Cooking for one

**GoodThyming** · 03-31-2011, 08:08 PM

I'm living alone and finding it more difficult to cook for one than it is cooking for two. With another person, I look forward to sitting down and sharing the meal so I enjoy preparing it.

However, when it's just me, I have a terrible time feeling motivated! I want to go out to eat or just stock up on frozen dinners, neither of which is terribly frugal. This is mostly a problem at dinner, not other meals.

Any tips?

**craftypam** · 03-31-2011, 08:29 PM

I am not in your position, but I can see myself feeling the same way you do. How about taking a weekend and doing something similar to once a month cooking and freezing it. Then you could come home to an already cooked; just needing to be reheated meal.

**GoodThyming** · 03-31-2011, 08:34 PM

I do have some things in the freezer that I tend to take for lunch. I have a small freezer. My apt is a pretty small studio with a tiny kitchen. Fridge/freezer not that big though seem fine for one person.

**piney** · 03-31-2011, 09:31 PM

I live alone and it is hard to cook for one so i try cooking things i can freeze portion of or i eat a lot of left overs.but i have a small chest freezer and some time i have it full and freezer over refrigrator.

**MsMarieH** · 03-31-2011, 09:40 PM

Perhaps look around your neighborhood and see if there are other singles? You could take turns making meals for each other one or two nights a week.

This might be especially nice if there are any lonely elderly people near you. They might enjoy the company and the home cooked meal.

Once a month type cooking could be a good option for you as well - essentially, make your own frozen tv dinners.

**MaryCarney** · 03-31-2011, 10:45 PM

I think this would be terribly hard - I'm anxious to read more posts. (Although I do love Lean Cuisines - I take them to to work a lot)

**Palooka** · 03-31-2011, 10:57 PM

I would do a combo of both. Have some frozen foods on hand and maybe make 2 to 3 meals a week, eat for lunch and freeze the rest. making several burritos or pancakes wouldn't take up much room in the freezer. But then the 99 cent drive through wouldn't be too bad.

**tervsforme** · 04-01-2011, 07:32 AM

I have a hard time with this as well. Sometimes I really get into cooking, other times not. I make soup a lot and put some in the freezer and eat some. I will make a casserole on the weekend and usually eat on that all week, luckily I don't mind eating the same thing 3 or so days in a row. When I get lazy, I tend to eat very basic, like lunchmeat and cheese and crackers, scramble eggs with cheese and any leftover veggies. A pound of hamburger can be made into taco meat and you can have tacos one day, taco salad, nachos. I will usually freeze 1 serving of that as well for something simple at a later time. I usually keep tortillas in my fridge, anything can be put in a tortilla with some cheese to make a quesadilla for a quick supper.

Just a few thoughts off the top of my head...it's definitely a struggle at times.

**Josephhgoins** · 04-01-2011, 08:14 AM

I am in the same position, although I did buy a small chest freezer to help stretch my money dollars.

I will frequently make a full batch of something and freeze in serveing portions. I also make a effort to try new things. The great thing about being alone is that if you try somethign new and don't like it then there is no one there for fuss about how bad it tastes. I get to try new spices, new meats, new recipes even new cooking methods.

I find that it is a great freedom to have to only answer to me when it comes to my food. If I decide I only want a baked potato for dinner then I can have that, in the same thought if I want to bake a chicken and eat it all I can do that as well.

**Brat** · 04-01-2011, 09:02 AM

I still cook to much..I still do the 10# chicken legs..I oven fry some bake some and boil scrap. I make soup from the scrap and broth..freezing in single servings. Oven fry and quick freeze when frozen put is zip lock bag and when I want chicken I can take one piece at a time..I also do pork chops that way too. I have different things that way..

**krbshappy71** · 04-01-2011, 09:20 AM

Do you work outside the home? I still cook my dinners and envision myself eating the leftovers with my coworker the next day. I have a friend that also lives alone (I have a teen but she's not home at dinner time) and so we chit chat about what we made, how, is it good, etc and exchange recipes as well. So although dinner is alone (well, its in front of the computer, do cyber friends count?) I know I'll be eating the prepared dinner the next day with a friend.

My friend and I also share our lunches if its something that really came out good we'll offer it to each other. I just basically ignore dinner that is alone and the next day's lunch experience fills in that gap of feelings.

Having this friend has helped me stay on with baking and cooking because I'll share the goodies with her later.

**OhPioneer1806** · 04-05-2011, 07:25 AM

I have a friend in the same position as you and this is her advice. Treat yourself as if you were your own guest. Set the table and do whatever prep work you can either the night before or in the morning before going to work. Seeing a set table and knowing some of the work is already done for the evening meal inspires you to do the remainder of the cooking. She also recommended checking the library or book stores or online for cookbooks designed for serving one or two meals. Also Allrecipes.com has a feature where you can change the number of servings in a recipe to whatever you would like, she often changes a recipe to reflect cooking for only herself.

**MisaLady** · 04-11-2011, 06:14 AM

I tend to make huge batches and eat them over the course of a few days. Unfortunately, I do often get sick of them by the end of the week. I'm thinking of starting to freeze half of whatever I make, in individual serving sizes. That works well for a lot of people.

**Cyrano** · 05-24-2011, 09:25 PM

I live alone and what work best for me is to plan for 3 days at a time.

I always eat the same thing for breakfast, toast, peanut or almond butter, and coffee

Lunch is almost always a cooked meal from something that I can get 3 meals from

Supper is always either one of those cooked meals or something light such as a sandwich or a pre mix salad from the grocery store to which I add canned tuna or salmon. I always eat plain yogurt mixed with canned fruits or just canned fruit for dessert at supper.

Pre mixed salads may seem expensive but there are no waste, the portion is controled and i get my vegetables

**mndtrp** · 05-25-2011, 02:07 AM

If the issue is monetary, make large batches for freezing. Take it out when you don't feel like cooking.

If the issue is, for lack of a better term, loneliness, see if there are other singles in your area in the same boat. Friends, coworkers, neighbors, church or other group members, so on and so forth. Take your food to a park, or some other location with other people wandering around.