Content

• Steps
• Tips

Cooking just for yourself is more difficult than it might seem at first glance. Even if you can manage to force yourself to put in some effort and mentally go beyond the ready-made food, you will quickly find that most of the packages in the supermarket are not designed for one person. It's very tempting to go back to convenient ready-to-eat meals again. But if you want to eat better, you have to cook yourself.

Steps

1. 1 Find motivation. If it’s just you, there’s a great temptation not to worry about food because no one is seeing. Homemade cooking, however, can help you save money and eat healthier, healthier foods than caterers and convenience foods. If you try, you can learn how to cook many of your favorite foods.
2. 2 Plan ahead.
   • Try not to visit the supermarket too often. If you have an idea for a meal that can be cooked for several days, you can avoid multiple trips.
   • Make a shopping list and take it with you. Decisions are best made in the kitchen, not in the store: you can always check for the availability of the necessary products at home.
   • Make a selection of your favorite recipes that you have already successfully cooked. Refer to them whenever you have no other ideas.
   • Save leftovers, but only for one or two more meals. If you live alone, then only you have to cook. Stocks will give you respite. But do not overdo it, otherwise you will have to eat the same food all week. If you have cooked too much, share with your friends or freeze portions for future use. For starters, you can try cooking once a month.
   • Include a reminder in your plan to try new recipes from time to time.
3. 3 Prepare one main course a day, others may be lighter. For breakfast, alternate between oatmeal, eggs, fruit, yogurt, toast, or bagels. For lunch or dinner - sandwiches, soup, salad, cheese with crackers, boiled rice, vegetables with sauce, and the like. None of the above requires complicated preparation.
4. 4 Organize a small pantry and keep stocks of non-perishable staples close at hand. When a product runs out, put it on your shopping list and restock on your next scheduled shopping trip. This will help you avoid unnecessary trips to the supermarket.
   • Your freezer is part of the "pantry" and you need to keep a close eye on expiration dates.
5. 5 Buy small packages. This rule does not apply to all foods, it only applies to perishable foods. Rice, flour, peanut butter, and oatmeal store well for long periods in a cool, dry place. Canned food can be stored for a long time only until the jar is opened.
   • Buy fresh vegetables and fruits. They are useful and are usually sold by the piece or by weight, and you can buy, for example, one ear of corn. You can easily cook this ear, potato, or one serving of vegetables in the microwave. In it, you can achieve the effect of steaming.
   • Be creative. Does your store sell ready-made burger patties? Are they much larger than regular minced meat? Crumble one or two, mix and fry in a skillet.
   • Use ready-to-eat foods only if they help or inspire your culinary feats. Look at your favorite stores for lettuce and greens that you can buy in small bunches. Buy a package of frozen vegetable mix and take from there exactly as much as you need for one meal each time. Choose boneless, skinless, frozen chicken and use the microwave to defrost only one or two chunks at a time. Cook frozen ravioli and tortellini as much as you plan to eat.
   • Large packages can be cheaper than small ones. The difference in quantity (volume, weight) between small and large is often not proportional to the price. For example, if half a liter of milk costs 30 rubles, and a liter costs 50 rubles, sometimes it will be even more profitable to buy a large package, use as much as possible, and throw away the spoiled remainder. A five-kilogram packet of potatoes can ultimately cost less than two and a half kilos. If the idea of ​​such savings is to your liking, try to find a like-minded person who is willing to share large packages with you, or freeze the excess.
6. 6 Divide the products with a friend, neighbor or relatives. If you enjoy buying large packages, look for someone who would agree to trade: part of one product for part of another.
   • If you find such a like-minded person, consider the possibility of "partnership" directly in the cooking itself or team up to share frozen foods. Invite each other to dinner from time to time.
7. 7 Make or buy mixes. If you love baking, try creating your own muffin or pancake mix. Mix only dry ingredients. It is not necessary to mix and cook large quantities. You can add liquid when it's time to cook with the pre-mix. If you want, you can make yourself the right amount of muffins or pancakes for breakfast. You can find recipe ideas for making homemade mixes on the Internet.
   • You can mix things like homemade granola and muesli. You can also freeze portions of these mixtures.
   • Make your own seasonal blends.
   • Make your own soups. Separate large packs of beans, rice, barley or pasta, or add dry broths or dried vegetables.Be aware that, for example, beans and pasta require different cooking conditions and times, so store them separately if necessary.
   • Store baking mixes in airtight containers. Sign them including instructions for making and grams per serving.
   • Home mixes can be a great gift. Pack one or two servings in a pretty tin with a decorative label or lid.
8. 8 Freeze food convenient portions.
   • Freeze raw food in portions for 1 person. Buy a large box of minced meat and pack it in portioned bags before freezing.
   • Freeze cooked food for later use as an ingredient in other meals. For example, you can fry some ground meat or minced meat with onions, garlic, and seasonings. Drain off excess liquid and let cool. Pack in containers or freezer bags for use in a variety of meals. This mixture can be used as a base in a variety of ways. For example, to be added to omelets, spaghetti, jambalaya, sandwiches with tomato sauce and spices, and other dishes of your choice.
   • Freeze ingredients with sauce or marinade in special freezer bags. For example, chicken breast with pesto or salsa. Prepare several small packages at a time. When it's time to cook, place one or two servings in the refrigerator to defrost overnight and let them marinate right in the bags.
   • Freeze ready meals in portions. This is a great way to avoid monotonous eating for a long time. It also means that you don't have to cook every night when you are not feeling inspired. Read our article on how to cook once a month.
9. 9 Try alternating dishes with the same (reusable) bases. For example, oven-baked chicken starts life as a taco, for example, and leftover meat can be used in subsequent recipes. Fried chicken on the first day can be eaten as the actual chicken with a side dish (such as mashed potatoes and vegetables) and then completed as a base for soup afterwards. You can do similar tricks with any other meat or cold cuts. Here you have a choice: freeze the remaining portion or immediately use the leftovers.
10. 10 Create safety stock. There may be days when you’re not in the mood to create, or you don’t have time for it. During these times, you can reheat frozen leftovers in a microwave oven or whip up something simple. An omelet or tuna sandwich can be made quickly and with minimal effort.
11. 11 Pamper yourself. Try baking your own chocolate cake for one person. Treat yourself to fresh bread or muffins from time to time. You can also freeze dough or baked goods. Cookie dough is also suitable for freezing.
12. 12 Have a special evening. Even if you are eating alone, set the dining table. Forget about everyday food, today only the best! Light a candle. Sit back with your favorite book or soft music and enjoy dinner.
13. 13 Maintain order. Agree, it is not very inspiring when you enter an uncleaned kitchen and start washing dishes before you start cooking. You can collect the dishes in a tray or dishwasher until there is enough to wash everything together. But in any case, pots and pans are better washed while they are still warm and the remnants of food are not frozen or stuck. Get in the habit of washing them immediately after taking out the food so that you always have clean dishes.

Tips

• From time to time, invite someone to share a meal with you. You will have a company that will inspire you to cook something unusual.
• Use a variety of dishes and devices.Do you have a mini to medium sized simmering pot? Electric grill or skillet? Rice cooker or bread maker? Let them work. Start cooking pasta or rice after you've done the rest.
• You can save a lot of money by cooking at home. Why not calculate how much you saved in a month by eating out and cooking for yourself only once a week, or taking lunch from home all the time? Yes, with the money saved, you can make yourself a wonderful vacation!
• Notice how the pricing policy works. Many stores set prices to encourage you to buy more, but not everyone wants to. The call "Buy one product - get the second for free!" often tries to get you to spend in order to get the best price. Price tags like “3 for 100,” for example, have nothing to do with how much you actually need to buy.
• Label portions in the freezer with stickers with the name of the contents and dates. If you have a bad memory, write a list of your stocks.
• Use the opportunity to grow something yourself, if space and conditions allow. Even a few boxes on the balcony or yard can provide you with fresh vegetables or herbs if needed.
• It's okay to eat out or use prepared meals occasionally, but cook yourself most of the time. You can afford to be lazy once or twice a week. Another way is to pre-cook a little more and freeze in reserve, providing yourself with homemade semi-finished products.