Meals for one

[mel]

Kind of a random topic. So after over a year of being on my own I'm still trying to figure this out. I went from living at home and having my mom cook for the family to living with my ex and her cooking for us. See a theme? I never cooked! So since she moved out I have to say that I've eaten out probably about 90% of the time. I've gained quite a bit of weight and have spent a ton of money. When I do cook I end up eating leftovers for days or end up throwing a lot away. I tried splitting recipes in half and freezing leftovers but it's still a lot of food and ends up staying in the freezer for months. I want to start eating better in an effort to lose some weight and save some money.

Anyone have any tips on grocery shopping for one or any easy meals that can be thrown together rather quickly that won't have a ton of leftovers? Any personal favorite go to's?

[riverpestie]

OH gosh! I know exactly how this is!

I eat mainly veggies, fruits, seeds and such. What I do, is I go to the grocery store a few times a week, because produce normally gets bad after a few days. I only take what I know I plan on eating in the next 3 -4 days.
I actually asked the manager that if he food is bundled, can I un-bundle it and pay by the weight and he said I could! So, that's what I have been doing.
FI and I eat VERY differently, so food is not shared, so I am still buying food for one.

[mel]

Yes! That's another issue that I have. What I buy will go bad before I get a chance to use it and then I feel like it was such a waste. For the longest time I bought just a bunch of lean cuisines because they are single serve and quick. I got tired of those haha.

[riverpestie]

Yes! I totally hear ya. Are you able to go to the grocery a couple times a week?
Also, definitely ask a manager if you can unbundle, bundled foods! It really cuts down on the costs. I have saved TONS doing this, plus I am not wasting food.

[kitkat1502]

I struggle with the same thing. I was the primary cook when living with XH so I found it hard to cook for just one. Usually at night I feel like I don't want to go through the hassle of cooking just for me, so I'll eat like crap or make a dip and have it with tortilla chips, clearly not the healthiest option.

Here are some of my favorite easy recipes from my blog, I usually cook to have one day of leftovers.

aseasonedgreeting.blogspot.com/2014/05/peppers-and-onions-chicken.html
aseasonedgreeting.blogspot.com/2013/09/easy-chicken-and-rice.html
aseasonedgreeting.blogspot.com/2012/07/fajita-pasta.html
aseasonedgreeting.blogspot.com/2013/04/easy-enchilada-chicken.html
aseasonedgreeting.blogspot.com/2013/03/easy-mexi-chicken.html

[MyName]

Sandwiches/wraps are one of my go-to meals, usually turkey/avocado/lettuce on whole wheat bread/wrap, or grilled cheese
Salads - prep a few days worth of ingredients and buy some kind of mixed lettuce that is already washed. For protein I add tuna, shredded chicken or black beans mixed w lime juice, cumin, and cilantro.
Eggs - omelets with whatever veg/cheese you have on hand, or lately I've been doing one poached in ramen with some extra veg

I love to cook, but I don't have a dishwasher, so I try to keep it simple when it's just me.

[Deleted]

I keep a combo of single serve proteins. Chicken, salmon, flank steak, etc. as well as sauces and herbs. Then each week I pick up vegetables to roast or make into salads. Then I just sort of mix and match based on what I feel like. I usually make a recipe 2-3 times per week and eat leftovers for lunch.

[mel]

kitkat1502 those recipes look wonderful! I will have to try them out.

These are all great tips. I'm actually excited to start cooking at home more because I'm getting so tired of eating out and eating the same things over and over again.

Keep them coming!

[cuddlyevil]

Sept 19, 2014 10:33:46 GMT -5 @pdx18 said:

I keep a combo of single serve proteins. Chicken, salmon, flank steak, etc. as well as sauces and herbs. Then each week I pick up vegetables to roast or make into salads. Then I just sort of mix and match based on what I feel like. I usually make a recipe 2-3 times per week and eat leftovers for lunch.

This is kind of what I do for the kids and I. I get pad 2x a month, so on those weeks I pick up my protein and restock my frozen veg/sides. Then on my "off" pay weeks I just have to worry about milk or any fresh fruit or veggies. It helps me whip up quick meals during the week, even if the kids don't always eat all of it--if they don't touch it, I pack it up and eat it for lunch the next day.

[pinkdutchtulips]

Fresh20.com

select the for one plan

you get 3 months worth of meal plans (5 dinners for the week) tailored to cooking for one. I've been doing it since Jan, it's FANTASTIC !!

[tiffany81]

Ditto the single serve proteins. I buy the giant packs of Costco organic chicken, but they are just 2 breasts per pack. I throw two packs in the freezer and cook up one. DS will eat a tiny amount of it, and I can easily eat the other 1.5 pieces in a day or two. I try to make things like chicken ceasar salads or chicken and an easy side dish. That kind of cooking is easy and cheaper for me.

Also, if the meal is 6 servings, I can eat it over 2-3 days and put 2-3 servings in the freezer for the next week as easy lunches. I don't mind repeating food though. I'm easy to please.

[alleinesein]

If you have a Trader Joes in your town it can help you out a ton. Most of their meats are packaged in serving of 2 so you can cook them up and only have enough leftover for 1 meal. Even their fruits and veggies are packaged in 2 person servings so you dont end up with way too much food.

[onedayatatime]

Sept 19, 2014 13:03:50 GMT -5 alleinesein said:

If you have a Trader Joes in your town it can help you out a ton. Most of their meats are packaged in serving of 2 so you can cook them up and only have enough leftover for 1 meal. Even their fruits and veggies are packaged in 2 person servings so you dont end up with way too much food.

Trader joes has been the best way to keep me from eating popcorn or cheese-its all the time. I love their prepackaged meals - and the frozen chicken tikka masala


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[Deleted]

I found trader joes to be great for this (except their meats are too pricey IMO) They have lots of great frozen dishes and are so much better than lean cuisine and such.  They even sell frozen grilled chicken slices that are great to add to a premixed bag of salad greens with some goat cheese Or other additions.  I also ate a lot of things like eggs and sandwiches which are easy to make for one.  Take out is too expensive (and unhealthy) to eat regularly. I did that for a while and I gained weight.  

[lexxasaurus]

I'm also a big fan of sandwiches, wraps and salads so I ditto everything MyName said. My new thing is soft poached eggs over salad and it makes me oh so happy. Runny yolk means you barely need dressing!

[MyName]

Sept 19, 2014 19:16:29 GMT -5 lexxasaurus said:

I'm also a big fan of sandwiches, wraps and salads so I ditto everything MyName said. My new thing is soft poached eggs over salad and it makes me oh so happy. Runny yolk means you barely need dressing!

Yes, ripe avocado + lemon juice - no dressing needed!

[geekychic]

If I make a big batch of something, I portion it into single servings and freeze it. Then I have quick meals for later.

I usually make 2-3 big (read normal recipe size or halved) meals and eat them through the week for lunch and dinner.

[moonlight]

Sept 19, 2014 18:04:35 GMT -5 onedayatatime said:

Sept 19, 2014 13:03:50 GMT -5 alleinesein said:

If you have a Trader Joes in your town it can help you out a ton. Most of their meats are packaged in serving of 2 so you can cook them up and only have enough leftover for 1 meal. Even their fruits and veggies are packaged in 2 person servings so you dont end up with way too much food.

Trader joes has been the best way to keep me from eating popcorn or cheese-its all the time. I love their prepackaged meals - and the frozen chicken tikka masala


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I agree about Trader Joes. I love their veggie and shrimp or veggie and chicken stir frys. They only take a few minutes to throw in a pan.

Also, I have taken this opportunity to be lazy-healthy. As in, instead of making a meal, I'll just eat a bowl of watermelon for lunch or red peppers and carrots with horseradish hummus (another Trader Joe's must have) for dinner instead of making an actual meal. I might cook up a chicken breast or a hamburger or a fishburger (also from Trader Joes...awesome!) and then eat a raw veggie for a side. Easy, healthy and accessible. Lazy/healthy.

[aaxoxo75]

I love to cook but I dont cook very often. When I do, I divide most of the chicken/meat into ziploc bags and freeze them. That way I only use what I am going to eat for a day or two. I love boneless chicken breast or tenders, so versatile. You can do stir fry, tacos, put in a salad, breaded etc.

[livinitup]

Grocery shopping is the key to home cooking. I can't stress this enough. You can go once a week and still have plenty of fresh things throughout the week.

i also have some basic staples in my house like shredded cheese, canned beans (for salads), flour tortillas, sour cream, salsa, tomato sauce, eggs, potatoes, pasta, salad dressings, lots of things. Look at the meals you like to eat or cook and keep those ingredients on hand. 

So, meal plan and make a list of your meals for the week and groceries to buy. 

I'm a big fan of cook once, eat twice. Big fan. You mentioned eating a lot of leftovers. May I suggest cooking a meat or a pasta for one meal, and then using it again in a new way for the next meal? Think about doing that with all your food for the week. It never feels like leftovers. Make at least 2-3 servings of everything you cook. My goal is to only cook one item a night, and mix in what's already in hand. Sometimes I cook two things. This a sample of a week:

Sunday
chicken cutlets, mashed potatoes and green beans 
(Chicken, dip in egg, dip in seasoned bread crumbs, pan fry)
(peel potatoes, boil in water, drain, add butter and milk, mash)

Monday
chicken Parmesan, pasta, salad
(Use yesterday's chicken and add tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese and bake)

Tuesday
Roasted steak and vegetables 
(steak, salt, pepper, pan sear both sides)
(Wash and chop any vegetable, toss with oil, salt, roast in oven)

Potato pancakes with salad
(Use Sunday's mashed potatoes, egg, flour, onion, shape, fry in pan, flip)
(Use Monday's salad - make at least 3 when you make one, seal and store)

Wednesday
Pasta with roasted veggie and mozzarella
(use leftover pasta, veggies and add mozzarella balls, toss in lite dressing)

Thursday
Sliced steak and salad
(Slice Tuesday's steak, slice, add to salad and toss with favorite dressing)

Friday
Heat up the leftovers!
Nothing quite right for a leftover meal? - Have a Quesada - chop your steak and veggies add cheese and beans and fold over. Top with sour cream and salsa 


This is a bit ambitious for a week, I just wanted to highlight my suggestion to cook once and eat twice. It's a wonderful way to cook for one. You can rotate-in something from the freezer (I freeze in single servings and reheat for a quick dinner), or buy a mid-week take out. The point is to LOOK at whatever you cook and think how you can use it again -new. 

[moonlight]

Livinitup, I bow to you. See my above post about eating carrots and hummus for dinner.