Semi Healthy Cooking for One

Cooking for one can be tricky. Especially healthy cooking for one.

Most recipes I find tend to feed 6 or more. While there’s nothing wrong with eating leftovers, not everything is meant to be frozen. And I will be honest, I eat most leftovers, but some I just let sit in the fridge pretending I don’t notice it until it goes bad…oops.

Now that I’m living with the Daddio, I’ve been thinking more and more about healthy cooking for one that is easy and quick (so it’s not as tempting to grab a Jimmy John’s sandwich or eat cereal for dinner). I even started a Pinterest board on this topic.
Follow Diary of a Semi-Health Nut’s board Food [Meals for Two] (or one) on Pinterest. 

Life has been a tad crazy this week. More on that later, but for today, my friend Jessica (from my “secret” semi-healthy club..aka let’s help Amanda make DSHN more awesome club)  is taking over the blog with the topic of Semi Healthy Cooking for One!    

Semi Healthy Cooking for One

I don’t live alone, but my odd work hours often mean I’m eating meals on my own. For some, that means endless cans of soup or TV dinners. For others, it’s a regular trip through the drive through. Me, I’m different. I’m a part-time assistant scuba instructor, aspiring bikini competitor, and lover of food. So it means a few simple rules to make creative and semi-healthy meals for one on a regular basis:

1. Frozen dinner doesn’t have to come in a tray.

And it doesn’t have to be breaded chicken nuggets either. Frozen pre-cooked chicken comes in several varieties – strips or whole portions, some pre-seasoned and others plain.

A plain chicken breast is like a blank canvas that can be painted with a variety of sauces, dressings and dry seasonings. It doesn’t stop there. Think those pre-cooked shrimp are just for dipping in cocktail sauce? Why not pair them with some frozen stir fry vegetables and top with some sesame ginger salad dressing? Oh yeah – frozen vegetables. They’re cheap, there’s a variety of them on the market, and they’re often healthier than their fresh counterparts, because they’re frozen quickly after they’re harvested. It all makes for a quick, easy and at least semi-healthy meal!

Not into pre-made foods? There’s nothing wrong with pre-cooking fresh meat and freezing it. Chicken and ground meats are simple to cook in a batch, freeze in individual portions, and use as necessary.

2. Don’t just reheat – rethink!

So you stopped at the pizza place and you never used that marinara sauce that they gave you for dipping. Or you made the whole box of macaroni and cheese. Or you wrapped that second piece of dinner bread in a napkin and stuck it in your purse.   Any one of those things is just another raw ingredient. Why not use that marinara dip to make a quick chicken parmesan? Take one of your frozen chicken breasts, add the marinara and top with some shredded mozzarella. Just add some vegetables to that macaroni and cheese for another easy meal. Perhaps you could make a little panzanella from that dinner bread. Or soak it in a beaten egg and make a single serving French toast. Which brings me to the next rule…

3. Breakfast food is not just for breakfast.

Is there a single person on Earth who hasn’t eaten leftover pizza for breakfast? I for one sure have – in fact, I’d get a larger pizza so I’d have leftovers for breakfast! The point is, if we can eat last night’s dinner for breakfast, what’s wrong with breakfast for dinner?

If you follow Junk Food Fittie on the social media channels, you’ll find the hashtags #breakfastforlunch and #breakfastfordinner frequently. I often make “overnight” oats in the morning, and by lunchtime, they’re soft and ready, just like I made them the night before for breakfast. I also love Greek yogurt parfaits. Eggs are another great option. Personally, I do have a microwave egg poacher and omelet maker, but it’s just as easy to mix the ingredients together and make a quick scramble.

4. Nothing has to be eaten as is.

Most cans of heat-and-eat soup have two servings. A standard 5 oz can of tuna has 2 servings. Combine those two and you have two quick and semi-healthy meals! But the artistry doesn’t have to stop there. This goes back to rule #2. Why not mix some leftover rice into one of those servings, and then melt some cheese in the other? Salsa and hot sauce are some of my other favorite additions.

5. Balance is key.

First and foremost, I stick to single servings. That can be a lot smaller for some foods than we think, so read labels. Plus, while I freely admit I seldom get my 5 a day in, I get a fruit or vegetable in with every meal. It’s as simple as baby carrots with my chicken tenders. A salad with frozen pizza. A banana with my turkey wrap. It’s not only better for your health, but it fills out your meal.

Last night, I made a ranch broccoli quinoa salad for my mother and I’s dinner. Today, I added a frozen chicken breast and some salsa to make a completely different meal. Tonight when I get home from work, I’ll probably just have a bowl of cereal and a banana. Or maybe I’ll melt some cheese over some frozen spinach on top of a slice of bread. In any case, I will have a whole meal that’s just for me and is at least semi-healthy!

Still need some ideas? Be sure to follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for some more semi-healthy single serving meals!

[Tweet “Struggling to cook healthy meals in small portions? These tips are for you! #imasemihealthnut”]

Tell me… Do you cook for one or two? Any tips you can share on small portioned cooking? 

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