicious smells and a well-prepared meal.

Many people use lack of time as an excuse to avoid healthy eating, but fast food combo meals and TV dinners are off the menu for you after bariatric surgery. Instead of wasting time thinking about how busy you are, be proactive by becoming a more efficient chef.

What else has helped you cook more quickly after bariatric surgery in Albany or Macon? Tell us in the comments below!