Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Cooking For One without Wasting Food



Recipes are generally designed for families and food is usually packaged for families as well, these things can make it difficult when cooking for one but don't lose heart, you can still make these things work for you without wasting food or having to eat the same thing for a week. Always remember that variety is the key to enjoying good food and making meals you will want to make time and time again. When you are foods shopping instead of looking for the smallest package of meat seek out meats that can be used in a variety of dishes, making your shopping list smaller while making your menu options larger.

Cooking for one can be a challenge but it is certainly not impossible and does not have to be limited to frozen dinners or take out food. Create menus from the larger packages of meat and divide them into individual size portions or if you are making something that requires cooking a meal that is intended for a larger group package it up into smaller portions that can be frozen and heated when you are ready to eat them.

Make Plans for Left Over's

Cooking too much without a plan for the leftovers will ensure that you either end up wasting the food when you are actually only cooking for one or that you will end up eating much more than you really want to take in. Portioning your food and meals can make for a quick and easy yet nutritious meal when you are in a hurry or if you have gotten home too late to defrost anything for dinner.

Just pull one of your portioned meals out of the freezer and warm it up in the over or microwave and you have dinner that requires little preparation and limited clean up. Cooking for one does not have to be bland or taste like cardboard, in fact if you are a good cook it can taste just like your mother's recipes everyday of the week.

When cooking for one you still have to consider taste as well as convenience and the cost in the end is much less if you are cooking for one instead of buying frozen dinners for one. For the price of a week's supply of frozen dinners you can buy fresh ingredients and cook for one for more than two weeks without skimping on quality if you take your time and compare prices while shopping. Cooking for one does not have to be a dreaded chore but instead it can be something nice that you do for yourself everyday.

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