How to Cook Healthy and Economical Meals for One Person

Cooking for one every day can be a chore. Not only is there the possibility of waste, but it is also more challenging to cook healthy meals when you are just serving one person. Here are some good strategies to employ if your goal in the new year is to prepare healthy meals when cooking only for a party of one.

Shop for Self-Stable Foods

One of the biggest hindrances in cooking for one is how quickly food will spoil with no other eaters in the home. Stocking your pantry with shelf-stable foods will go a long way in eliminating waste and ensuring that you always have healthy ingredients on hand.

Good choices to keep in your pantry at all times include dry and canned beans, whole grain rice and pasta, canned vegetables, and canned fruit. Heart-healthy grains such as quinoa can last up to a year if properly stored. These grains can be used to bulk up meat or veggie dishes, delivering solid amounts of fiber along with the other nutrients. You will save money if you buy those shelf-stable items in bulk.

Lean on Your Freezer

There is nothing worse than opening a refrigerator to prepare dinner only to find that the food you wanted to use has already expired. Leaning into your freezer to keep food fresh will naturally extend the shelf life of many foods.

Getting into the habit of freezing meat in pre-portioned single servings is a good way to prevent spoilage. Or simply buy meat that is already frozen. Chicken breasts, fish fillets, and ground beef or turkey patties are readily available as single servings. Simply keep a stash of these in your freezer and pull them out as needed for a quick meal.

Use Self-Serve Produce

It is easy to be tempted to buy produce in bulk, especially when it is on sale. However, are you really saving money if you throw away half of the box of berries because they went bad before you could eat them all?

Single shoppers are usually better off buying produce in self-serve portions. Picking up exactly what you need will generally save money while eliminating waste. The key is to know what types of produce will last longer. For example, apples and citrus fruits tend to last longer than strawberries. Potatoes, onions, carrots, and garlic also have a longer shelf life, making them a smarter bulk purchase option.

Learn How to Meal Prep

Savvy shoppers understand the value of meal prepping. Planning your weekly meals around specific ingredients is a great way to reduce waste and eliminate the need to cook every single day.

For example, choose recipes for the week that use a lot of the same ingredients in their prep. Perhaps you want to make a shepherd's pie with fresh carrots, peas, and potatoes, and then use those same vegetables in a pot of soup? While the meals use similar ingredients, the overall flavor profile is so different that it will not feel repetitive. Employing this strategy will also ensure that all of the perishable goods are used before they spoil.

Meal preppers quickly learn which meals freeze the best. Soups and casseroles generally freeze well, making them good options when meal prepping.

There are a number of tools on the market that make meal prepping and freezing the components a breeze. For instance, consider making a pot of spaghetti sauce on a lazy Sunday afternoon and freezing it in single-size portions for later use. Simply thaw the pre-portioned serving of spaghetti sauce and toss it with some of the stash of pasta from the pantry. This practice is economical and healthier, as it reduces the urge to hit the fast-food drive-thru after a busy day if you know you have a ready-made meal waiting in your freezer at home.

Coordinate with Other Single Friends

Meal prepping is not for everyone. For someone who likes more variety in their diet, it may be a good idea to consider setting up a food swap with a friend or family member who also cooks for one. This is a good way to eat a variety of meals without having to spend time in the kitchen every day.

Swapping meals with another single cooker will also likely introduce you to recipes that you can incorporate into your own meal planning. As a bonus, it can become a fun social activity for a group of single friends.

With the right planning and execution, cooking for one is nutritious, convenient, and economical. The key is having a plan when you arrive at the grocery store so that you avoid impulse purchases.

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