Experts say a mindful and organized morning is crucial to having a productive day. But productivity can be difficult to achieve when you’re a working parent with breakfast to make and lunches to pack.

We understand that skipping breakfast is not a great idea and packing lunch for the kids is an essential routine. One way to get your chores done on time and still have enough energy for the rest of the day is to spend less time in the kitchen every morning. How can you achieve this? Please, follow these five hacks:

Plan your morning

This simple but effective tip helps you remember things better. Get a note and list every chore you must do in the kitchen, including making breakfast. You can hang a list of the lunch you’ll pack on your refrigerator to avoid missing anything. You can also do a mental walk-through instead if you’re sure you won’t forget. It’s also essential that you’re realistic about the timing.

You can do this before going to bed or after getting out of bed in the morning. You can adjust your list to suit daily needs or use it for the entire week.

Organize your kitchen

Instead of spending the precious morning doing the dishes, why not tidy up your kitchen before bed? This helps to leave pots and utensils to dry overnight and ready for the following day. Make sure your cabinet is organized, and your jars are labeled so that you don’t mix up ingredients when rushing to make breakfast. You can assemble ingredients; for example, if you’re making a smoothie with ice, wash up fruits and arrange them in the blender the night before. Waking up to a tidy kitchen goes a long way in achieving a faster morning.

Make food overnight or in bulk

You can make muffins, veggie-packed sandwiches, French toast bake, and more, in large enough quantities for up to a week, pack them in Ziploc bags, and freeze them. You can also boil steel-cut oats in a slow cooker overnight; simmer and add toppings when you’re ready to eat. A few minutes of microwaving in the morning or a cold serving saves you a lot of time.

Microwave Cooking

Your microwave can do many things: it can fry your scrambled eggs and make your muffins and bacon in minutes while you attend to other chores in the kitchen. Sandwich your bacon strips in paper towels and microwave for some minutes. If you’re looking to break a hard block of brown sugar for your tea, microwave the sugar next to a glass of water. The steam from the water will break down the block.

You can make various microwave breakfasts in a mug and have your meal ready in 10 minutes. Whether it is a cheesy omelet, jelly donuts, banana pancakes, or baked oatmeal, making these microwave meals will save you time.

Getting through your morning in time starts with planning and works by following the plan. It’s also okay to delegate tasks to your kids if they’re old enough.