Cooking for one without the waste: how I do it
Why I cook the way I do
I suspect if you are here that you are new to solo living. Maybe you are newly divorced, widowed, an empty nester, broke-up with/left a partner or any combination of these. You may be used to cooking for multiple people or have had someone to cook for you. I haven’t had that since I left home at 23. I’ve only ever known cooking for 1 except for some short periods of my life.
First, I will say, I treat everything in life with a frugal approach. Please keep this in mind when you read my blog. I hardly ever cook just 1 meal at a time. I cook several meals at once and put the remainder in the fridge or freezer for later. It works out better economically, and for time savings.
After many years, I have gotten used to eating the same meals, for years, if not decades. It does not bother me. If you are used to and want to continue having a different meal every single day, you had better prepare for a change or plan on spending a lot of time and or money to maintain that. There is no judgement, no right or wrong here, just a different value system. If you choose to spend a lot of money going out to eat every day because you do not want to (or don’t know how to) cook than that’s completely fine. Enjoy yourself. That’s what you value and I totally respect that. For me, I work too hard for my money and want to preserve as much of it as I can for retirement. Prices have gone up and then there’s the tip on top of that. Food also is not necessarily prepared the way I would like had I made it myself. It’s about balance, quality of life and whatever you value. You don’t need to be a slave to food. Food is part of our social construct and going out to eat with family /friends is something I still do, in moderation.
Breakfast: batch cooking for the week
So here’s a typical week. For breakfast part 1, I buy a couple packages of ground turkey. I add in:
- chopped red onion
- chopped green pepper
- coconut aminos
- Worcestershire sauce
- balsamic vinegar
- olives
- garlic
- salt
I bake this for about 45 minutes. It makes a big batch. I get about 4 portions. Each portion is about 3 breakfasts. So 3 portions go into my freezer and 1 is in my fridge.
Breakfast part 2 is sweet potatoes. I peel and chop 2 to 3 sweet potatoes depending on size. Toss with chopped red onion, olive oil, and garlic salt. I bake this for about 45 to an hour. This is a big batch that I split up into 2 portions, I keep 1 in fridge and the 2nd goes to the freezer. That 1 portion gets me about 3-4 servings. So, every morning, I reheat (in a convection oven, not a microwave) my ground turkey and sweet potatoes and that is my breakfast. I also make an espresso (I recently switched from lattes as dairy & sugar are inflammatory) It’s a healthy savory breakfast that keeps me satiated until lunch time. Sometimes I may throw in half an avocado too. I have been eating this for years. I started eating this when I tried the Whole 30 diet and I just continued making it because I liked it so much. Real food that I prepare myself. No cereal, oatmeal, pastries, bagels, cream cheese. These are mostly highly processed foods. I still enjoy them from time to time but not often. I’ve adopted a new attitude toward food that is, I’m not eating for fun, I’m eating for health. As an alternative to that breakfast, I may have plain, lactose-free yogurt and add fresh berries. But I’m trying to keep the dairy to a minimum. Healthy food is delicious if you use fresh ingredients and add the right seasonings.
Lunch: salads and hot soup on the go
For lunches, I mainly have salads. I love salads. I need something I can bring to the office and doesn’t require re-heating since I don’t use microwaves. Salads are perfect. I make it different almost every time. It’s mostly whatever is in my fridge, but in addition to the standard lettuce, tomato, cucumber I may add beets, roasted red peppers, feta cheese, apples, marinated artichoke hearts, olives, pumpkin seeds, pecans and almost always shredded chicken. I use a good olive oil and balsamic vinegar for a dressing. Sometime I add fresh herbs to either the salad or dressing, like the basil I grow in my Suncoze hydroponic system . If the lettuce is ready, I’ll use that too. I always have a head of lettuce growing in case I need some last minute and haven’t had a chance to run to the market. In the winter, I may make a big pot of soup or chili during the weekend. If I’m going to the office or anywhere that day, I heat up my soup, warm up a vacuum flask (Stanley) by filling it with boiling water. After a few minutes, I dump it and pour in my hot soup. I can then bring it with me wherever I am. It stays super-hot, no reheating necessary. You can use this with anything that has a bit of liquid in it, like pasta & sauce etc. I’ll never be without one for the sheer convenience. Take hot coffee, apple cider, tea or even cold beverages wherever you happen to be going. Almost guaranteed cheaper than buying out.
Final thought
I don’t want to forget mentioning having good containers that are non-toxic and freezer safe. I’ve picked some up at Job Lot at a good price. Always some good deals at Home Goods/Marshalls and of course Amazon. Get a few since some will always be in the rotation; in your fridge, in your freezer or coming with you to work.
I know my menu selection isn’t for everyone, but I hope this inspired you a bit to try some recipes and foods you like. Prepare ahead and you’ll have meals ready to heat and eat. Now you can free up your time to work on other things. I may explore posting a blog with some recipes in the future.
