When cooking for one or two, it can seem like a complete hassle. The mess alone is more overwhelming than it should be. Your fresh veggies tend to go bad before you can eat them all, and you consequently start passing up on bulk deals in fear of throwing away food you can’t consume in time. The lack of time, energy, and not knowing what to cook create major obstacles that feel like only a professional chef can overcome.

Trust us, we’ve been there. We know what it’s like to find yourself spending less and less time shopping for groceries, and more time eating heavily processed takeout or settling for sugar-high cereals.

If you’re not head over heels about cooking right now, and you hate that you hate cooking, the good news is that you’re in the right place. We’ve put together a couple of tips and paired them with a few recipes to help you feel inspired.

Your freezer is your new BFF

We’ve said this before, and we’ll say it again: Freeze your veggies! There are numerous ways to do it.

Blanch and freeze. Simply put the greens in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, then remove and place in ice water to chill for 3 minutes. Next, transfer the greens into freezer bags and place them onto a baking sheet so the greens freeze flat. Pro tip: write the current day’s date on the bags so that you know how old they are in the future.

Blend and freeze. Simply add water to your greens and blend as fine as possible. Then, use silicon ice trays or silicone muffin trays to freeze blocks of greens. Once frozen, pop them out and place them into a freezer bag. You can use one or two each time you make a smoothie.

Just put the bag in the freezer. If you’ve got the space, go for it! Most leafy greens won’t freeze well this way for long, but nonetheless, it’s a great short-term solution.

Be sure to also prepare any whole grains ahead of time and…freeze! Brown rice, couscous, barley, and quinoa can all be easily heated up without losing quality. In search of healthy dessert options? Don’t overlook frozen fruits! They’re typically picked at the season’s peak when they’re their ripest, and without added ingredients like sugar, they maintain their nutritional value while helping you cut down on meal-prep times during the week.

One-Pan Wonders

Look for an all-in-one bowl or a pan recipe that helps you significantly cut down on cooking times. If the original recipe serves two, double, or triple the ingredients, and freeze the surplus for some easy weeknight meals.

Homemade burgers are one of our go-to strategies for spending less time in the kitchen. Jumpstart your meal prepping for the week while making the most of your freezer and fully satisfying your taste buds all at once. With these Salmon Collard Burgers, for instance, all you need to do is combine accessible ingredients like canned salmon, collard greens, onions, and lemon juice in a medium bowl, refrigerate for 15 minutes, and then use your hands to mold 2-4 burger patties. Cook half of it and freeze the rest for when you want a healthy dinner option, but can’t bring yourself to the cutting board.

Leftovers? There are none

Cooked too much rice? No problem, use it in a fried rice meal such as our Very Veggie Unfried Rice by adding some chopped-up veggies.

Extra meat? Throw it on a salad like our Kale Salad with Blackened Salmon for some extra protein!

Shredded too many greens? Prep them in pasta such as our Pantry Pasta for a quick meal the next day.

Regardless, we understand that getting out of a cooking rut can seem impossible at times, and even more so when the weeks are busy. So start by simplifying your meals to take away some of the mess and stress. Stock your kitchen with basic necessities, and some greens of course, and follow along with us on our blog and Pinterest for all the cooking motivation you need!