Time Management for Solo Cooking.

O.f.O. is here to help coordinate weekly kitchen workflow for more productive multitasking at home.

Time management for solo cooking can be ultra-flexible and forgiving when good plans are in play.  So, what's the most approachable, practical kitchen-time management style for busy singles?

timerTake good care of your time.

Going about it like gig work - tasking flexibly on a timeline of preset progress targets.

Foregoing marathon meal prep in favor of a flexible task-by-task approach can alleviate scheduling conflicts, but can more casual kitchen time actually improve productivity?

Yes!

Random, noncommittal moments of micro tasking can serve as super powerful weapons against overwhelm, as checking off prep-ahead tasks encourages pleasant, unhurried cooking later.

Multitasking in a whirl?  That's my girl!

Squeezing varying bursts of kitchen time in between daily activities throughout each week enhances productivity and fosters an empowered, multitasking mindset.

A few minutes loading bread machine pizza dough here, a few minutes prepping produce and shredding cheese there... Multitasking during cooking time to neatly fold kitchen tasks into everyday life...  Sound like a lot?  It's actually not!  

Planning for flexible workflow is easy.

meal planner washiTimely Recipe Washi

When it comes to carving out kitchen time, there really are no rules other than shopping on schedule and staying stocked up. 

Handy homemade freezer preps, FRESH & FAST low prep recipes, SKIPPABLE slow perishing ingredient based recipes, and PACK TO GO lunchbox recipes can all help put time on your side. 

O.f.O.'s Timely Recipes washi can highlight flexible recipe choices.

Try O.f.O.'s Seven Day Solo Meal Planner for more practical time management for solo cooking.

SectionsSection completion check-off washi

Detailed with deadlines, yet adaptable to fluctuating schedules, weekly workflow is guided by a step-by-step system for planning, sourcing, prepping and storing homemade food so yummy that takeout seems like a waste of time. 

Here's how to get started and stay on track:

Enter the current month on the Task & Track page's Kitchen Time Tracker.  Your current month entry will then automatically appear on the Budget page.

Set and keep days-of-the-week & dates-of-the-month on the Time Tracker:

  • Decide on a routine weekly shopping day, then refer to a calendar to find the date of the month's first shopping day.
  • Enter the month's first shopping day & date.
  • Enter the remaining days of the week, downward.
  • Enter the remaining dates of the month downward, continuing on to the beginning dates of the following month, all the way to the bottom of the tracker.  To auto-fill dates on laptop, drag downward from the month's first shopping date (at the lower right corner of the cell).  To auto-fill on mobile, Highlight the first shopping date along with empty fields, tap, and select auto-fill.
  • To customize the date-of-the-month's display style, select "Format," "Number," and if desired, "Custom Date & Time" from Google Sheets' menu.
  •  The Tracker's calendar entries will auto-migrate to the Budget page.  Day-of-the-week entries will auto-migrate to the Meal Tracker page.

Set and keep (the same) recurring progress targets on each week of the Kitchen Time Tracker:

  • Target Section 1 Completion near midweek, two or three days after shopping day.
  • Target Section 2 Completion near week's end, one or two days before the following week's shopping day.

Plan and track weekly workflow:

  • Fill "Prep Mins" fields during meal planning.
  • Fill in the "Easy Options for Fast Food Anytime" notepad during meal planning.
  • Code key recipes with FRESH & FAST, SKIPPABLE, and PACK TO GO washi or notes/highlighting on both the Plan & Shop & Task & Track pages. 
  • Complete the Tasklist on shopping day, after shopping, delivery or pickup. 

Cook and dine on flex-time:

  • Task on your own time to meet preset progress targets.
  • Fuel up on low-no prep options (per the Easy Options notepad) as more time consuming recipes come together.
  • Schedule/track meals on the Meal Tracker.  But only if you want to.

Confirm each week's progress on the Kitchen Time Tracker:

  • Check off shopping & tasklist completion.
  • Check off completion of sections 1 and 2.
  • Check off meal plan & shopping list completion (for the following week).
  •  Add notes, washi/stickers to the Tracker's timeline as you like.
Meal plan check off washi.Meal plan check-off washi.
Shopping list check off washi.Shopping list check-off washi.
Shopping check-off washi.Shopping check-off washi.
task list check off washi.Task list check-off washi.

Stay in control to keep food safe.

peachwalkPeachy Partay, the self indulgent fruit parfait. Fresh & Fast recipe rep., always ready for a good time.

When plans change, time is short, and fresh food is at risk of neglect at home...

Here's how to make room on any given weekly menu, so nothing goes to waste:

  • Skip SKIPPABLE recipes.  Postpone or cancel prep on all recipes which do not contain non freezable "use it or lose it" perishables like fresh produce.  
  • Complete remaining recipes as time allows.
  • Prioritize fresh-produce-rich "no frozen leftovers" servings from Section 1 whenever dining at home during the week.
  • Freeze Section 2 servings.
  • Leave Section 3 servings in the freezer.

Code fast and flexible recipes with washi during planning:

Recipes made from slow perishing/keepable ingredients are safe to plan and postpone for another week.  SKIPPABLE recipes like chocolate chip cookies, grilled steak, or linguica pizza make meal plans more flexible.  

  • Code low priority, no-rush-recipes with SKIPPABLE washi.

Low-no prep Section 1 recipes made from fresh ingredients cut down on prep time without compromising freshness.  Fresh, fast whip-ups like sandwiches, yogurt bows, or charcuterie are perfect for lightening up weekly task lists.

  • Code fresh & fast recipes with FRESH & FAST washi. 

Here are ten steps to managing kitchen workflow like a pro:

  1. Use the Try & Buy Notepad & Image board to plan kitchen setup.  Equip kitchen workspace with inventory display organizers, food storage containers, and time saving tools.
  2. Fill in the "Easy Options for Fast Food Anytime" notepad during planning.
  3. Free up even more flexibility by planning FRESH & FAST low prep Section 1 recipes, optional SKIPPABLE recipes, and PACK TO GO recipes.  Code Timely Recipes with washi.
  4. Cut down on shopping and cooking time by freezing a conservative rotation of freezer preps.  Prepared recipe components, sides, freezer meals, snacks & treats, and ingredient scraps are all serious time savers.
  5. Complete each week's meal plan & shopping list before shopping day.  
  6. Jot down each recipe's prep ahead tasks & finishing touch tasks on shopping day, after ingredients are sourced.  Then code matching tasks with stickers.
  7. Knock out prep-ahead tasks when it's convenient.  
  8. Check off prep-ahead tasks, recipe completions, and single serving recipe repeats on the Tasklist.  
  9. Check off planning, shopping, and section completions on the Kitchen Time Tracker.
  10. Start a digital recipe box using a free or cheap note taking or word processing app like Google Keep (my choice for Chrome users), Apple Notes, Goodnotes, or Google Docs.  It's easy!  Use the Try & Buy page's Recipe Link Library to keep links to recipes beyond your personal collection. 

Crossing the finish line is fun!

One of the most positive aspects of prep-ahead tasking are the morale boosting moments when planned recipes come together quickly and easily, with beautiful results.  

Twig by twig, build that nest.

The kitchen is the heart of the nest and should be appointed as a comfy, welcoming workspace.  Good organization saves time, so treat your kitchen to a mini makeover with tools to speed up prep, and organizational aids to reduce clutter and streamline image-based inventory tracking.

Review and revamp.

Review weekly workflow and make notes in your planner.  Week after week, build your collection of guaranteed-to-be-good recipes.  As the rewards of cooking from scratch are realized, time management for solo cooking can become second nature.     

Treat yourself from time to time.

Meal kit delivery needn't be banned from the table, so long as it's a treat, and not a necessity.  Grocery delivery can be great if the right shopper is on the job.  

Self sufficiency sets you apart.

Learning to run your kitchen with easy, artful efficiency is a priceless life skill that can free you from restaurant dependence.  Here's to eating well!