How to Avoid the Same Meal Every Day If You're Cooking for One

If you live alone, you know the challenge of preparing food for just one person. It's almost impossible to make one serving of a meal; usually, you end up with enough food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a few days. If you like leftovers, no problem. But if eating the same meal for days at a time isn't appealing, cooking can become a challenge.

There are some good ways to minimize your leftover problems, however. Follow these tips and you'll be enjoying a different homemade meal every night of the week!

1. Separate large packages of meats for storage.

The hardest part about cooking for one person is making the main dish. Meat is usually sold in large quantities, so if you don't want leftovers you'll have to get creative with storage. If you buy a package of four chicken breasts, for example, don't assume you have to make all of them at once. When you get home from the grocery store, separate the meat, wrap each breast in waxed paper, and pop it in a freezer back. Just defrost and cook one breast at a time when you make a meal.

2. Don't buy fresh produce in bulk.

Unless you're adept at canning or some other preservation method, avoid buying anything that could spoil in bulk. That five-pound bag of potatoes might seem appealing because it costs less per ounce than loose spuds, but if you're not ready to eat mashed potatoes for the next two weeks straight, don't buy it. It costs more to buy discounted bulk food and waste some of it than to buy small amounts of the same food at a higher price.

3. Single vegetables are a good thing.

It may seem weird to go to the check out with one zucchini, one ear of corn, and one tomato, but this is the way to go if you're cooking only for yourself.

4. Transform your leftovers into a new meal.

Odds are you'll have leftovers even if you try to avoid them. So get creative with last night's food. If you have too much mashed potatoes left over, make fried potato cakes for an easy new meal. Similarly, fry up old macaroni and cheese for a new flavor. Mix cold chicken pieces with mayonnaise, celery, salt, and pepper to make chicken salad. Leftovers can be a lot more bearable if you're not eating the exact same thing every night.

If you feel discouraged about cooking for just one person, remember that eating home-cooked meals is healthier and cheaper than eating out or buying prepared food like microwave dinners. And, with these tips, hopefully cooking for one will become a more enjoyable experience.