Cooking for One

When I was single, I would double a lot at night for the next day. For example, if I made chicken breat one night, I would make two of them and use the other breast for salad or dice it up for tacos and stuff. Or if I made chili, I would make a big batch...like 8 servings...and then freeze half of it, and break the other ones up into pre-portioned servings to grab and go.

I didn't do this before, I wish I had learned this before lol...but I sit down and make out my schedule on a calander. I manage my menu around my work schedule, and always cook enough for me to take left overs for work...so that I can grab and go with minimal prep.

Glad and Ziploc plastic tubs are going to be your best friend. I suggest investing in several sizes and several tubs in those sizes. Then when you fill it, put a piece of clear tape on the side and label it with a sharpe. That way you can just pull off the tape when you are ready to reuse and relabel.

For a lot of things, especially meats, it's either hard to find single portions or it costs a lot more.

Watch for sales and buy the big family packs to save a lot of money, then break it up into single portions and freeze it that way.

Buy lots of soups when they go on sale. Depending on where you live, you should have a week or so supply of canned food in your house during the winter anyway.

I have this theory that if in ancient times, one of my ancestors found an apple tree, he would probably be eating apples for the next couple of days. So I try to eat only one main type of food per meal. Granted it's not the most variety, but it works for me.

For one meal, I might cook a sweet potato. Those things are huge. So I cook one, and that's my meal. Or I cook a couple of chicken legs, and that's my meal. That's my system. I limit meals to one or two major ingredients (not counting spices, rubs and sauces).

Let's say I use a can of red kidney beans, well that's too much for one meal, so I split that in two. I eat half with a can of salmon for lunch, then the other half with two chicken legs for supper.

Being single, I've found it impossible to shop only once a week, since meat doesn't last that long. I grocery every two or three days, that way everything is fresh all the time. I try to go for what's on special. And going for three or more main ingredients per meal just makes wasted food happen way too much.

I get a bag of oranges, apples or whatever fruit is on special (or I'm craving), and those are my snacks for the week.

I make huge bean salads with vegetables and oil or mayo with lits of spices and tend to eat that for days. It's helpful if you use canned beans. Opening 4 cans of beans or vegetables and maybe adding noodles or rice is very easy and a satisfying way to feed uourself for days with minimal effort and lots of nutrition.

I tend to eat really simple things that don't go bad easily. I make frozen veggies, shrimp, turkey burgers, chicken breasts, fish filets, brown rice, baked potatoes, salads, cottage cheese, sandwiches, cereal, oatmeal, eggs, pitas, wheat tortillas, chicken sausage, canned soup, and amy's frozen meals for when I'm being especially lazy.

I'm a widow, don't like to spend a lot of time cooking just for myself. and like to eat out all the time. Bad combination and why I gained so much weight.

I make food in batches that lasts several days and just reheat it. Meal planning has saved my life.

I dislike oatmeal, but discovered I love steel cut oats. I buy Bob's Red Mill brand, cook half a bag (which takes about 30 minutes or so), and keep that in the fridge. Every morning I reheat with a little water and sliced apple. Reheating takes about 2 minutes. I have an Amazon student Prime membership and order the oats because I don't pay shipping. They appear on my doorstep every month. I store the extra ones in the freezer.

I also eat a lot of lentils with stir-fried vegetables and steamed greens. One cup of lentils has the protein of 3 eggs (18 g versus 6 g per egg). They don't require soaking and cook in about 20-30 minutes. I overcook them until they are almost mushy (add more water) because they are easier to digest (people lack an enzyme to digest the shell/coat in beans, but the way around this is to soak them or add more water and cook longer). When the lentils are done, I stir-fry with a little olive oil and chopped vegetables like tomatoes and onions. Sometimes I use McCormick's Perfect Pinch spices (they make some with no MSG, no salt and no sugar). Olive oil is a good fat. I also steam kale, collards and spinach. That takes almost no time at all. I vary the vegetables and make this all the time to take to work, too.

Brown rice is good to make ahead of time, too. Make it in a rice cooker so you don't have to watch it.

If you can pinpoint some foods you like, make them in batches and reheat them. Many people buy a crockpot and make all kinds of meals with little time investment.