Mayo Clinic Health Manager

Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.

Get Started

Free

E-Newsletter

Subscribe to receive the latest updates on health topics. About our newsletters

  • Housecall
  • Alzheimer's caregiving
  • Living with cancer

Healthy meals: Cooking for 1 or 2

Find out how to plan healthy meals for one or two, reduce the wasted food, and add variety to your meals.

By Mayo Clinic staff

Fed up with limited healthy meal options? Tired of eating leftovers all the time? Annoyed that you must throw food away because the package contained more than you could eat?

If you usually cook for one or two people — or if members of your family rarely have time to eat together — you probably face such frustrations. But small-quantity cooking can be made easier and more interesting. Here's how:

  • Shop with convenience in mind. Buy frozen foods in bulk — fruits, vegetables, chicken breasts or fish fillets. Remove and thaw out only the amount you need. Also, keep on hand ready-to-eat, low-fat, reduced-sodium canned soups and low-fat frozen meals or prepackaged single-serving foods. The latter can be pricey, so stock up when you find a sale.
  • Take advantage of your freezer. You may be surprised to learn that many foods freeze well, including breads, meats, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts and seeds. Freezing food keeps it fresh longer and helps prevent waste. For best quality, freeze food while it's fresh. Don't wait until it's been refrigerated or left on your counter for several days.
  • Cook a batch and freeze single portions. For example, make a casserole or stew and freeze individual-size servings. Then take out only the amount of food you need. Be sure to write the date and contents on packages and move older packages forward as you add food to your freezer.
  • Prepare one-dish meals. For quick and simple cooking, choose a dish that serves as the whole meal. Look for dishes that include foods from several food groups, such as meats, whole grains, legumes and vegetables. Healthy examples include beef, barley and vegetable stew; chicken, vegetable and rice casserole; turkey and bean casserole (made with turkey breast, white beans and tomatoes); and vegetarian chili with diced vegetables and beans.
  • Use extras wisely. Plan meals so that you can use the extra food in new dishes. For example, cook rice as a side dish for one meal, then use the remainder in a casserole or rice pudding. Bake chicken for a meal and use the leftovers in sandwiches, soup or toss with greens, dried fruit, and nuts for a tasty salad. Or make a meatloaf mixture and bake some as a meatloaf and freeze the uncooked portion for later use in meatballs or stuffed peppers.
  • Hit the books. Many cookbooks are available with recipes for one or two people. Not only are cookbooks a good source for recipes, but also they can provide practical advice and helpful tips on such things as selecting healthy foods, planning menus, shopping and reading food labels.
Next page
(1 of 2)
References
  1. Nelson JK (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. July 31, 2009.
  2. Zeratsky KA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. July 31, 2009.
  3. Young at heart: Tips for older adults. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/young_heart.htm#planning. Accessed July 31, 2009.

HQ00474

Sept. 5, 2009

© 1998-2010 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

Print Share Reprints

Text Size: smaller largerlarger