Did you recently become an empty nester, with your kids off to college? By the time you get home from work, you’re hungry, and the thought of spending an hour preparing dinner followed by another 15 minutes cleaning up isn’t exactly appealing. Even with a bank of nutrition knowledge, I sometimes find myself reaching for a bowl of cereal or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Quick? Absolutely. Exciting or satisfying? Not so much.
The good news is that cooking for one or two doesn’t have to mean eating the same leftovers for a week or relying on convenience foods every night.
Your freezer can help you turn one cooking session into several easy meals. Try making a batch of brown rice or farro and freezing it in individual portions. One easy trick is to spoon the cooked grains into a muffin pan, freeze them, and then transfer the frozen portions to a zip-top bag. When you need a quick side dish, simply grab a portion and reheat it. You can do the same thing with meat. Cook and season a pound of ground beef, divide it into 1/2-cup portions and freeze. Add it later to tacos, burrito bowls, taco salads or quesadillas. You can even freeze complete meals. Make a lasagna and divide it between two smaller baking dishes, one for tonight and one for the freezer. Future you will be very glad you did!
Buying groceries for one or two people can make it easy to end up with more produce than you can eat before it spoils. Instead of buying the largest bag because it’s the best deal, think about how much you will realistically use. Need only a few bananas? Take a smaller bunch. Buying grapes or cherries? Remove some from the bag if you know you won’t eat them all. And when produce starts looking like it has seen better days, don’t automatically send it to the trash. Chop and freeze fruits for smoothies or pancakes. Vegetables can be frozen and later tossed into a stir-fry, soup or casserole.
A well-stocked pantry can make the difference between a creative meal and another bowl of cereal. Keep a few of your favorite staples on hand, such as canned beans, corn, tomatoes, salsa or tuna. These ingredients can quickly be added to a salad, pizza, quesadilla, stuffed pepper or soup. Eggs are another great option. Scramble them with vegetables, make an omelet, put a fried egg on toast or add a hard-boiled egg to a salad. They’re an easy way to add protein without requiring a complicated recipe.
When you’re eating by yourself, it can be tempting to grab a bag of chips and eat while folding laundry, scrolling through your phone or finishing one more email. Instead, use mealtime as a chance to slow down and do something for yourself. While cooking, light a candle and put on some relaxing music. When you sit down to eat, pay attention to the colors, textures, aromas and flavors of your food. Give yourself permission to actually enjoy the meal you prepared. Taking care of yourself doesn’t always require a big lifestyle change. Sometimes, it looks like sitting down to eat a meal you made for yourself and recognizing that you are worth the effort.
Cooking for one doesn’t have to be boring. With a little freezer space, a few pantry staples and some creativity, you can make mealtime something to look forward to, even when there’s no one else at the table.
Monica Nagele is the Montgomery County Extension Educator and County Extension Director, Health and Human Science. She is a registered dietitian. The Extension office is at 400 Parke Ave., Crawfordsville; 765-364-6363. She may be reached by email at mwilhoit@purdue.edu.
