How to cook for one (and actually enjoy it)

Today we’re talking about one of my favorite topics: how to cook for one.

While I love cooking for friends and family, I honestly find it just as enjoyable to cook for myself!

Buuut I know a lot of people feel the opposite and find cooking for one to feel like more work than it’s worth. And I get it! It can be hard to justify the effort, difficult to shop for, and easy to end up wasting food. Not to mention the endless dishes…

So today I want to share a few tips I’ve learned on how to make the process simpler, more enjoyable, and something you (hopefully) will look forward to.

My first tip? Plan ahead!

Technically, this could fit into every category because having a plan not only makes cooking for one more practical, it also simplifies the entire process, which, in turn, makes it much more enjoyable.

Your plan doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be a loose list of meals you want to make, a detailed meal plan, or even one of my monthly guides. The important thing is that you have some kind of roadmap!

Without one it’s easy to feel scattered, buy ingredients you never use, waste food, and end up standing in front of the refrigerator wondering what the heck to make.

I recommend sitting down on Sunday (or whatever day you typically grocery shop) and writing down the meals you’d like to eat that week along with the ingredients you’ll need.

And be realistic about your schedule!

For example, maybe you want to meal prep lunches but cook dinner each evening, or maybe you’d rather prep ingredients than full meals. The goal isn’t to create the “perfect” plan, it’s to create one that actually fits your life and cooking preferences (i.e. batch cooking vs. a little each day).

If you’re not sure where to start, I have another post that walks through exactly how I plan a week of meals for one from start to finish.

You’re probably not going to feel like cooking every single meal every single day.

As someone who genuinely loves being in the kitchen, even I have evenings when the last thing I want to do is cook. That’s one of the reasons I like to do a combination of ingredient prep and meal prep. On those nights, dinner is already halfway finished.

But sometimes you don’t have anything prepped and that’s where backup meals come in.

I like to keep a handful of meals that take just 5 to 20 minutes to throw together while still feeling delicious and nourishing. I actually wrote an entire post with my favorite 5-, 10-, and 20-minute meals for those evenings when cooking feels impossible (one of my favorites is bulking up these momofuku noodles with a protein and a veggie).

I think one of the most important parts of cooking for one is giving yourself permission to not always want to cook because let’s be real…that’s life!

And just because you don’t feel like making an elaborate meal doesn’t mean your only option is ordering takeout…although sometimes that is in fact what you need!!

When you’re cooking for one, leftovers are inevitable.

Instead of feeling pressured to eat the same meal for four days straight, embrace your freezer!

For example, whenever I bake a loaf of bread, I slice the entire thing as soon as it’s cooled and freeze the slices. They toast easily and I never have to worry about the loaf going stale.

I do the same with fruit for smoothies, spinach, homemade sauces, soups, and other ingredients that freeze well. Not only does this help cut down on food waste, but it also means I always have something on hand for a quick meal!

Meal prep is, hands down, one of the easiest ways to simplify cooking for one. It allows you to do most of the work on one day so meals throughout the week come together in minutes.

That said, not everyone enjoys traditional meal prep and that’s completely okay!

If you’re not someone who wants to eat the exact same meal all week, try ingredient prepping instead. Wash and chop your vegetables, cook a batch of grains, blend a sauce, roast a tray of vegetables, or cook your protein. You’ll still save yourself plenty of time during the week while keeping your meals feeling fresh.

Personally? I like doing a mix of both.

I usually prep a few complete meals for busy days while also prepping ingredients that I can mix and match throughout the week.

That way, I get the convenience of meal prep but still have the joy of cooking a little each evening. It feels much more relaxed, creative, and enjoyable than starting dinner completely from scratch every night.

If you’re trying to make five completely different meals every week for just yourself, you’ll probably spend more money than you need to and chances are you’ll end up throwing food away.

Instead, try building multiple meals around the same core ingredients.

For example, if you’re making burrito bowls for lunch, ask yourself how else you could use those ingredients. Could the leftover black beans become tacos one night? Could the rice be turned into fried rice later in the week? Could you make breakfast burritos with the remaining tortillas?

Thinking this way not only saves money, but it also makes meal planning feel much easier. You don’t need dozens of ingredients, you just need a handful of ones that can be used in a few different ways.

This is one of my biggest kitchen tips whether you’re cooking for one or feeding a family.

Keep your refrigerator organized and move anything that needs to be used soon to the front where you’ll actually see it.

Out of sight reallllly is out of mind when it comes to the fridge.

For example, if you notice your spinach is starting to wilt, maybe it goes into tomorrow’s smoothie, gets tossed into your pasta for dinner, or gets frozen before it has the chance to go bad. Or, if you have half a lemon left over from a recipe, leave it somewhere visible so you remember to use it in a salad dressing or squeeze it over roasted vegetables!

A quick glance through your fridge before deciding what to cook can make a huge difference and it helps reduce food waste, saves money, and often inspires your next meal.

Most people don’t want to eat the exact same meal five days in a row. But most people also don’t want to cook from scratch every single night.

The solution? Reinvent your leftovers (this is also where ingredient prep is helpful!).

Instead of thinking of leftovers as complete meals, think of them as ingredients for your next meal. Leftover vegetables can become a grain bowl, be tucked into a wrap, or tossed into a pasta, cooked tofu can be added to salads, sandwiches, or stir-fries, and so on.

For example I usually roast a tray of vegetables on Sunday and then one night they might go into a grain bowl, another day they’re added into tofu scramble and later in the week they’re layered onto flatbread.

It keeps meals feeling fresh without requiring you to start from scratch every time!

One of the easiest ways to enjoy cooking for one is to create a ritual around it.

Put on a playlist you love, listen to a podcast or audiobook, pour yourself a fun drink, or light a candle while dinner cooks.

I also almost always take a few minutes to tidy the kitchen before I start. Walking into a clean, organized space instantly makes cooking feel calmer and so much more enjoyable.

If you find yourself dreading cooking, ask yourself why. Is it because you’re overwhelmed by the cleanup? Because you never know what to make? Because you’re exhausted after work?

Once you identify what’s making it feel difficult, you can usually find small ways to make it easier. Sometimes it’s meal prepping. Sometimes it’s choosing simpler recipes. Sometimes it’s splurging on an ingredient that makes it fun again!

This might sound simple, but it honestly makes such a difference for me!

When I take an extra minute to plate my food nicely, I get soooo much more excited to eat it.

Use your favorite bowl, add a sprinkle of fresh herbs and/or finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

You don’t need to make every meal look restaurant-worthy. But taking a moment to make your meal feel special turns it into something a bit more enjoyable.

Do you have any rituals or tips that make cooking for one feel a little more special? I’d love to hear them below!

xoxo,

Natalie