Prep early in the week. Cook component foods that take longer to cook in bulk (rice, potatoes, large quantities of meat). They don&#x27;t take a lot of prep time, but they can severely skew cooking time of other meals because they take longer than other things to cook.<p>If you&#x27;re eating rice, you should combine it with beans to get the complete protein. Buy canned beans only, the bags are a waste of time.<p>Mix and match components at meal time, adding fresh vegetables (onions, peppers, tomatoes, etc.) and seasonings as you go. You can create an incredible variety this way that takes no more than 10 to 15 minutes to prepare for every meal, 5 if you&#x27;re really crushing it.<p>Also, a pork shoulder in a crock pot, covered in seasonings, salt, and beer and set to cook all day Sunday is <i>less</i> than 5 minutes of prep time for probably more meat than you can eat on your own for every meal before it spoils in two weeks.<p>Don&#x27;t overlook spices, salt, and fat. I find the reason most people don&#x27;t like their own homecooked food is because they don&#x27;t season it enough. I can&#x27;t think of a single dish that I make that does not get at least some salt in it, even the few times I make candies. Garlic is similarly overlooked. And don&#x27;t fear fat. Fat is flavor. You need a little to keep things interesting. I personally prefer butter, sesame oil, and filtered bacon fat, as they have strong flavors so not as much is needed.