Cooking for a family of six is much different than cooking for one. Now that I truly only cook for myself, I've had to get creative and not just fall into the quick and easy cottage cheese and apple rut. So, here are some of my tips for cooking for one:
1. Stock up on staples. Since fruits and veggies are the base of most meals, I'll pick up whatever reduced produce I find (typically bananas, apples, bell peppers, or squash) and then whatever green is on sale (spinach, lettuce, or cabbage). I also always try to have eggs on hand for easy protein and always have beans or lentils in my pantry. Having frozen or canned fruit is also handy for smoothies which make easy meals. I also try to grab a container of yogurt or cottage cheese, again, for easy protein. I'm also learning to love frozen vegetables like green beans since they're easy to use as a base to stretch beans or chicken for a cheap meal that's easy to pack for work.
2. Batch cook. Your freezer is one of your best friends. I typically buy meat every month and then cook it in single serving portions to pull out for easy meals. (Ground beef patties, turkey sausage patties, shredded chicken, salmon burgers made from canned salmon, etc.) If I'm really on top of it, I'll make and freeze gluten free pancakes or muffins for quick breakfasts. It's an hour every month to do this but it's super easy to just pull out a serving of meat and cook whatever veggies I have on hand for a low effort meal.
3. Meal prep at the beginning of the week. This would be the time I'll cook a batch of beans or lentils to throw on salads and use for meals, or bake up some sweet potatoes or squash. I might make a batch of granola to have with fruit and yogurt, mix together a fruit crisp, or bake a batch of coconut flour scones.
4. Do everything the night before. I go to work early most days so I decide what I'm going to eat the next day and pack it in my lunch bag before I go to bed... Not because I'm on top of life, but because making food decisions at 5 in the morning when I'm not even hungry is not something I do well. :) I also get everything ready for my coffee, add more water to my perpetually cooking bone broth in the crockpot, and prep whatever I'm having for breakfast (like putting oats in my jar for overnight oatmeal or getting the fruit and spinach for my green smoothie blended or thawing a muffin).
My Go To Meals:
Scrambled eggs with veggies
Cottage cheese and celery
Oatmeal with fruit
Smoothies
Beans and rice
Salads with lentils/beans
Quinoa with veggies
Soups
Canned salmon burgers/fish with veggies
Shredded chicken with frozen green beans
Chicken/salmon/tuna salad lettuce wraps or salad
Peanut butter with fruit or off the spoon ;)
Chia seed pudding
Zucchini "noodle" spaghetti (I have Celiac and don't eat pasta, but pasta would work just as well!)
Roasted veggies with beans
What $15 a Week for Groceries Actually Looks Like:
$2 Dozen eggs
$3 Almond/coconut milk or yogurt/cottage cheese (takes me two weeks to go through each of these)
$2 Fruit ($1 will buy you 3-4 apples and 5 red-banded bananas is about 50c from the reduced section)
$2 Leafy green of the week (Spinach, kale, lettuce, etc.)
$3 Veggies ($1 will buy 3 bell peppers or 3 squashes from the reduced section, then either a frozen veg or squash/sweet potatoes)
$3 rotates to buy other staples like coffee, tea or sugar for my kombucha, baking supplies, peanut butter, beans/lentils/oats, cheese, coconut oil, nuts, butter, frozen fruit, quinoa, olive oil for homemade salad dressing, etc. or something exciting like salsa or cream cheese if it's a really exciting week. ;)
Then once a month I'll spend $10 on meat (usually a pound of natural beef/turkey for $4 and a whole organic chicken which I also use for my bone broth for $6).
Obviously my staples look different from most people's since I have Celiac so I don't buy bread, pasta, crackers, etc. and build most meals around vegetables/fruits. I eat a lot of the same things, but do manage to spice it up occasionally.
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So there you go! What are your budget-friendly, healthy eating for one tips?
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