Many of us are swimming in the same proverbial soup — that mad dash between activities after work and/or school, and the shrinking window of time in which to prepare dinner. This became immediately apparent when my children reached school age and began activities such as soccer and karate in the evenings. But through all of this, I cook. Maybe it’s stubborn, maybe it’s smart. It’s simply what feels right; it’s my default move.

Even still, we need other moves when we feel crunched. The first one is to disabuse ourselves of the notion that every single dinner has to be completely homemade, all the way down to the perfectly sourced and prepped veggies. Go ahead and break that rule – you’ll be happy you did.

Here are five more moves that can help you make time to cook.

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Aldi is a great place to go for inexpensive groceries and produce, and this year they’ve made a lot of customers very happy by introducing a brand-new vegan and vegetarian line called Earth Grown, which has products like veggie burgers, vegan cheese, meatless hot dogs, sausage, and meatballs, and more.

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We’re all about the easy makeovers that completely transform a room for not a lot of money. And although this kitchen does get a new floor (the price of which is not reflected in the $500 budget mentioned here), pay attention to the rest of the room where the $500 was spent.

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This sheet pan supper will show you just how quick and simple it can be to get a salmon dinner on the table any night of the week. It all starts by firing up your broiler. Do that and you will be tucking into perfectly cooked fillets with just the right amount of char around the edges. We’re making it a meal by partnering this weeknight-friendly fish with crispy red potato rounds and tender asparagus spears. Oh, and it will all happen in under 20 minutes. Yes, really!

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Not working with a ton of pantry storage in your kitchen? No problem. Turns out there are tons of clever ways to create a super-organized pantry out of a cupboard; even if you’re lacking in cabinet space. All you need is $60 and internet access — or a single trip to your local superstore. Whether you try just one of these foolproof suggestions or all five, you’ll wind up with a significantly better pantry than you started with (which was nothing) and enough money left in your monthly budget to go grocery shopping afterwards.

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I love having a healthy dip at my fingertips when I am preparing dinner at home or need a simple appetizer for a get-together with friends. This particular dip of puréed beans and artichokes is filling enough to tide me over until dinner is ready, but also light and refreshing — a perfect snack for the dark and dreary winter days we’re getting in our neck of the woods.

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The typical American kitchen (as of this writing) has a row of upper cabinets and another, deeper row of cabinets under the countertop. The lower cabinets will have, perhaps, one drawer, and then a set of doors. This is actually a terrible idea!

If you’re considering a kitchen remodel, I’m here to convince you that every kitchen should have drawers — not cabinets — under the counter. If you’ve already got drawers in your kitchen, well, read on and feel smug.

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It’s late and cold and you’re craving a hot bowl of homemade soup, but your fridge is bare. What to do? Pull out some chicken broth from the pantry and try one of these six ultra-quick and simple-yet-satisfying ways to transform it into dinner.

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Whole30 is described as a 30-day “reset” button for your diet. It’s designed to clear away any processed foods and refocus our attention on whole foods. There’s no sugar, dairy, alcohol, or legumes, but there is a ton of meat and vegetables.

There’s also a lot of cooking, which sounds great, but the kind of food that’s part of Whole30 is such a departure from the way many of us cook that even getting started with Whole30 can seem daunting and expensive. Unless you already own a bottle of liquid aminos and a barrel full of coconut oil, you’re probably going to have to make a trip to the store before starting Whole30.

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