It’s nearly impossible to consistently eat clean without committing yourself to some QT in the kitchen each week. For cook-at-home newbies, easier said than done—I know. When I first started learning to cook, I made every mistake in the book. I held my knife wrong, I was scared of salt, and once I even burned water (forgot about the pasta I planned to make). But as my cooking skills improved, so did my meals and experience in the kitchen. I learned all of these tips the hard way—but you shouldn’t have to.

  1. Chop ingredients evenly. When I first started cooking, I would just cut up my veggies and meats haphazardly, whatever felt easiest. Then I realized that foods cook faster or slower depending on their size. If you want everything in the pan to finish cooking at the same time, make sure the pieces are all the same size. MORE: The Truth about Product Standards Set by Food Stores
  2. Use separate cutting boards. I once found the most fragrant melon at the farmers’ market. When I got it home, the first thing I did was get out my cutting board and slice it up as a snack. My cutting board was clean, so I didn’t think anything of it. But when I took my first bite of fruit, it had the distinct flavor of delicious melon plus…onions?! Gross. Strong flavors like onions and garlic tend to infuse into cutting boards (especially wood boards) and can subtly flavor anything else that touches them. This is not a big deal if you’re chopping veggies for a stir-fry that will be cooked with garlic anyway. But for things like fruit and cheese, I now have a special cutting board that never comes into contact with strong flavors.
  3. Don’t buy prefilled spice racks. I felt so proud of myself when I bought a fully stocked spice rack after moving into my first apartment. Little did I know that there was no way I could use all those spices before they lost their magic. Ground spices are wonderful, but they are best used within six months of purchase for optimal flavor. I now buy the smallest amount of a spice possible, and only when I know I’m going to use it. MORE: Four Money Saving Tricks to Make Fruits and Veggies Last Longer
  4. Reach for tongs over a spatula. Unless I need to flip something delicate like an egg or piece of flaky fish, tongs are the best tool for the job at hand. Not only do they make it easy to stir and organize your food in a pan, they make fabulous serving utensils as well. I keep several pairs in my kitchen to make my life easier.
  5. Don’t be afraid of salt.   I was always afraid to use salt in my cooking; I thought it was unhealthy. If you’re cooking at home, though, you’ve already cut out about 75% of your sodium intake by avoiding processed foods. More important, a little salt on your veggies goes a long way and improves the flavor dramatically. If something you make tastes a little bland, a little salt is probably the solution.