Cooking for one

deannabak2364
deannabak2364 Posts: 9 Member
in Motivation and Support
I’ve recently moved and living by myself. The biggest thing is cooking for one and not 4. I find it hard to want to cook for me. So I don’t. Looking for great ideas for meals. Thank you

Replies

  • Velvetpixels
    Velvetpixels Posts: 51 Member
    If my kids are out .... which they often are now (teenagers), I still cook a family amount. You can then just portion it up into separate boxes and chill or freeze for another day. I very rarely ‘cook for one’ and if I do I make sure it’s really special. Think of something you love to eat or would love to try, find a recipe for it and make it for yourself. Eating alone can be a real treat.... nobody to complain about what you’re cooking 🤣
  • COGypsy
    COGypsy Posts: 1,365 Member
    I keep most things frozen, then I can just take out what I want, pour some kind of sauce on it and dinner is done. My go-tos are frozen grilled chicken, whatever frozen veg looks good or is on sale, some kind of Asian or Italian sauce and frozen rice or pasta in a pouch. I also keep a lot of cheese and cracker type stuff around for quick breakfasts or snacks.
  • kelMee2
    kelMee2 Posts: 203 Member
    Try a pinch of nom cookbook, it's amazing I cook things then divide it into tubs for the fridge and freezer it means I have nights that instead of cooking I'm just heating something in the microwave.
  • teamhugcpt
    teamhugcpt Posts: 24 Member
    deannabak2364 wrote: »
    I’ve recently moved and living by myself. The biggest thing is cooking for one and not 4. I find it hard to want to cook for me. So I don’t. Looking for great ideas for meals. Thank you

    What part of cooking is your biggest obstacle? Planning, shopping, chopping, clean-up, takes too long, bored with your options, skills/intimidation, etc.? And what are your nutritional preferences (lower carbs or fat, dairy-free etc.)?

    Here are some of my go-tos:

    - Veggie-loaded chili: sauté ground beef or turkey and onions, add peppers, zucchini, corn, beans, tomatoes, spices, and simmer until tender (7 minutes in the instant pot). It's basically dump & stir, and it freezes well if you don't want to eat the whole batch. Except for the zucchini and the meat, all the ingredients can come out of the freezer or a can, which is super convenient.

    - Kale, sausage, and white bean soup: sauté onions, garlic, and the sausage of your choice, add a bag of frozen kale or spinach, and some white beans, some chicken stock, and a bay leaf. Carrots and celery are also good if you don't mind more chopping. Simmer about half an hour or 7 minutes in the instant pot. My go-to is turkey chorizo, but it's also great with italian sausage or kielbasa. You can also swap in rice or potatoes. Use meatballs and small pasta and you basically have Italian wedding soup.

    - Ligthening-fast cheesy chicken bowls with broccoli rice. (Don't judge my food blog - it's not actually public yet!) You can add cooked rice if you want more carbs.

    - Big mac salad: Grill a burger patty or sauté some lean ground beef. (I like to shape quarter-sized mini burger bites, but that's more effort than you really need.) Let that cool slightly while you chop lettuce, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and pickles. Place in a big mixing bowl, and drizzle with mayo and ketchup, and toss well. (I do 2 parts ketchup to 1 part mayo.) Add the beef and optionally top with croutons, sesame seeds and shredded cheddar cheese.
  • nanastaci2020
    nanastaci2020 Posts: 1,072 Member
    I have a household of 4 now, but sometimes I eat 'differently'.

    1 pound tube of pork sausage (I've tried it w/ leaner turkey sausage and prefer the pork) and a 14-16 oz package of shredded cabbage, like for making cole slaw. Brown/crumble the sausage. Blot with a paper towel but don't drain. Stir in the cabbage. Add 2-3 tablespoons soy sauce, some garlic, ginger paste, and 1/2 tbsp of sesame oil. Simmer for about 5 minutes, long enough to soften the cabbage. Should make enough for 3-4 meals. Do not freeze, just eat over the next few days. Its like egg rolls without the wrapper.

    Spaghetti squash - I buy the smallest one I can find. Cut in half & remove seeds, rub each half with a little olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic salt. Bake 45-50 minutes at 350. Pull out the 'noodles' with a fork. Each half is enough for me for a meal, so it could be dinner today/lunch tomorrow. Add spaghetti sauce, parmesan cheese, seasonings. I buy precooked turkey sausage and add 1-2 ounces. I also would not freeze this to eat later.

    Chili - make on the stove, and 1 pound of ground meat + can of beans, can of tomatoes, seasoning: can make 3-4 meals. THIS will freeze well after cooked. So cook today, eat for dinner and have a few lunch/dinners ready to grab from the freezer.

    For a no-cook day: BLT salad. Half a head of iceburg lettuce, other salad veggies of your choice, blue cheese crumbles, bacon bits, light ranch dressing.

    Baked potato - can cook in the oven or microwave. Top as desired.

  • gceinca
    gceinca Posts: 22 Member
    Hungry-girl.com is a great site! You will find low cal "meals for one" that are quite good and filling. My favorite is the Mac Attack Burger Bowl very similar to the Big Mac Salad mentioned above. These recipes usually include a low calorie "base" such as lettuce, cabbage or cauliflower rice, so you can have quite a large portion for few calories.
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
    I'm vegan but the spouse isn't, so we often cook for ourselves. I like "puck planning"- making casseroles in a silicon muffin pan for easy portioning and freezing, or making soup or chili and freezing in the silicon muffin pan. I usually do this about once a week, so there are always a variety of "pucks" in the freezer for a quick no-fuss meal.

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