Cooking for one

dcdickerson2

Who else is on a weight loss journey with no family at home to influence your choices, but also no one else to eat the meals you fix! It is hard to cook for one. I've only been doing this since Feb, when my dear sweet husband passed away. I had cooking for two down to an art, but have found cooking for one is a challenge!
So far, I have tried cooking less, cooking with the intention of eating it or a variant of it for the week, and cooking with the intention of making one meal for now, and freezing meal size portions that I can grab for lunches or dinners. I still work full time, so I often need a lunch to bring to work.
I'm looking for tips and tricks to make cooking for one a little easier!!! And recipes that work well for one or that freeze well for future meals.

thewindandthework

Man, I have the opposite problem. I cook for one with no problem. Right amounts, got the timing down, write down how much of what I'm using to log my food after I eat, perfect.

But if my roommate wants to eat? I don't know, cooking for two throws everything off. I need bigger pans, things end up going for longer, I have to compromise my preferences to suit both of us--I feel like it's always a mess.

What specific problems are you having with cooking for one? Maybe I can help out!

brittyn3

I'm so sorry for your loss. I can't imagine ... my mom passed away 2 summers ago and my dad is going through the same thing.. learning to cook less. He does what you do, uses them for meals for lunch or dinner etc.

I cook for myself often, and am use to cooking for one. What do you like to eat? I like buying the pre-trimmed and frozen individual chicken breasts or fish filets. It's so easy to take one out for a meal. Stir fry is great for one, so is a chicken pita. Fish filet with side of veggies. The simpler you keep it, the easier it is to make smaller portions. If you like cooking in big amounts - pretty much anything in the crockpot will freeze great. Casseroles are easy to portion off and freeze the rest. It takes a bit of thinking when you're at the store to get items that are easily portioned off. If you buy bulk chicken breast, portion them out in sandwich bags then put it in the freezer bag and freeze them. Super easy to pop one out when needed.

Salads are easy as well. I also LOVE stuffed mushrooms. I buy portabella caps and bake them with goat cheese, pesto, and panko crumbs for crust. I'm a fan of Tyson Spicy Chicken breasts. Etc. Maybe keep cooking the same way you were and just use the extra for lunches or dinner the next day.

runningkel

I'm sorry to hear about your husband.

I'm single and live alone and I rarely just cook for "one". I work full time, so if I'm going through the trouble of cooking, I try and get 2-3 meals out of it. For instance, yesterday I made a Knorr rice packet (I swear by them). I add about 1.5c cauliflower rice to it while it cooks, and it stretches to 3 heaping cup servings. That means lunch or dinner for M-T-Wed. I also make mini meatloaf in a muffin tin...one serving is 2 muffins, so I freeze them in sets of 2 so I can grab them for lunch. Sometimes I'll put chicken in a crockpot and that will feed me one meal a day all week. Chili or a crockpot meal usually makes about 5-6 servings, so I'll usually free 2-3 servings right away so then I have homemade frozen meals ready for lunch/dinner. They make individual cups of mac and cheese or instant potatoes that I'll take with chicken or meatloaf for lunch (I don't worry much about sodium). For breakfast I buy frozen breakfast sandwiches and have them at work with a clementine. For dinner, if I'm not having leftovers, I'll defrost a few pieces of fish the day before and then make them all at once, so the next time I just have to heat them up.

Skinnytaste.com and drizzlemeskinny (or drizzlemethin) both have a ton of recipes that are healthy and can be made quickly or in a crockpot, too.

I recommend you continue to cook for more than one because you'll actually end up cooking less often!

MelanieCN77

I am married but still cook for one as necessary, I find it so much easier. I'm in control of everything I eat 100%.

Francl27

I'm so sorry for your loss.

I'd make casseroles, personally, and freeze individual portions. Then you can just pop whatever you're in the mood for in the microwave for a few minutes.

Think lasagna, shepherd's pie, baked ziti etc. Meatballs and meatloaf would work too.

Honestly, I'd probably buy a lot of frozen chicken fillets/burgers etc and bags of frozen veggies and just cook single portions that way.

Ok obviously that requires a big freezer, but I get bored if I eat the same thing more than 2-3 times in a week.

The only thing I don't really get bored with easily is a pack of ground meat. Meat sauce, stuffed peppers, tacos, burgers... it's easy to use a pound without getting too repetitive.

AnnPT77

I'm sorry to hear you're going through this! I was widowed at about age 43, which is now about 18 years back, but I can clearly remember this phase (though I wasn't trying to lose weight at the same time).

Frankly, I think some of this just takes time and patience. I found that everything from grocery shopping on up had to change, and it took a while to figure it all out. (Example: At the time, I could no longer eat a whole giant half-gallon of salsa before it spoiled. Cheese had to get smaller. Etc.)

Besides the logistical changes, I found myself less motivated to cook from scratch: I guess I was the kind of weak character who required an audience.

For a while, I relied more than I ever had before on purchased foods, like frozen entrees. These come in better and worse versions, nutritionally and calorically, so I don't think there's anything wrong with that as long as the choices are nutritious. But nowadays, on fewer calories, I'd certainly need to supplement the protein to meet my macro goals.

At this point, I mostly cook from scratch because I can best meet my nutritional goals on fewest calories that way. There are two general strategies that work for me:

1. Develop a repertoire of "for one" dishes to cook on the spur of the moment (sans recipe), from things one keeps on hand. For me, a few examples are omelet/frittata with lots of veggies, stir fry veggies with edamame spaghetti (sometimes with PB2 peanut sauce), tostada with veggies & protein, big salad with protein, Ezekiel tortilla "pizza". I often add a plate of raw veggies as a side (celery, carrot sticks, celeriac, jicama, cucumber, etc.)
2. Have a set of basic dishes or foods to make in bigger quantities and freeze to use as raw materials or full meals. For example, I make big batches of thick legume soups that are quite plain (usually just salt and onions), portion them in 2C glass bowls with snap-on lids, and freeze. When I thaw them, I can eat them as is (if I'm in a rush); doctor them up with added veggies, seasonings & protein; or use them as a raw material in other foods (like "Mexican lasagna", say). These days, the 2C bowl will usually serve for 2 meals, with sides or amendments. I also freeze other soups in the same type of bowl (note that some things like potatoes don't freeze all that nicely), or make a big batch of something like a pasta dish or enchiladas, split it into portions and freeze. There are zillions of recipes for "breakfast muffins" or "oatmeal cups" or wraps that freeze well and are good grab'n'go breakfasts or lunches.

I do think there are advantages to cooking only for oneself when working on achieving a healthier and appropriately-portioned way of eating. I can just cook to please myself, and I don't have to enviously watch someone who (being larger) can eat larger portions.

Another "take lifestyle lemons and make lemonade" idea - and those were generally a big part of how I learned to cope with widowhood - was to think about foods I liked, but that I'd let become a smaller part of my eating because my husband didn't care for them, so we used them less in shared meals.

Good luck in sorting this out, and generally figuring out how to enjoy a life that's suddenly changed (in ways you wouldn't have chosen). I think the biggest thing is just to gradually make progress in reinventing onself, and expect it to take some time.

P.S. In case some of my specific suggestions above seem odd, I should point out that I'm ovo-lacto vegetarian and have been for 43 years. I think the general strategies & some meal ideas would still apply to a meat eater, but that's why you haven't seen me suggest meat-portioning ideas specifically.

melodydee66

My condolences to you. And I'd like to say I'm so impressed with how well you are committing your health at this time.

Often my family will eat without me, so I'm cooking for "one" often. I would say my biggest "go to" meal is: roasted vegetables, salad and grilled protein.

I put all my veggies on a sheet pan in the oven, so I can just put in what I want... the other night was broccoli, zucchini and brussel sprouts. I add some garlic and olive oil and set them in the oven while I prepare a small salad and then grill or saute my protein. It's a super fast meal and ready in less than 20 minutes. I may grill a chicken breast, or a steak or even saute up some prawns. I really like the Sweet Kale Salad in the bag and often will have some of that for my salad and just use a small portion of the bag and dressing (putting the rest in small containers for next meals).

I like fresh and don't tend to each as much if it's leftovers, so this works well for me.

ad28517

I am a single lady, and I understand your plight. My go-to meal is an egg (or two) and a handful of frozen hashbrowns, and a portion of chicken or turkey sausage. I can make it all in one pan, in about 10 minutes, and it is high in protein, reasonably low in carbs, and about 400ish calories.

I am terrible at the reheating thing, and I am not big on leftovers. I also do my veggies like MelodyDee (usually onion, zucchini, peppers) and add it to Bear Creek darn good chili mix (it comes in a 4-cup size) or spaghetti sauce, or with some chicken for fajitas, or whatever.

Another versatile item I make in the crockpot: 2# boneless skinless chicken breasts, a packet of taco (I use fajita) seasoning, a jar of salsa (whatever you like). When it is done, shred using 2 forks. This freezes well, and again, can be used in tacos, soups, etc.

Hope that helps!

dcdickerson2

Thank you to all who have replied to my post! I have gotten some great ideas and maybe best of all realized I'm on the right track, just need to keep planning! I ve found I like shopping for just a few meals at a time, so I'm not overwhelmed with too much in the fridge or pantry that I feel pressured to find a way to use up before it goes bad! Almost always my few days worth of food actually lasts longer, and/or adds to my store of frozen meals. I like the idea of roasting my veggies more often, while cooking my protein on the stove. I think this can even be done with frozen veggies. I'll find out!
Again, thanks for all the replies and ideas!

SafioraLinnea

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss.

You can continue to cook for two - just put away the second serving for another meal. I find that much easier than trying to make food for one person personally.

Otherwise, meal planning, shopping lists, measuring half of previous amounts, and a bit of trial and error are how I would go about it. Good luck!!