Cooking for One

Cooking for One

Lots of people – young and old – eat on their own and many of them don’t make a good job of it. Nutritionist, Rosemary Stanton, says that you can eat well when you’re cooking for one and the benefits more than make up for the small amount of effort that is needed.

Breakfast

Eating breakfast gets your metabolism going and increases concentration during the morning hours. Quick, healthy choices include: A good quality packet cereal with a banana or other fruit and low-fat milk. Rolled oats with dried fruit. Yogurt and fresh fruit. Toasted wholemeal fruit loaf with a glass of low-fat milk. Toast with perhaps tomato, baked beans or an egg.

(Tip: keep sliced bread or quality fruit loaf in the freezer and just take out as many slices as you need. Frozen foods retain their nutrients well and frozen bread can go straight into the toaster.)

Lunch

It’s easy to prepare a healthy lunch, especially with a bread roll or bread from the freezer. Add salad, cheese or perhaps a small can of sardines or salmon. Finish the meal off with a piece of fruit and perhaps a small carton of yoghurt.

Dinner

Dinner is usually the most bother for people who eat on their own. Although it’s tempting to buy a takeaway, that is not a good way to stay healthy. Here are some quick, easy ideas for evening meals:

1. Stir-fry some vegetables with chicken breast, lean meat or even some unsalted nuts for protein. Add fresh noodles or serve with quick cooking rice (which has been partially steamed and does not contain additives).
2. Grill, steam or fry a fillet of fish in a little olive oil. Serve with steamed or microwaved potatoes and a quick salad (lettuce, baby spinach and cherry tomatoes). The new packaging for prepared salad vegetables keeps them fresh for days, or you can buy just enough for one.
3. Make a curry, casserole or a pasta dish and divide it into individual portions to freeze. Reheating portions in the microwave minimises the loss of vitamins. Serve with tomatoes or any salad vegetables.
4. Try steaming, using small bamboo steamers from Asian food shops. They fit into a wok or large saucepan and are great for one person. Put some prawns, chicken or vegetables in the top section. Add some lime leaves or lemon grass to the bottom section so the flavour comes up through whatever you are cooking on top.
5. To make a baked dinner for one, start with a small rack of lamb. Roast it on top of a potato, an onion and a piece of sweet potato or pumpkin. Serve with some steamed frozen spinach or peas. Not all vegetables can be frozen so they’re not a complete replacement for fresh, but they are a good standby, particularly when you live alone.

Further reading

‘Healthy Living Cookbook’ by Rosemary Stanton. Pan Macmillan 1998 ISBN 0 7329 0923 6. (A book of simple healthy recipes.)