How I stopped hating cooking for one
Single serving nourishment
I used to hate cooking for myself. I’d waffle between creating overcomplicated “simple” meal ideas from food bloggers and a bowl of cereal for dinner. My Instagram algorithm teemed with influencers’ perfect plates and recipes for one-pot meals, vegetarian meal ideas, vegan ideas, healthy recipes, budget recipes, and everything in between.
I dutifully spent hours scrolling, saving, and buying various ingredients to concoct these dinners for myself. I would go through saved post by saved post determining what to make next. Some ingredients I only used once and I rarely repeated recipes more than a few times.
And when I was too tired to do all this, I ate cereal or toast for dinner and then lamented myself for not engaging in the “self-care” of the more elaborate meals I tried making, thinking I was doing that for my betterment. Or that I was “practicing” for when I’d be making meals for a partner or somehow proving that cooking for one isn’t a sad thing to do when it’s this fancy.
In the end, all I did was exhaust myself instead of care for myself.
Don’t get me wrong, I admire the food bloggers who come up with delicious and creative new recipes. I still use them sometimes. And I applaud folks that really enjoy the act of cooking and are happy to make these kinds of meals all the time.
But, that’s not me.
And I didn’t want to perform meal-making anymore, I just wanted to feel nourished.
Simplifying my meals
Like my impulse shopping that stopped during my career break, my attitude to food and cooking changed too. I didn’t have the same disposable income to spend on endless ingredients - fresh ones often going to waste as shopping for one is tricky - and began to focus instead on what was already in my pantry and what I could make with seasonal ingredients or things that were on sale.
Gradually, I stopped looking for new recipes and started working with what I had. My algorithm shifted and the food bloggers faded into the background. Like my impulse shopping, all that recipe searching was just another way I looked outside myself for care. I thought, “if I make these kinds of meals, I’m caring for myself and I’ll feel better.” And, to a certain extent I did, but it never seemed sustainable.
So, I flipped the script.
Instead of searching endlessly, I built a few “meal models” - simple go-to structures for meals I enjoy that I can swap ingredients into based on what’s around. I repeat them often, and it turns out, that works pretty well for me. On those days when I’m still too tired, I have a few low-energy recipes that I don’t shame myself for.
Suddenly, cooking simply became easier. It’s still not a favourite activity of mine, but I find I eat better overall, am satisfied using what I have, and focus on eating foods that make me feel good rather than adhering to a particular kind of diet.
Tips that work for me
These are some of the ways I’ve made cooking for one a little more enjoyable:
Buy frozen or in-season produce: Living solo, I often find I can’t eat produce as quickly as it goes bad. I aim to buy small amounts of in-season things at farmer’s markets and use my freezer when I have too much. At the grocery store, frozen produce is handy and easier on my wallet, especially if I’m not eating items raw.
Find a few “meal models:” There are a few basic meal structures I enjoy that allow me to swap out ingredients with what I have and take the guesswork out of prepping.
Rice + protein + veggie + soy sauce-based sauce = a stir fry that I can sub in a different grain, protein, or veggie into and adjust the sauce for a new taste depending on the spices or additives I throw in
Quinoa + roasted veggies + oil-based or tahini-based dressing = a grain bowl with endless options. If I have some extra fresh greens or herbs kicking around, they can add a freshness on top.
Gluten-free pasta + sauce of choice + spinach = a pasta dish that gives me comfort. Sometimes it’s a tomato sauce and sometimes it’s a butter/egg mixture with nutritional yeast on top. Toss in some frozen spinach and voila!
Veggie broth + whatever veggies are around + protein or grain = a soup recipe that never fails and can eat up leftovers. Sometimes I blend it for a creamy version, sometimes I leave it as a broth soup. Bonus tip: save your veggie scraps in a freezer bag and boil them with water and spices to make your own broth instead of buying.
Repeat favourite recipes: all my time scrolling food bloggers wasn’t in vain. There are a few recipes I’ve particularly enjoyed that I keep in my rotation on days when I feel up to doing more.
Have some low-energy options: some days, I just don’t wanna and always have a few items around that can feed me in a pinch and minimize my take-out costs.
Mini naan flatbreads: I keep a pack of mini naans in my freezer and top them with whatever I have around. A few favourites are Greek yogurt, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and a fried egg or peanut butter, banana, and chia seeds.
Lipton’s chicken noodle soup packages: not the most nutritious, but I always have some on hand for when I feel under the weather or need a little more comfort. I’ll toss in leftover veggies or an egg for a fuller meal.
KD or a frozen pizza: sometimes, nostalgia wins and I dive in to these easy eats.
Cereal or toast: it still does the job some days!
Full tummy, spacious mind
The impact of these slight changes in my mindset and kitchen has made cooking feel easier and enjoyable. I feel less stressed going into the kitchen, I waste less than before, and my grocery bill has gotten more effective.
Most importantly, I feel better.
I figured out a way to care for myself that works best for me, whether or not an on-looker would think it’s “sad” to be cooking for one week after week. Nourishing myself doesn’t have to be a chore or ‘gram-worthy. I can do it one (sometimes lazy) meal at a time.
What’s your relationship with cooking for one? Any go-to meals you love?
Even though I do not live alone, because of my allergies and restricted diet, I cook for myself and let the others fend for themselves (since they prefer frozen and canned dinners to my fare.)
- I almost always have chili in the fridge, which I use for tacos, taco salad, etc. I love my instant pot for cooking beans. I also like curry. So usually I have one or both in the fridge.
- I have homemade pancakes and tortillas (buckwheat) in the freezer all the time. Those are the only "bread" that I eat.
- breakfast is usually a combination of pseudocereals (buckwheat, amaranth, quinoa) and fruit, usually with cinnamon and ginger. So I keep at least two pseudocereals in the fridge all the time
- lunch is usually vegetable stir fry and tofu. I make enough for at least three servings each time, so make it once or twice a week
- whatever fresh fruit and veggies I could get at the discount produce store that week
- hummus - homemade from chickpeas cooked in the instant pot. Good with veggies, on a tortilla, or thinned down and drizzled over a baked potato
- I cut up more peppers, onions, etc. than I need for one meal so they are usually available to sprinkle over a salad, baked potato, bowl of chili, etc.
- Quinoa salad is great with whatever veggies, beans, and dried fruit I have available
- occasional jam on a tortilla when I am craving something sweet. sometimes peanut butter and banana
I invite my ex over a lot so I am cooking for two. 😂 But when I am alone, I do a lot of small chops or steaks or boneless chicken thighs, and I always have a freezer full of those little boxes of Green Giant veggies that can steam in the microwave.
However, I weigh 300 pounds, so you prolly don't want cooking advice from me 😂