Healthy Cooking, Solo or Not
By Amy Lippmann
You may often feel you鈥檙e the only one eating the food, so why bother? But eating home-cooked meals is one sure way to stay healthy and save money. And if you find easy, delicious recipes, then cooking can be fun, rewarding, and a great way to unwind at the end of the day. Here are some tips to that will make solo healthy cooking fun and easy:
Prepare a menu and shopping list. I usually sit down on Saturday or Sunday morning and think about what I want to eat the following week. I鈥檒l look through recipes or just think about the types of food I鈥檓 craving. Think about how many meals you will need for the week. If you have a work-related dinner one night, factor that into your menu planning. Then, make a list of everything you need for the week. This will save you time because you won鈥檛 have to make multiple trips to the grocery store. If you buy enough food to cook most of your meals, you'll be more likely to cook than go out to eat. You won鈥檛 want to waste the food in your refrigerator.
Shop at a grocery store you love. Treat yourself and shop at the best quality grocery store in your area. For me, it鈥檚 Whole Foods Market. I am much more likely to go grocery shopping, and enjoy it, if I am in a nice environment with high quality food. You may pay a little more, but think about what you鈥檒l save by not eating out! I also recommend that you shop during off-hours if you want to save time and hassle. The stores are usually very quiet in the morning on the weekend or during the week day (if you can get away).
Cook once, eat twice. We're all busy and don鈥檛 want to spend hours in the kitchen every night. Cook enough food to eat two or three meals. You can have leftovers for lunch or dinner the following night. You can also freeze leftovers to have during a hectic week. This same concept can be applied to chopping and preparing grains. While you鈥檙e chopping up ingredients for today鈥檚 meal, chop extra to use tomorrow. You can keep chopped vegetables in a Ziploc bag or Tupperware container; the veggies will stay good for up to four days. With grains, make a big pot of brown rice and use for three or four days. Vary your meals by adding different vegetables and protein to your grains.
Invite a friend over for dinner. You'll be more inspired to cook if you invite a friend over for dinner. This way, it鈥檚 really not more work than cooking for myself. I also find sharing a meal with a friend at my home is much more intimate than going to a restaurant. You can share the work by asking your friend to bring something, or cook together, and you鈥檒l probably have leftovers. You might want toinvite a friend over for dinner once a week..
Keep frozen food on hand. Frozen produce is usually just as healthy as fresh produce, and sometimes it has even more nutrients than fresh stuff. Frozen vegetables are picked at the height of the season and frozen immediately. Keeping some frozen produce on-hand can help you make a healthy meal in a pinch. Some items to have on hand: corn, spinach, edamame, chicken, and ground turkey breast.
Have fun. The only way you鈥檒l cook regularly is if it鈥檚 fun, easy, and tastes good. Pick recipes that are easy, don鈥檛 take a lot of time to prepare, and that taste good. Keep a file of recipes you enjoy, and throw out the ones you don鈥檛. Put on some music, comfortable clothes, and perhaps pour yourself a glass of wine. Enjoy!