PrintBy Katherine Howdy Tate
eDiets Contributor
More and more people say they don’t try making healthy meals for one because it’s “just me eating” or “just the two of us.” They think it’s just too much effort to cook a meal for just one or two people, so they’d rather eat out.
I admit that when it is a solo night, I look forward to the simplicity of a bowl of cereal. But, you might be short-changing yourself nutritionally by continuously seeking food out elsewhere or dining on Oodles of Noodles. If you are in the league of “I’m-not-worth-it-enough-to-make-a decent-meal-by-myself” people, here is some advice for healthy meals for one, so you can feed yourself like you deserve.
–Get the right equipment. The microwave and the toaster oven are mandatory for solo cooking. The George Foreman grill (or the like) is a huge help. Why heat up a big grill for one little piece of meat? Just heat it up for 10 minutes and go!
–Plan ahead. When you go home and stare into an empty fridge, Burger King might sound too tempting. Think out your healthy meals for one before, hitting the supermarket: three to four meat or fish servings, three to four vegetables, etc.
–Know how to store. Those little plastic containers and Ziploc bags are great. When buying meats or other bulk foods, separate into single-serving portions, label and freeze. If you cook, cook big, store in smaller containers and freeze. Leftovers get boring, so don’t just refrigerate large amounts.
–Single-serving products. There are more processed, individual-portioned foods than ever before. You’ll have to weed through much of the non-nutritional and over-nutritional (high fat, high calorie), but there are more frozen dinners to choose from such as pasta and rice “bowl” meals, single vegetables and sandwiches, salads and baked deli chicken.
–Get the vegetables. They are not optional foods for large families only. This is the most slighted food group when eating for one. People are quick to throw meat in the macaroni and cheese, heat up the spaghetti and dine on sandwiches or cereal, but where’s the broccoli?
Buy the frozen vegetables in the little boxes, which are perfect for healthy meals for one or two people. Season with a little bouillon or butter sprinkles and microwave to steam. Other quick and easy microwavable vegetables are baby carrots, broccoli, zucchini and squash. Canned vegetables aren’t too bad, and they have small cans with pull-tab tops for individual servings.
–Baked potatoes make great meal vehicles. While they shouldn’t be your only vegetable, they can carry chopped broccoli, or other leftover vegetables with or without meat stirred in.
–Stir-fry. Start with a little chopped meat. Toss in fresh or frozen veggies, or even leftovers for an easy, quick meal — with or without rice. No wok required.
–Eggs. Yes, they have lots of cholesterol, but, no, a couple won’t kill you. If you are worried about it, get the cartons of the Second Nature or Egg Beaters. They are very convenient and less messy than cracking eggs. They can even be jazzed up with any combination of chopped ham, bacon bits, low-fat cheese, chopped tomato and green onions. It’s not just for breakfast anymore.
–Pasta is a good base to start a meal. It’s very easy to cook just the needed amount, add sauce and, of course, a vegetable. (Check out this Southwestern Pasta recipe!)
–Foil it. Tin foil makes a great pouch to cook meats in. Spray foil before inserting a piece of chicken, fish, pork or whatever meat. Douse with spices, barbecue sauce, salsa or pesto. Wrap up and toss in the toaster oven until done. Easy clean up, too.
–Transform the leftovers. Some love them, some hate them. If you have a leftover piece of steak, chicken or fish, don’t just heat it up again the next night. Chop it up and toss on a pre-made salad, or in a stir-fry.
Grilled Salmon with Ginger Orange Glaze
This recipe is easy enough for one, but good enough for a crowd. Have it with a salad or broccoli. If it’s just you, we suggest halving the recipe and saving half for lunch the next day.
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup cream sherry
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. grated, peeled fresh ginger
2 Tbsp. honey
4 (6-oz.) salmon fillets
Combine first 6 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add fish to bag; marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes. Remove fish from bag; reserve marinade. Grill or broil salmon. Place remaining marinade in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Serve over salmon.
Katherine Howdy Tate of North Carolina is a registered dietitian by trade, pretty good cook, busy mom of young boys and an avid runner. An expert in nutrition and health, she delivers the goods on food with a little sass, cause let’s face it, we have enough facts.
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