Cooking for one or two can sometimes be a chore. I am now finding it was a whole lot easier to cook for a family of five, then just my husband and myself. If you’re feeling the same, these tips will help you get through some of the frustrating moments.
Today, there are more households of one or two persons than ever before. One and two-person households are the fastest growing segment of the population. Eating healthy makes us feel good. At times, however, it is a challenge to cook nutritious meals for one or two people.
Consider making a weekly meal plan. It has varied meals, however, a theme-like approach. Sunday is a traditional meat, vegetable and potato meal. Monday is soup, salad and or leftovers from the weekend. Tuesday pasta and a meatless meal. Wednesday, eat out of the freezer night. Thursday, individual packed fish for dinner. Friday enjoy an ethnic night like Mexican, Chinese stir-fry and or Polish sausage and peppers. Saturday is soup and grill night.
Make good use of your freezer, but keep a list of foods in your freezer. Cross them off when you take them out for Wednesday, freezer night. This prevents the undetectable plastic container from being tossed.
Having a weekly schedule takes the guessing out of meal planning. One upside to cooking for just one or two is that you can focus more on flavor and a variety of ingredients without needing to consider several other people in the household.
Here are a few more tips to help you plan nutritionally well-balanced meals.
Buy only what you can use and store safely. Sometimes this will mean the smaller, more expensive containers. It is not a deal if you have to throw it away.
Buy frozen vegetables so you can pour out only what you will eat.
Buy larger amounts of meat, divide into smaller serving sizes, and freeze for later use.
Buy fresh fruit at different stages of ripeness and eat as it ripens, for example: bananas, pears, avocados and peaches.
Buy vegetables that have varying shelf life and use accordingly, for example use first: fresh lettuce, tomatoes, and summer squash. Then use others such as: winter squash and cabbage that have a longer shelf life.
Here is a recipe for meatless pasta night.
Spinach Pasta
1-10 ounce package frozen creamed spinach
2 T. Parmesan cheese
4oz Hot cooked pasta
Microwave or boil spinach packet according to package directions. Toss with freshly cooked pasta. Top with parmesan cheese. If desired, add slices of precooked chicken.
Enjoy!
