Cooking for One?

Frozen Veggies. When I was cooking for one, frozen vegetable became my best friend. They were great for weeknight, quick meals, and I didn't have to worry about finishing them before they went bad. I'd get a variety, pour 'em in a skillet with some olive oil, seasoning, and some tuna or some other protein.

Makes loads and then freeze it . You can still cook all the delicious food you enjoy, just freeze the food you don't use in batches and then you have another two meals that are easy food for when you are on the go.

Food Saver. Even though I shop for a family I still have to deal with proper portions. One thing that helps me tremendously is a Food Saver. You can use the portion needed then seal and freeze the remainder. It will reseal bagged items like apple chips so they stay fresh longer. They're great with specialty cheeses. You can also use them with jars. i put dried cranberries, nuts, beans or even oatmeal in jars and vacuum seal them. Your food stays fresher longer and you canuse only what you need.

Salads. I make a large salad that lasts three days in the fridge. I serve up enough for my meal. I grab a piece of chicken or fish and cook it up. If I don't do the chicken-fish thing, I add nuts, avocados, blue cheese to my salad. All in all, this is fast and to the point, and tasty too! A friend of mine did an experiment with her 9 year old son having to do with microwaves. With the results of their experiment, I try to avoid microwaving my food. Toaster ovens are much better.

Solo tips. I too live alone and eat primarily fresh fruits and veggies. 6 apples, 3 peaches, 3 plums, 4 bananas 1 box of raisions makes a bowl of fresh fruit everyday for 2 weeks. 1 pkg baby carrots placed in a container, 1 celery wraped in cl/wp 1 month. 3 plum tomatoes 2 weeks. 1 iceberg lettuce 1 month. All reg use and in the fridge. I keep the bread in the freezer, place 4 slices in the fridge. Place wax paper between ham slices and freeze the pkg. Weiners (Turkey) go in the freezer. M/W for 1 minute. Low sodium soups - add no water. enough for 1. Sometimes dinner is left over lunch + extras. Cut recipes in half. Ask me - I have many tips. Dale Kelchner

Freeze!. I agree freezing is a great option. It also comes down to a lot more planning, which seems odd. You would think less people means less planning, but you actually need to be more careful not to waste food.

more veggies. I am NOT a vegetarian, but when I was single, I cooked mostly vegetarian meals...because it is hard to buy meats for one. Also, I used to make a big batch of something -- whether tuna noodle casserole, red pepper spaghetti sauce, corn bread, chicken stock... and use that in different recipes throughout the week. I made delicious cream cheese omelettes, too. Cream cheese comes in lots of flavors now, so you can have a variety that doesn't go rancid quickly in the refrigerator.

Freezing is definitely an excellent idea it is what I do when I have to go away from my family. Make big quantities of soups, casseroles, and pasta, they usually last very long when you freeze them. Canned (tuna, salmon) and dried foods (pasta, cereals) are also very convenient and don't forget about the fresh fruits and vegetables, which can last for a couple of weeks. Here are some helpful quick and easy recipes:

Flat Bread Pizza: Marinara Sauce, grated cheese, optional choice of toppings: sliced turkey, mushrooms, tomatoes, zucchini, etc. bake for about 15 mins.

Quesadillas: Tortilla, grated cheese, optional choice of filling

Spring Rolls: Rice paper, lettuce/spinach, hoison sauce optional choice of filling: chicken, shrimp, etc.