Sometimes, it can be hard to get motivated when cooking a meal for just one or two people. Here are some ideas to help you get the most value for your time and money if you’re cooking for two, or just you!
General Tips
Maximize your nutrition!
• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables
• Make at least half your grains whole grains
• Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk
Cook once, eat twice
• Plan two meals from the same entree
• Separate out extra food BEFORE serving
• Eat extras in 3–4 days or freeze
Shopping Tips
Should you buy in bulk?
• May be half the cost but just as expensive if you toss half!
• Smaller portions help avoid eating same food over and over
• Repackage meat in freezer bags for smaller servings and freeze
Consider individually packaged servings of items if you frequently have leftovers
• String cheese, wrapped cheese slices
• Single containers of tuna, soup, fruit
• Individual cartons of yogurt
Buy smaller number of servings from meat counter
• Enjoy one pork chop
• Purchase a single salmon filet
• Explore a different cut of beef
Buy fruit at varying stages of ripeness
• Buy some fruit to eat immediately and some to ripen for later
• Apricots, bananas, cantaloupe, kiwi, nectarines, peaches, pears, and plums continue to ripen after purchase
• Refrigerate fruit after it has ripened for longer storage
Buy frozen vegetables in bags
• Pour what you need
Use in 8 months or per package guidelines
• Toss into soups, casseroles, salads
• Thaw corn, peas in strainer under cool running water for salads
• Taste and nutrition Comparable to fresh
• Often lower in salt than canned veggies
Can-do canned foods
• Nutrition comparable to fresh/frozen
• No refrigerator space needed
• Helpful in emergency; have manual can opener handy
• Remove from can when storing unused portions
• Use by date recommended on can for best safety/ quality; after can is opened, use within 3–4 days
• Low sodium versions available
• Canned Food Alliance offers recipes at www.mealtime.org
Shop at supermarket salad bars
• Purchase small amounts of fruits/vegetables
• Buy individual salads
• Use foods within 1–2 days of purchase for best quality
Restaurant Tips
Benefit from large restaurant portions
• Two meals for price of one
• Divide meal in half BEFORE eating!
• Refrigerate perishables in shallow contains within 2 hours of service
Storage Tips
Refrigerator storage tips
• Refrigerate in a shallow pan — food should be no more than 2 inches deep
• Eat perishable foods in 3–4 days; heat until steaming hot (165°F)
• Thaw packages on a plate in refrigerator near bottom so they don’t drip on other foods
Freezer Storage Tips
• Store it, don’t ignore it — food is “safe” indefinitely at 0°F but “quality” lowers over time
• Use freezer quality containers for freezer storage
• Safest to thaw in fridge; it takes about 24 hours to thaw 5 pounds of food
• Foods that don’t freeze well include: watery foods such as cabbage, celery, lettuce, etc.; cream or custard fillings; milk sauces; sour cream; cheese or crumb toppings, mayonnaise; gelatin; and fried foods
• Store bread in freezer; remove a slice at a time and toast as needed.
Source: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension
