Cooking for one and loving it!
Being single doesn’t mean your diet should consist of standard take-away or shop-bought meals for one, or that meals you cook for yourself need to be bland. Cooking yourself nutritious meals full of taste and texture is important for your body and your mind. I find the preparation fun, and love the freedom of eating exactly what I like without having to worry about someone else. I enjoy the challenge of keeping it economical but treating myself now and then. I admit to not being a natural cook, but it’s easy to find inspiration and master the basics from blogs and videos online. I fill the freezer with my favourite brand of halal chicken and meat; the cupboards with pastas, rice, grains and lentils, oils and vinegars, spices and stock cubes; the fridge with halal cheeses and yoghurt; and my windowsill with aromatic green herbs, to dress up my not-so-boring meals for one!
The important thing is to stock up wisely. This gets easier as you get into a rhythm. You’ll find you waste less and conserve more, and that you’re creative in your use of leftovers. Here are a few thoughts on how to get the most out of your home-cooked meals. We’re confident they’ll work for you too.
Plan first
When you cook for one, there are no fussy eaters to contend with. You can pick and choose recipes and dishes you fancy. But certain packs of food can be too much for one person, so you’re often left with half the packet to use up. That’s fine, if you do use it up... The problem comes if you’ve planned five delicious, different meals with no harmonising ingredients. For me, the key is to not to look at what’s for dinner tonight but what’s for dinner this week. So, I think of each meal as individual but also as part of a whole. Plan to make the most of your ingredients, so if you’ll have halal chicken left over from a roasted meal one day, you’ll use it up the next in a stir-fry. Another tip: Always check the fridge. Before I start meal planning, I do this. Always know what you have, and being inventive with what’s already in your kitchen.
Shop accordingly
Once you’ve picked your recipes for the week, do your grocery shopping accordingly. But stick to the list! When you plan, you avoid unnecessary purchases and impulse buying (remember the ‘don’t go shopping when you’re hungry’ rule!).
Always have staples at hand
I love chicken stews. There are days I like to cook something new or exotic, and others when all I want is a hot bowl of soup after a day at work or on a cold night. (Shop-bought soup is never the same.) Using leftover chicken, all there is to do is throw in some wintery vegetables and mix in a hearty stock, some pearl barley, and let it slow-cook while I unwind. It’s simple and convenient, so there’s never a temptation to get something delivered instead. It’s my food. I know what’s in it. And I wouldn’t swap it for a take-away menu.
We hope these tips will inspire you to enjoy cooking for yourself and to celebrating cooking for one! See it as a joy and not a chore, something that will help you eat healthily and save money. Happy cooking!
