Sure, popping a bottle of wine and ordering takeout while you Netflix one of your favorite romantic comedies is fast, fun and convenient, right? But, perhaps not on par with today’s wellness trends, eh? And we all want to be healthy, don’t we? So how do we stay healthy and cook delicious meals for one? I’ve been inspired to write about this one because it was a recent struggle in my life because Timmy is constantly on the road traveling for work and I have found it hard to stay motivated to go shopping, cook a dinner, eat the dinner and then clean up from the dinner… alone… every night… and feel good about it?? I often would go to the grocery store after work, starving (never a good idea) and come out with too much food. I would cook a dinner that would make so many leftovers and personally I am not a leftover person, so it was becoming wasteful. I am lucky I don’t live in the city or somewhere more trendy with healthy fast food eateries and uber eats apps because I would be screwed. But, as many of you know, I love cooking, trying new recipes and eating clean, wholesome foods makes me feel good. No guilt, no adverse reactions, just a satisfied tummy (and baby!) So I wanted to share some helpful tips I have created for myself while I am shopping and cooking for one that keeps me motivated in the kitchen and keep my healthy habits on point! Tip #1: Don’t over shop. Like I mentioned earlier it took me a few weeks of throwing away food to realize I needed to buy less and just shop more frequently. I started making lists of things I eat every day like eggs, berries, cottage cheese and nuts. Then I would create a list of things I would need to make the next two nights of dinner. This way I was only buying what I know I would consume. Tip #2: Stockpile staples. I make it a point to always have eggs, salsa, a couple cans of beans, one or two of my favorite soups and a few packets of my go-to grains in the pantry. These are things that I can always use to build a meal last minute. Make a list of basic building blocks of the meals you eat often and always have them on hand. Who doesn’t like a little huevos rancheros for dinner?! Tip #3: Indulge and make it fun. Cooking for one can be the opportunity to eat all of your favorite meals without worrying about if someone else likes what you’re putting together. For example, I love pizza and always wanted to try a cauliflower crust pizza. So I have taken the opportunity of being alone to try some of these healthier recipes for all my favorites. What is your favorite meal? Go ahead and get inspired to make that for dinner tomorrow night! Tip #4: Embrace being healthy. For me, I love going to the market and picking out my fresh ingredients and coming home to chop, prep and cook a delicious wholesome meal that makes me feel good inside and out. The reality is that we tend to eat whatever we have on hand in our homes. So be sure to have some of your favorite salad fixings and throw together a big dinner salad twice a week with different protein sources. Another thing that I love to do is cook up a big batch of roasted vegetables that I can use in different meals throughout the week. I will throw the vegetables with rice or bean pasta or couscous or I’ll have them with a rotisserie chicken and brown rice. They also make a yummy snack! Tip #5: Make enough for two. If you make enough dinner for two then you can have lunch to take the next day to work. It saves you some money so you are not running to the local café or salad bar and chances are will save you some calories too! Tip #6: Be smart with your time. Only you know how much time you have throughout the week to grocery shop and cook meals. If you find that you are usually tight for time at the end of your day and cooking creates more stress then pleasure, plan accordingly and do some meal prepping on Sunday. Roast a whole chicken and throw a turkey chili recipe in the crockpot. This way you will have dinner already made when you get home after work and wont have to worry about cooking. I hope that these tips help to inspire you to look at cooking for one as a fun opportunity to have some fun in the kitchen and stay focused on your healthy eating goals. I also recommend looking into some Solo Chef Cookbooks if you’re a foodie like me that loves to cook. They have a million different books out there for all different types of eaters and it’s a fun way to learn some new recipes designed for us Solo Eaters! Do you have some tips for cooking for one? A favorite recipe to share? Feel free to comment below and share your go to's! Xoxo
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