Readers Rave About These 10 Clever Food & Kitchen Hacks

1. Chop and freeze onions

Chop onions in the food processor or mini chopper, press flat in bags, and freeze. Then, when a recipe calls for chopped onion, you’ve got it. Sometimes I batch-chop several onions at once.

Frozen onion can go straight from the freezer bag into a hot pan, saving so much time during dinner prep. You can just break off a chunk if you only need a little bit.

Bonus tip: When my kids were little, they didn’t like big pieces of onion, so I chopped them very finely (here’s the mini chopper I use and love).

“This is such a great tip I got from you awhile ago and have been doing it ever since! Such a time saver!” –Jennifer E.

2. Corral ALLLLLL your water bottles

You know all those water bottles rattling around in your cupboards or drawers? Get a shoe caddy for the back of a door in your kitchen and load it up with your family’s water bottles, drink containers, and thermoses. Now they’re all easy to find and organize–and you’ve freed up serious kitchen cabinet real estate. Here’s the shoe caddy we use.

“When I saw you post this idea, I stole it and it is life changing!!! Thank you!!”–Barbara L.

3. Set out fruits and veggies

Fruits and veggies in grab-and-eat bowls is a winning strategy with my family. Just put fruits and veggies in little dishes and containers, set them out in a high-traffic area, and watch them get eaten! It also cleans out the fridge, reducing wasted food and money.

“Thanks to your suggestion we do this. I was skeptical, but if I set it out, it just disappears!”–Carolyn S.

4. Soak sliced apples in OJ

Here’s of one my kids’ favorite lunch box or snack hacks: Thinly slice an apple, then pour either orange juice or the juice of half a lemon + half an orange over it, and toss to coat. The slices won’t get brown, and the juices infuse the apple with a sweet & zingy flavor.

These are so good! I brought some to school (I’m a teacher) and got my high school students hooked!”–Sarah S.

5. Nab a Lil’ Chizler to use everywhere

This little $2 doo-dad is one of my most-used tools in the kitchen for scraping dishes and cast iron pans, getting gunk off the countertops, cleaning the crevice between the stove and the counter, and so much more. It’s so useful I’ve gifted it to numerous friends (yes those are the kind of practical gifts you get as my friend). Get your own Lil’ Chizler.

“I bought these a while back on your recommendation and I use them for everything! Cooked on eggs from the skillet this weekend, flour that creates that sludge in the sink, the ominous crack beside the stove you mention, the buildup around the base of faucets, stickers on assorted everything…..The list is never ending. GREAT BUY!”–Beth D.

6. Cut watermelon into sticks

Once you try this, there’s no going back to wedges! Watermelon sticks are simple to cut and easy for little hands to grab and eat. Bonus tip: Put your watermelon on a cutting board inside a rimmed baking tray to catch all the juices as you slice it.

“This is the only way we cut watermelon now!”–Kelly E.

7. “Go halfsies” to cut sugar

Here’s an easy and painless way to cut sugar: Mix half low-sugar cereal (like plain o’s) + half sweetened cereal (like honey nut o’s). Every bite is still sweet, but you’ll significantly reduce added sugar. You can also do this with plain/sweetened yogurt, white/chocolate milk, and more. See all my halfsies ideas (and the sugar savings!) here.

“Yes!! Thanks to your recommendation, we do it for yogurt, applesauce, oatmeal, cereal…everything, every day!”–Katie L.

8. Serve a Snack Platter

The Snack Platter has long been my secret weapon at snack time. It’s really just regular food. On a plate. Yet when I announce, “I made a snack platter!” my kids are psyched. It also makes new or less familiar foods more appealing when they’re alongside old favorites. Here’s my snack platter formula and why this simple plate is so powerful.

“OMG I tried this for my 13 year old picky eater for lunch today. He is <1% on the weight charts so we need to get him to eat more. He thought it was ‘cute’ and before I knew it, he’d eaten everything! That never happens.”–Charlene T.

9. Use these bowl covers instead of plastic wrap

I use these cute bowl covers ALL. THE. TIME. in place of plastic wrap for proofing bread and pizza dough, storing leftovers, and topping containers with lost lids. When they get dirty, just hand-wash or machine-wash, dry, and use again. Get your own set of bowl covers in a cute print.

“Bought these thanks to your recommendation & love them!”–Amy N.

10. Start a “Chore Stick” system

All those kitchen and household chores? Share the work by enlisting your kids! I started a simple chore stick system a few years ago, and it’s been going strong ever since. I choose about four chores for each kid to do based on what’s needed around the house and set out the sticks on the counter. It’s simple but works better than any other system I’ve tried. Get the details on this simple chore stick system.

I tried this over the summer and it worked beautifully.”–Nicole M.