One Simple Trick That Make Me Cook More Often
Part of the Lower the Bar Series
You promised yourself this year you’d cook more.
Maybe to eat healthier.
Maybe to save money.
Maybe because you were tired of relying on takeout.
Then real life got in the way.
You get home tired.
The sink already has dishes.
The countertop disappears under ingredients.
Halfway through cooking, you realize you need to stop and wash the cutting board before you can keep going.
Suddenly, takeout starts sounding like the easier option.
Let’s make your kitchen work with you instead of against you.
Healthy eating isn’t just about knowing what to eat. It’s also about making home cooking easy enough that you’ll actually do it after a long day.
That’s what the Lower the Bar series is all about. In each article, we’ll tackle one small obstacle that quietly makes cooking feel harder than it needs to be.
Today, I’m sharing one simple trick that makes cooking a little less chaotic every time.
Why I Use Three Cutting Boards
It’s not because I’m obsessed with organization.
It’s because I don’t enjoy stopping in the middle of cooking.
I keep separate boards for:
- Foods I’ll eat without cooking, like fruit, bread, cheese, or sandwiches
- Vegetables
- Raw meat
Instead of interrupting my workflow to wash and sanitize a cutting board halfway through meal prep, I simply grab the next board and keep cooking.
It sounds like a small change.
But sometimes it’s the small interruptions—not the cooking itself—that make cooking feel like work.
One Cutting Board Can Be Enough
Don’t feel like you need to buy more equipment.
One cutting board can work perfectly well if you prep your food in a thoughtful order.
Start with foods that are least likely to contaminate other foods, then work your way toward those with higher food safety risks.
A practical order might look like this:
- Ready-to-eat foods, such as fruit, bread, or cheese
- Vegetables
- Whole cuts of beef, pork, or seafood
- Ground meats
- Raw poultry
Once you’ve finished cutting raw poultry, wash and sanitize the cutting board before using it again.
With a little planning, one cutting board is all many home cooks need.
My Favorite Upgrade
I still prefer having separate prep surfaces.
The problem?
Three full-size cutting boards take up valuable cabinet space, clutter the counter, and fill the dishwasher.
Instead, I keep one sturdy wood or plastic cutting board on the counter and place a thin, flexible cutting mat on top.
When I switch from vegetables to meat, I simply replace the mat.
I get the convenience of three cutting boards without storing three bulky boards.
Why This Setup Works for Me
Less interruption
I don’t have to stop halfway through cooking to wash a cutting board before moving on to the next ingredient.
Helps my knives stay sharp longer
Every time your knife hits the cutting surface, the blade loses a tiny bit of its edge. The harder the surface, the faster that wear adds up. That’s why cutting directly on glass—or other very hard surfaces—is notorious for dulling knives.
A sturdy wood or plastic cutting board has a little “give,” absorbing some of that impact. By placing a flexible cutting mat on top, I get separate prep surfaces while still giving my knives a surface that’s much kinder to the blade.
Easy ingredient transfer
Flexible cutting mats bend easily, making it simple to slide chopped vegetables straight into a pan or soup pot with less mess.
Easy to store
Three thin cutting mats fit into about the same space as one regular cutting board.
Small Changes Add Up
This is just one way I’ve made cooking a little easier.
Over the coming Lower the Bar articles, I’ll share more practical ideas that remove the little frustrations standing between us and home-cooked meals.
Because healthy eating doesn’t usually require more motivation.
More often, it requires fewer obstacles.
What gets in the way of cooking for you?
Is it cleanup?
Not enough time?
Too many dishes?
Not knowing what to make?
A tiny kitchen?
I’d love to hear from you.
Leave a comment or send me a message with the biggest thing that keeps you from cooking more often. Your challenge might inspire a future Lower the Bar article.
After all, sometimes making healthy eating easier starts with solving one small problem at a time.