How to Prepare Healthy Meals for One Person
Plan your meals using ChooseMyPlate., Buy adequate containers to store frozen food., Choose meals with ingredients that freeze well., Set up an assembly line., Try one-pot meals.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Plan your meals using ChooseMyPlate.
The U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a meal planning website at choosemyplate.gov that will provide you with choices for a healthy, balanced meal appropriate to your age and gender.The food portions are based on the USDA healthy eating guidelines.
You can read information on the website about the different food groups and the reasoning behind the portions selected.
You also can download and print tip sheets, as well as recipes from USDA cookbooks, including the recipes used to cook for the first family in the White House.
The website also includes sample 7-day and two week menus that will allow you to add variety to your meals without breaking your budget.
If you're trying to lose weight or change your diet for other health reasons, check out the online tools, including a tracking app that can help you monitor your food and exercise. -
Step 2: Buy adequate containers to store frozen food.
One good way to eat healthy as a single person is to make a full recipe and then freeze the excess portions.
However, you need to be able to store those portions properly so they will freeze completely and not get freezer burn.Invest in a set of smaller storage containers that will allow you to separate food into single servings.
That way you aren't constantly re-heating and re-freezing your food.
You also want to be able to store sides separately so that you can mix and match, rather than having to eat the exact same meal every day for a week.
Get plastic wrap and foil to seal foods properly.
Putting a double layer of both plastic and foil on casseroles and other one-pot meals can prevent freezer burn. , Some ingredients, particularly meats, fruits, and many vegetables, will taste just as good if you freeze them as they would if you ate them right after you cooked them.
Others don't stand up to sub-zero temperatures.For example, cooked pasta doesn't freeze well.
However, if you want spaghetti, you can make a larger batch of sauce and freeze the excess.
When you want to have spaghetti, warm up a portion of the sauce and cook your noodles separately – it will only take a few minutes.
Potatoes typically don't freeze well either.
If you enjoy baked or mashed potatoes with your meal, you'll have to make those before you eat rather than trying to make them in advance.
Creamy sauces may separate when frozen and reheated.
Prevent this by adding them when you're reheating rather than freezing them with the other food.
Undercook vegetables so reheating won't cause them to become too soft or mushy. , Even meals that you normally would make for yourself, such as breakfast sandwiches, can be made in larger batches and frozen for your convenience.
This way you're not spending as much time every day preparing your food.For example, get some English muffins, eggs, meat, and cheese.
Cook your eggs and prepare six or seven breakfast sandwiches at once.
This way you spend a few minutes cooking and have a hot breakfast ready every day of the week.
Empanadas and burritos are another option that you can fill with meat, cheese, and vegetables for a handy meal.
Once frozen, you can take these with you to work or school for a quick and convenient lunch that won't require eating out at a restaurant.
Unlike prepackaged frozen or fast food versions, the versions you make it home will be much more healthy and packed with vitamins and protein if you use fresh whole foods as your ingredients. , Casseroles and stews tend to freeze better than individual foods, and have the benefit of being ready to eat as soon as you heat them up without any further preparation.Stir-fry also works well as a one-pot meal.
Take out the portion you plan to freeze before it's completely cooked, so you won't ruin the texture of the food when you reheat it at a later time.
The other benefit of one-pot meals is that you reduce the work and clean-up you have to do afterwards.
Cook all the ingredients in one pot or pan, then when you heat up individual servings you'll only have one plate to clean.
Cook basic versions of one-pot meals, such as oatmeal, and freeze the excess.
Then on a daily basis you can add different fruits or spices so you don't get bored eating the same thing every day. -
Step 3: Choose meals with ingredients that freeze well.
-
Step 4: Set up an assembly line.
-
Step 5: Try one-pot meals.
Detailed Guide
The U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a meal planning website at choosemyplate.gov that will provide you with choices for a healthy, balanced meal appropriate to your age and gender.The food portions are based on the USDA healthy eating guidelines.
You can read information on the website about the different food groups and the reasoning behind the portions selected.
You also can download and print tip sheets, as well as recipes from USDA cookbooks, including the recipes used to cook for the first family in the White House.
The website also includes sample 7-day and two week menus that will allow you to add variety to your meals without breaking your budget.
If you're trying to lose weight or change your diet for other health reasons, check out the online tools, including a tracking app that can help you monitor your food and exercise.
One good way to eat healthy as a single person is to make a full recipe and then freeze the excess portions.
However, you need to be able to store those portions properly so they will freeze completely and not get freezer burn.Invest in a set of smaller storage containers that will allow you to separate food into single servings.
That way you aren't constantly re-heating and re-freezing your food.
You also want to be able to store sides separately so that you can mix and match, rather than having to eat the exact same meal every day for a week.
Get plastic wrap and foil to seal foods properly.
Putting a double layer of both plastic and foil on casseroles and other one-pot meals can prevent freezer burn. , Some ingredients, particularly meats, fruits, and many vegetables, will taste just as good if you freeze them as they would if you ate them right after you cooked them.
Others don't stand up to sub-zero temperatures.For example, cooked pasta doesn't freeze well.
However, if you want spaghetti, you can make a larger batch of sauce and freeze the excess.
When you want to have spaghetti, warm up a portion of the sauce and cook your noodles separately – it will only take a few minutes.
Potatoes typically don't freeze well either.
If you enjoy baked or mashed potatoes with your meal, you'll have to make those before you eat rather than trying to make them in advance.
Creamy sauces may separate when frozen and reheated.
Prevent this by adding them when you're reheating rather than freezing them with the other food.
Undercook vegetables so reheating won't cause them to become too soft or mushy. , Even meals that you normally would make for yourself, such as breakfast sandwiches, can be made in larger batches and frozen for your convenience.
This way you're not spending as much time every day preparing your food.For example, get some English muffins, eggs, meat, and cheese.
Cook your eggs and prepare six or seven breakfast sandwiches at once.
This way you spend a few minutes cooking and have a hot breakfast ready every day of the week.
Empanadas and burritos are another option that you can fill with meat, cheese, and vegetables for a handy meal.
Once frozen, you can take these with you to work or school for a quick and convenient lunch that won't require eating out at a restaurant.
Unlike prepackaged frozen or fast food versions, the versions you make it home will be much more healthy and packed with vitamins and protein if you use fresh whole foods as your ingredients. , Casseroles and stews tend to freeze better than individual foods, and have the benefit of being ready to eat as soon as you heat them up without any further preparation.Stir-fry also works well as a one-pot meal.
Take out the portion you plan to freeze before it's completely cooked, so you won't ruin the texture of the food when you reheat it at a later time.
The other benefit of one-pot meals is that you reduce the work and clean-up you have to do afterwards.
Cook all the ingredients in one pot or pan, then when you heat up individual servings you'll only have one plate to clean.
Cook basic versions of one-pot meals, such as oatmeal, and freeze the excess.
Then on a daily basis you can add different fruits or spices so you don't get bored eating the same thing every day.
About the Author
Kevin Lopez
Enthusiastic about teaching practical skills techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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