It can be difficult to cook for just yourself, let alone cook healthily! However, strategies such as using your freezer more and shopping for shelf-stable items can help make this task more manageable.
Picture this: you’ve just finished making a recipe, and you’ve made more than you could hope to eat in a week. Or, you’re opening your fridge to find that most of your food has spoiled before you can use it.
If this sounds like you, don’t worry. Cooking for just one person and trying to prioritize healthful ingredients can be a challenging task. Keep reading for tips on how to make it work for your lifestyle.
Your freezer is your secret weapon when it comes to creating healthy meals for one. This will substantially extend the amount of time you have to use ingredients and consume meals.
When stored in the refrigerator, produce items often have short shelf lives, which can prevent you from eating them regularly. If you find you can’t consume all of your produce before it perishes, buying frozen can be a cost-effective and convenient alternative.
While frozen produce can lose some nutrients, especially when stored for long periods, most of these nutrients can be preserved.
If you eat meat, this can also have a short shelf life. You can also buy frozen meat; some meats may already be pre-portioned into single servings, such as ground beef patties or chicken breasts.
Similar to buying frozen produce, stocking up on shelf-stable ingredients can help you put together healthy meals while saving you money at the same time.
Lots of healthful ingredients can be convenient and shelf-stable, such as canned or dried beans. If you’re using canned beans, rinse them before cooking to remove any excess salt.
Grains like quinoa and brown rice can also be purchased and stored for extended periods of time. You can portion out exactly one serving, or buy single-serving microwavable packs for even greater convenience.
How long do my ingredients last?
Not sure how long you have to use that last lemon? How long can you keep canned goods? Learn about shelf-life for common ingredients and how to properly store them here.
Some produce items are sold in large bags, like lemons and limes, apples, clementines, and avocados. While these are great if you find yourself eating a lot of these items in a short period of time, you may find that they perish before you get to use all of them.
If your grocery store offers the option, it may be better to grab your own bag and select exactly how many you think you need, rather than defaulting to the pre-bagged items.
Items like onions and garlic may last longer than fruits, so you may want to consider buying the large bagged options of these items.
When making a recipe, you may find that you end up with several portions instead of just one. You can save the other portions as meal prep, removing the need to cook for a few days.
If you want to plan in advance, consider selecting recipes that use a lot of the same ingredients. This way, you can ensure that you use all your perishable goods before they spoil, and even prepare multiple recipes simultaneously.
This can also simplify your shopping experience, as you would need to buy fewer different ingredients.
Need meal prep containers?
Discover our favorite meal prep containers here.
Of course, eating the same meals multiple days a week may not be your cup of tea. If you’re looking for more variety while still being savvy, consider setting up a food swap with another person who cooks for one.
This way, you and a friend can eat a greater variety of meals without having to cook every single day. Plus, you can learn new recipes you can make for yourself!
Cooking healthful meals for one can be a challenging task, but it doesn’t have to be! Using strategies like meal prepping and self-serve produce can be effective ways to balance both nutrition and convenience.