Cooking For One (coupons, fast food, frozen, health) - cooking, cuisine, meat, vegetables, restaurants, diet, prices, allergies... - City-Data Forum

jtur88 · 06-05-2009, 11:31 AM

Those of you who live alone and just cook for yourself---what is your routine, your strategy, your budget?

Herbrocks · 06-05-2009, 05:28 PM

If it's a meal with a lot of preperation, I uaually make enough for four or so, the freeze some and keep the rest for leftovers. I also like to make a large simply seasoned meat dish like a roast or baked chicken, then use the meat for other recipies thru the week.

I divide large packs of meat into smaller portions and freeze them, so I can pull them out quick later on.

I think the biggest challenge for a single is using bread, fruit and vegetables while they are still fresh

toosie · 06-05-2009, 05:39 PM

Oh I hope more people reply to this thread! I'm horrible about preparing "real" meals when it's just me - and it's about to be just me again for the next 8 months.

Honestly, as much as I enjoy a wide variety of food and meals, when it's just me at home I usually pick around and have odd combos and not the best nutritional balance - like a week of eating packaged tuna with marinated artichoke hearts and chick peas, or a week of pasta with peas and cheese

younglisa7 · 06-05-2009, 07:12 PM

Well I am not alone but I cook for one times two every breakfast, lunch, and dinner. My DH and I rarely eat the same food.

Here are some things that I do.

Buy meat on sale. Come home and prep it. I take it out of the package and re package in smaller portions. For example: Chicken cutlets- 2 per bag. A roast- cut in half for a smaller roast(or just buy a small one), ground beef is put into bags weighing 8 ounces, steak is wrapped 1 per pack, hot dogs 3 per pack(2 for DH dinner and 1 for lunch the next day), pork chops would be 2 per pack, etc.

Most of the time I will only have leftovers twice. If I make a roast I slice it up after it is cooked, put it into a container with gravy, and freeze. Lasagna is made in a big pan and cut up into individual portions and then frozen. Meat sauce and soup is made in big batches and frozen in smaller portions. Whole chicken is the one thing that I make and I eat everyday until it is gone. It gets re used for all kinds of meals but I have frozen it before.

Most recipes can be cut down and if you have leftovers either eat them or freeze them. It is easier if you make a plan for the week. I usually end up going with whatever is on sale.

gentlearts · 06-05-2009, 07:19 PM

Well, this may not be what you're looking for, but in the weeks my husband is travelling I eat mostly Lean Cuisine because I need to watch portion contol and this is a good way to do it.
If I get the urge to cook for myself, I tend to freeze half of it immediately, rather than eat the leftovers for several days.
The upside of cooking for yourself is that you can have whatever you feel like.

jtur88 · 06-05-2009, 10:11 PM

Brakfast is easy. Almost always cereal with a half a banana.

For lunch, usually a sandwich. Sometimes I will put in a frozen pizza, and eat one third of it for three straight days. Sometimes a salad. I put about five pounds of sweet potatoes in the oven at once, they keep well in the fridge, and I can eat some of that every lunch for a week or two. I never buy a loaf of bread. My in-store bakery makes nice bolillas, sold individually, and one is just right for a sandwich. They keep better frozen and thaw in a minute or two. But I walk to the store (1.5 miles round trip) about five days a week, and buy what I can carry, so I can have fresh things whenever I want.

I'm very tolerant of repetion for main meal, which I eat in the evening. I buy 10-pound bags of frozen leg quarters, 38c a pound, and separate them and wrap them separately in the freezer. One goes in a pot that is expected to last four days, as an ethnic sauce to put on a carb. Like curry, paprikas, etc. I also buy pork roast when it is cheap, cut into one pound chunks. One of those goes in the oven, in a roasting pan full of potatoes, carrots, onions, peppers. That will last four days. Or I put red beans in the pressure cooker, to make a week's worth of beans and rice. In between my same-food marathons, I keep cheap organ meats (liver, chicken livers, chicken hearts) handy in the freezer, which I cook with onions with potatoes and veggies on the side for a more traditional plate dinner. I never freeze leftovers, they keep well enough in the fridge until I can eat them up, and I don't have two things going at once.

I never buy beef---I get that weekly using my perpetuating cycle of free-Whopper coupons. I drink mostly water, but also keep a jug of apple or cranberry juice in the fridge, mixed with equal parts water. Almost every day, a canned beverage (pop or beer) when I get the munchies every night, which is either cheese/crackers or tortilla chips/bean dip.

My overall food budget usually stays under $100 for the month.

toosie · 06-06-2009, 02:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtur88

I'm very tolerant of repetion for main meal, which I eat in the evening. In between my same-food marathons, I keep cheap organ meats (liver, chicken livers, chicken hearts) handy in the freezer, which I cook with onions with potatoes and veggies on the side for a more traditional plate dinner. I never freeze leftovers, they keep well enough in the fridge until I can eat them up, and I don't have two things going at once.

I never buy beef---I get that weekly using my perpetuating cycle of free-Whopper coupons. I drink mostly water, but also keep a jug of apple or cranberry juice in the fridge, mixed with equal parts water. Almost every day, a canned beverage (pop or beer) when I get the munchies every night, which is either cheese/crackers or tortilla chips/bean dip.

OMG this part is so me! LOL! I don't do the organ meats, regular fast food, or pop but totally relate to the same-food marathons, drinking mostly water, watering down any drink with flavor (not for savings but because I don't like to drink concentrated flavor), and similar munchie choices.

Actually, I'm the same way with clothes. For example, if I can wear jeans and a black tshirt every day then I do. Sometimes 5 days a week (different tshirts and a fresh pair of jeans but the same basic look)

yukiko11 · 06-06-2009, 05:03 AM

I used to do all of the above, but now that I am older and don't have such an appetite, I hardly every cook for myself anymore.
I live in a rural area so I limit my trips into town to about every 3-4 days. When I am out, I may buy a couple of pieces of roast chicken and a bag of salad, or a sub sandwich, or some chicken teriyaki or some mexican food. All of these last me for at least 2 days. I also keep instant oatmeal, cup of soup, noodles, fresh fruit, fiber bars etc on hand. When I run out of food and don't want anything that is in the house, I drink water with a little fruit juice and fast for the day.

jtur88 · 06-06-2009, 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yukiko11

I drink water with a little fruit juice and fast for the day.

The really great thing about living alone is that you can control your diet, absolutely. It 's very easy to discipline yourself if you never have to do what somebody else does, and once you get in the routine of doing that, it is very easy to fast for a day, which is wonderful for your health. But it's easier to fast if you just forget to eat, than if you run out of food and can't eat.

GloryB · 06-06-2009, 01:59 PM

My youngest son is home from school for the summer....so I'm cooking now. But when I'm alone, I hate to cook. I eat stuff from the frozen food section just to avoid any clean up mess. Sometimes I'll go to the Chinese take out and buy enough for a couple of days. Just depends on my mood.