Tips and Tricks If You're Cooking For One (From A Dietitian)
Most recipes out there (especially budget-friendly ones) are made for multiple people. Most of the ones I see have multiple servings (usually four to six) and occasionally I come across ones that have two servings. If you’re only cooking for yourself, it becomes a dilemma:
Do you try to cut the recipe in half (or into quarters) and run the risk of throwing off the ratios or do complicated math to figure it out? Or…
Do you just make the full recipe and get stuck with so many leftovers that you might end up getting sick of eating the same thing over and over again?
Cooking for one has never been easy, but there are ways to make it work for you if you have limited space or aren’t crazy about monotonous meals that you have the reheat over and over again. The trick is to get creative with your meal planning so you can still enjoy what you cook –– even on days when your energy is low or you are dealing with time constraints. If you’re a single person who is dealing with back-to-back meetings, multiple jobs, or you’re just too tired to cook, here are a few tips that I give to patients who have the same struggle:
Buy frozen proteins, fruits, and vegetables. Cook what you need and put the rest back in the freezer to save time, energy, and food waste.
Batch cook and freeze portions for another time (soups, chili, etc.) Sometimes things like SouperCubes allow you to freeze things in single portions so you’re not reheating things multiple times.
Cook once and eat twice (or more) using sheet pan meals or a crock pot, which is a great lower-energy meal prep device.
When ordering out, get a full, balanced meal (proteins + vegetables + carbs) and save the leftovers.
Have a few meals on repeat or in your recipe repertoire to decrease decision fatigue. The less you have to think about cooking, the less daunting it can be.
Don’t overbuy on groceries. Having too much around can increase decision fatigue, mental fatigue, and the so-called “fuck it” reflex (when you decide not to cook and default to take out).
Eat what you like, not what you think you should be eating. Start somewhere. Yes, you can most of the time make it “healthier” like adding a fruit or vegetable. Or swap for a leaner protein, for example.
Set up your food environment (home) with single-serving portions of snacks, desserts, etc.
Create a meal experience you look forward to: TV, music, candles, quiet, reading, etc.
Use meal subscription services such as Factor, Yellow Picnic, Cook Unity, Hello Fresh, etc. These services take the guesswork out of portions, are easy to cook, and don’t require a ton of meal planning or shopping.
If you are looking for more tips like this, I’d love to work with you. I work with patients in New York and New Jersey, so if you’re in the area, book an appointment with me. I also offer complimentary 15-minute consultations.