Cold weather hot dinners for one...

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Snooozie
Snooozie Posts: 3,447 Member
Hi MFP's..

Just wondering if anyone more experienced here might have some ideas for a few simple, healthy and HOT dinners for ONE person? The cold weather is arriving and while I do make some things in batches like soups and chili, I don't have a lot of freezer space for storage and when it's cold I like something warm for dinners. I'm not a fan of crockpots simply because it makes way too much for one (even allowing for leftovers for lunch the next day) plus for me, it all seems to mush together. I'm fine with enough leftovers for lunch the next day, but most recipes call for 4-6 servings and then I have to eat it for a week LOL.. so I'd really appreciate any suggestions for a nice warm dinner for one person. The only things I have to watch are high sugar and high carbs per meal (Type 2 Diabetes). i love all veggies and the only thing I won't eat is liver..

I've tried searching for some under various things like "meals for one" or "simple healthy dinners" but I'm not having much luck, so just thought I'd ask some of the more experienced(and better) cooks on MFP if they have any ideas.. :smile:

Replies

  • hauer01
    hauer01 Posts: 523 Member
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    I understand where you are coming from. I live alone and cook for 1 all of the time. I do alot of freezing of food, but it sounds like you don't have the room for that.

    My go to, last minute meal for 1 is any type of stir fry. I cook up what ever meat I have (beef, pork, chicken, shrimp) and toss it with some veggies. I also do cauliflower rice with it. Super Yummy and low cal!

    I alter a lot of recipes. If you go to allrecipes.com and find a recipe that you like, you can adjust the quantity to 1 or 2 people and get an idea of how much of each ingredient that you would use.
  • tommygirl15
    tommygirl15 Posts: 1,012 Member
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    Being single means a lot of leftovers for me, but thankfully I don't mind eating the same leftovers for a week.
    How about personal size pizzas? You can usually find some tasty naan breads at the grocery store (or some lower-carb bread option), just top it with whatever you got sitting in the fridge, pop it in the oven and voila, a nice hot meal for one :D
  • emilyds
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    When I lived alone, I always just cut back on recipes. You can take any recipe that's meant for 4-6 servings, and just use 1/4 of the ingredient sizes to make a meal for one person.
    One of my favorite meals was using 1/2 or 3/4 cup of tortellini, 2 cups of mixed vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots) and just 1 or 2 small spoonfulls of alfredo sauce or whatever kind of sauce you'd like. Fixed my craving for pasta with alfredo sauce, but most of the meal was actually vegetables, so still really healthy.
  • Erica0718
    Erica0718 Posts: 469 Member
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    You can use your crockpot and half the recipes so there is not as much leftover if you are concerned about eating it for days. Sometimes I just put a couple chicken breasts and salsa or whatever seasoning you prefer, just because you use the crock pot doesn't mean you have to make a lot.

    Also I buy frozen tilapia or salmon and take out a piece at a time to prepare with a side of vegtables
  • Snooozie
    Snooozie Posts: 3,447 Member
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    Thanks ladies.. appreciate the ideas very much.. I do occasionally do the pasta dishes but they have to be the exception for me as even a small amount of whole grain penne loaded with veg spikes my sugars.. and I do make an occasional stry fry type but it uaually ends up kinda blah tasting (im not one of those cooks who can taste something and say oh it needs this or a touch of that.. i envy those of you who can btw! Great idea on the naan bread to check out; pitas are too high in carbs for me to use so i'll look at them instead.. i guess its the "hot dinner" part I'm trying to figure out.. right now i do a lot of just cooking some meat and adding whatever veg steamed on the side, but I'm getting a little bored with it..

    maybe what I really want is a personal chef LOL.. but thank you all; kind of you to reply and great ideas!
  • Snooozie
    Snooozie Posts: 3,447 Member
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    Thanks Erica.. great idea about the fish. But I've already thrown away my crockpot lol... finally admitted to myself using it just wasn't my cup of tea :flowerforyou: