Healthy Meal Planning for One

Cooking for one has its own problem: most recipes and packages are sized for a family, so you end up with too much of one thing and not enough variety. The fix is to plan around a few flexible ingredients, cook a little extra on purpose, and freeze single portions before they go to waste.

Shop small, and be choosy about bulk

Start with the plan, not the store. The FDA suggests you preplan and write your shopping list, think about the meals you will prepare the following week, and check your fridge for what you already have. For one person, that list might be only four or five dinners with overlapping ingredients.

What to buy in smaller amounts

• Fresh produce that spoils quickly, such as leafy greens, berries and fresh herbs. Buy what you will use in the next few days.
• Meat, poultry and fish in small packs, or larger packs you portion and freeze the day you buy them.
• Bread, milk and yogurt in sizes you will finish before they turn.

The FDA also points out that peeled or cut vegetables should be refrigerated to keep them from going bad, so put them in the fridge as soon as you cut them.

Where frozen and canned foods help

Frozen and canned produce is made for small households. CDC says frozen and canned options cost less and last longer than fresh, and that many frozen vegetables and fruits have resealable packaging that allows you to use what you need and store the rest. Look for canned options packed in water rather than syrup, and read the label for added sugar or salt. Skip frozen vegetables with butter or cream sauces.

Bulk only for foods that keep

The FDA says to be careful when buying in bulk, especially with items that have a limited shelf life. CDC’s budget tips suggest nuts, beans or grains are the kind of items to consider buying in bulk. Dry goods like rice, oats and dried beans fit the bill because you can scoop out what you need.

Cook once, eat twice

When you cook, make enough for extra meals. NIDDK suggests casseroles with vegetables and whole grains, or a whole cooked chicken, may last a few days so you do not have to cook another meal every day. CDC gives a similar example: cook a whole chicken and use it for several different dishes, such as a stir-fry one night and fajitas another.

For one person, the simplest pattern is to cook a base on one day and turn it into two different meals:

• Roast a tray of vegetables, then serve some with eggs on Monday and stir the rest into pasta or a grain bowl on Tuesday.
• Cook a pot of beans or lentils, then have soup first and a wrap or salad topping next.
• Bake two chicken thighs, then slice one into a sandwich the next day.

Change the seasoning, sauce or side and it feels like a new meal.

Freeze single portions

Freezing is the single biggest tool for cooking for one. The FDA says to use your freezer, since freezing is a great way to store most foods to keep them from going bad until you are ready to eat them.

How to freeze well

• Freeze while it is fresh. FSIS says that if food is frozen at peak quality, thawed foods emerge tasting better than foods frozen near the end of their useful life.
• Cool and portion first. FSIS advises that you divide large amounts of food into shallow containers so it cools quickly, and that you wrap leftovers in airtight packaging or seal them in storage containers.
• Spread packages out. FSIS says never stack packages to be frozen; spread them in one layer and stack only after they are frozen solid.
• Label with the date. FSIS notes that freezer storage times are for quality only, but a date on every bag tells you what to eat first.

The FDA gives the freezer target as 0 °F. FSIS says to keep an appliance thermometer in your freezer to check the temperature.

Some foods freeze better than others

FSIS says you can freeze almost any food, but that some foods simply do not freeze well. Its examples are mayonnaise, cream sauce and lettuce. Soups, stews, cooked grains and casseroles are good candidates for single portions. Our guide to freezer-friendly meals goes deeper on what works.

Thaw and reheat

FSIS lists three safe ways to thaw: the refrigerator, cold water and the microwave oven. Reheat to 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer, and cover food while reheating.

A one-person weekly plan

This sample week is only an illustration. It uses the cook-once, eat-twice idea and the storage windows from the FSIS leftovers page, which says leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Swap in foods you like.

The days are a template, not a rule. If your Wednesday changes, move the soup earlier or freeze it instead. For a method that scales this up, see how to make a weekly meal plan.

Avoid waste without extra effort

The FDA’s food waste page has a few habits that suit one-person kitchens:

• Create a designated space in your fridge for foods that will be going bad within a few days.
• Check your fridge often, and eat or freeze items before you would have to throw them away.
• Learn date labels: the FDA says confusion over date labeling accounts for an estimated 20 percent of consumer food waste. Check for signs of spoilage on foods past their “Best if Used By” date.

Cooking for one checklist

• Write a short list of four or five dinners with overlapping ingredients
• Check what you already have before you shop
• Buy perishables in small amounts and keep bulk for foods that keep
• Pick up frozen or canned vegetables and beans for fast meals
• Cook extra on purpose and portion it into shallow containers
• Freeze single portions with the date on the label
• Keep a “use soon” spot in the fridge
• Check that your freezer is at 0 °F with an appliance thermometer

For more ideas, browse the Meal Planning & Prep hub or the healthy grocery list on a budget.