Nutrition with Jane McClenaghan: Going solo – healthy eating for one

COOKING for one can throw up just a few challenges, but it surely would not should be boring, or unhealthy. With somewhat thought and planning, solo eating will be diverse, nutritious and scrumptious.

MAKE A PLAN

Get into the behavior of planning forward. That method you’ll solely purchase what you want, saving you cash and slicing again on pointless meals waste.

Start merely and plan three or 4 days at a time. Make extras for leftovers that you may have for lunch the subsequent day, or freeze for an additional time.

Add one thing new to your menu plan every week to maintain issues fascinating. This doesn’t should be time consuming, or costly.

COOK YOUR FAVOURITES

Just since you are cooking for your self does not imply you must eat a boring eating regimen. What are your favorite issues to eat? Include one or two of those in your menu plan.

USE YOUR FREEZER

A well provisioned freezer is the one cook dinner’s greatest buddy. As properly as freezing leftovers, use your freezer to retailer chopped herbs that you may’t make use of, luggage of frozen fruit that you need to use as you want it, a number of greens to steam, stir-fry or roast so as to add selection and a few frozen fish or prawns as a fast and wholesome protein supply.

A FEW STORE CUPBOARD ESSENTIALS

Having a inventory provide necessities that may add a pop of flavour to your meals is an effective way to maintain issues fascinating. Some herbs and spices, tomato puree, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, olives, harissa paste, soy sauce, preserved lemon or roasted peppers will take you from a style of the Mediterranean to Asian flavours and add curiosity and selection to your cooking.

BUY WHAT YOU NEED

Planning forward stops impulse buys of bizarre substances that you could be by no means use. Look out for single serving packs of substances like curry pastes, half-cans of coconut milk (out there in some supermarkets and well being meals outlets) and smaller packs of necessities.

Also make a journey to the butcher or deli counter on your meat and cheese so that you’re not overbuying.

Refill outlets are an ideal place to buy in case you are cooking for one. You can simply purchase what you want. Most inventory dry substances and retailer cabinet necessities like pasta, rice, lentils, beans and herbs and spices. Some additionally inventory recent fruit and greens that lets you purchase simply sufficient on your wants.

REINVENT YOUR LEFTOVERS

Fed up wanting on the similar dinner night time after night time? Get artistic and consider other ways you possibly can eat the identical meal.

For instance, chilli with brown rice turns into the filling for fajitas tomorrow, or roast beef dinner provides you the substances for a chilli beef stir-fry one other time.

SHARE WITH FRIENDS

If you might have pals who’re single, they’re prone to welcome sharing groceries, leftovers or a meal. This is an effective way to get extra selection into your eating regimen and lets you strive completely different meals or recipes it’s possible you’ll not cook dinner for your self.

HAVE A HANDFUL OF GO-TO RECIPES

We all have a few recipes that we are able to shortly throw collectively for a fast lunch or dinner. Curry in a rush, a vegetable-packed omelette, stir-fries or tremendous salads are full of diet and are fast and straightforward fillers.

SCALE DOWN RECIPES

Most recipes are designed to feed 4 individuals, however with somewhat easy maths, you possibly can divide the recipe and make two parts – one for right now with leftovers for an additional time.

There are a great deal of recipes for one individual – Pinterest and the BBC meals web site are good locations to begin.

MAKE IT FUN

Turn up the tunes and revel in cooking for your self. Instead for consuming in entrance of the TV, set your desk with a tablecloth and a flower out of your backyard. Light a candle or tealight and make your eating desk a calming place to eat.