Family & Consumer Science News
Cooking for one
By Terri Black County Extension Agent

Anyone who has ever lived alone has experienced the following scenario: You are starving and

have a fridge full of food. You browse t h r o u g h your choices t u r n i n g meal plans over in your head. With a

sigh, you

slam the door shut and pick up the phone to order a pizza. There are several reasons for this phenomenon. If you have only lived alone for a short while, you may find it difficult to scale down your recipes for just one. If there is no one else to appreciate the food you've prepared, you may feel like it's not worth the effort to cook just for yourself.

These reasons and many others contribute to less than healthful eating when you live alone. You may find yourself snacking instead of preparing meals or ordering take-out food often. As a result, you are likely eating more sodium and fat, and eating less nutritious meals overall.

The first thing you need to do is reinforce to yourself that you are worth cooking for. Your health is very important and planning and preparing nutritious meals will help you eat healthier meals. Here are some suggestions to help you get started:

Plan ahead. Don't wait until the last minute to try to decide what to prepare. Shop for the week and plan what you're going to prepare each day that you plan to eat at home.

Purchase meat, fish, and poultry with the intention of freezing part of it for later use. For example, if chicken breasts and salmon are on sale, buy enough for several meals and freeze in individual portions in freezer bags. You can even ask the butcher to cut chickens and roasts into meal-size portions. At a later date, you can defrost and cook the portion that's just right for you.

Buy just enough fresh fruits and vegetables to eat in a week. This will prevent spoilage and save you money. It will also entice you to eat more fruits and vegetables to prevent waste. Consider buying fresh spinach in place of lettuce to last longer in the refrigerator. Keep some frozen vegetables and canned fruits on hand to use as needed. Buy frozen vegetables in bags - they are easier to portion out than those packaged in boxes.

Plan for healthy leftovers. For example, make enough grilled chicken to cut up and mix with a pasta salad the next day. Cook extra vegetables to eat for several meals. Spend the time to prepare some healthy casseroles, stews or soups one day and freeze them for later use. You can then simply thaw and reheat a meal on a day you don't feel like cooking. The food will taste better and will be more nutritious than most of the frozen dinners in the grocery store.

Invite family and friends to eat with you at least once a week. Socializing is important for everyone and makes eating more enjoyable.

More people live alone now than in the past. Living alone has its advantages since you can eat what you want when you want it. By planning ahead, you are more likely to eat healthy meals. Remember, your health is worth the effort! For more information on planning healthy meals, contact the Burke County Extension Office at 706- 554-2119.