Introduction
In this article, my aim is to dispel the myths about cooking for one by sharing my experiences and tips learned along the way.
According to the Office for National Statistics, the number of people living on their own in the UK has increased by 4% over the last 10 years. In 2020, the proportion of one-person households ranged from 22.8% in London to 33.6% in Scotland and the North-East of England.
My experience of cooking for one
My first experience of cooking for one happened in the first term of completing my teacher-training (PGCE) course in 2011. I rented a room in my landlady’s house and had use of the kitchen with some of my own storage space. I had a shelf in the fridge and one shelf in the cupboard. To keep things easy at the time, I got used to eating the same lunch during the weekdays, tortellini with a side of sugar snap peas and carrots! Batch cooking became my friend over the weekend to help me out with weekday dinners early in the week. Later in the week I was reliant on easy oven food. Reflecting on it all now, the latter choice about oven food came down to not having the storage space and use of the freezer.
However, I moved back to my family home at Christmas as my second teaching placement was local and I was back to homecooked food from Mama P for the rest of my teacher-training and a further three years during my first teaching post.
I moved to the Essex over seven years ago for my second teaching post and bought my first home (a cosy one-bedroom flat). This meant that I needed to budget carefully in my first year of being a homeowner. I therefore started batch cooking again; it saved money and time as well as reducing food waste.
Cooking is truly something I enjoy. Yes, there are times when I choose convenience and get a takeaway and there are plenty of social occasions when I’m eating out with family and friends. Cooking, for me, however, is a way to decompress after a day at work and that’s when I make a super-quick meal. Over the weekends I enjoy spending time looking through my cookbooks, recipe cutouts and social media for inspiration and will experiment in my little kitchen.
The myths about cooking for one
I think it’s important to dispel the myths around cooking for one and I want to show that it can be a cost-effective and easy process!
Myth 1 – Cooking for one is expensive
If you’re buying ready meals, processed foods and pre-packed vegetable portions for one or even going to the supermarket without knowing what you’re going to cook, then yes, eating for one will be expensive.
Buying ready meals, processed foods and pre-packed vegetables for one are convenient but not good value. Going to the supermarket without knowing what you’d like to cook over the next few days can mean you end up making a lot of random choices and buy more than you need. I know from experience that going to the supermarket without a list and when I am hungry means I end up spending more money and often on convenience foods! I also end up with a lot more snacks in my basket, especially crisps and chocolate! They are both my weakness!
My three key tips to show that cooking for one doesn’t have to be expensive are:
Meal planning
Which day of the week does your food shop take place? Mine tends to be on Saturday. This means either on Friday evening or Saturday morning, I plan my meals out until the following Saturday.
Batch cooking
This means I don’t need items that were mentioned earlier. I can buy a kilo of red lentils, carrots and onions as well as a head of celery, and then rustle up a batch of daal or soup. I tend to make meals in portions of three or four when I am preparing some of my meals for the week ahead. My red lentil daal is one of my favourite meals to prepare on Sunday afternoons for work lunches along with a batch of maple & cumin roasted root vegetables. Link to these two recipes coming soon! They’re on my Instagram feed if you want to go and take a look in the meantime.
Make use of the freezer
Batch cooking and making use of the freezer can go hand in hand. Sometimes I make a batch of daal, soup or even curry sauce and then freeze half it. Not only does it save money from being able to “buy in bulk” but it also helps with Myth 2 about cooking for one. I also prepare various fruits and vegetables and freeze them to use another time. This is also cost-effective as I can buy larger portions of fruits and vegetables, which are normally cheaper than single items. For example, a loose pepper costs approximately 50p whereas I can buy a packet of 3 for approximately £1. My sliced peppers and mushrooms end up in stir-fries and frozen fruits work a treat in smoothies and crumbles! A freezer stir-fry can be a huge time-saver during the weekdays. Link to my quick freezer stir-fry coming soon!
Myth 2 – Cooking for one is time consuming or a lot of effort for one person
It feels like life is getting busier and busier. So it’s very easy to fall into the trap that cooking for one is both time-consuming and a lot of effort. I enjoy being in my little kitchen but even I have days where I want meal preparation to be simple and quick. When I plan my meals, I also think about my work schedule and social commitments for the following week. For example, if I am staying at work later than usual or seeing friends during the day over the weekend, then I will factor this into my dinner choice. I may choose a complete meal or semi-prepared meal from the freezer, but I also have a repertoire of quick meals when I’m short on time but still want to eat well.
My three favourite meals in under 30 minutes – recipes coming soon!
Myth 3 – If I buy in bulk, I’ll end up throwing some of it out anyway
My bestie once commented that she needed to try out of some of things she’d seen me do in the kitchen. It was the night before we flew out to Sorrento for our 30th birthday and I was making a risotto for dinner. I only used ½ onion so I put the other half in a small storage container and put it in the fridge for next time. It’s what I’ve grown up seeing my mum do so I thought nothing of it. I knew I’d use that in another meal like a stir fry and if I didn’t get round to using it in a meal, I’d slice or dice it for the freezer. For my bestie however, it was a game changer in helping her and her husband to reduce their food waste!
My three tips to show you can buy in bulk without the food waste are:
Invest in some storage containers
I have a range of these in the cupboard for different uses. More info on this coming soon!
Meal planning
I have briefly mentioned this under Myth 1. You can check out my full article on meal planning by clicking on the button below.
Make use of the freezer
I often end up with a drawer in my freezer with sliced peppers, onions, mushrooms, herbs and some fruits. I have even tried freezing ½ chopped avocado and then used it in smoothies. Think ice cream texture on a summer’s day! I quite enjoy a freezer raid and often make freezer chilli and stir fries! More information by following this link!
Myth 4 – There are some things you cannot cook for just one person
I asked my Instagram followers about their thoughts on the myths around cooking for one. One idea that was shared was Myth 4 with an example of a roast dinner! I’m going to half agree on this one as I eat a plant-based diet.
I’ve seen lots of ideas for alternatives, for examples, nut roasts and vegetable wellingtons but this is something I’m yet to try at home. This is mainly because these are centrepieces when eating with several people. I have tried this for Christmas Day as I am with my family but that’s different!
However, I am also going to half disagree on this one. I will make the various sides that come with a roast dinner. For example, roast potatoes, maple & cumin roasted roots and braised red cabbage. However, I will opt for a processed plant-based alternative as the “centrepiece.” My ultimate favourite is the Plant Kitchen mushroom pie from Marks & Spencer! I also buy Linda McCartney Lincolnshire sausages. I will be sharing my recipes on my fave roast sides soon!
Cooking necessities for one
This will really depend on which stage of life you’re at. When I was at university I had basic kitchen items. I did however live in catered halls and only cooked on weekend evenings. The items I used at university however compared to now do however vary in price and quality. This is also the same in terms of store cupboard essentials that can be found in my cupboards now in comparison to when I was a university student! You can take a look at my different Store Cupboard Essentials posts and Kitchen Buying guides below.
Store Cupboard Essentials
University Store Cupboard essentials post coming soon
My Kitchen Store Cupboard essentials coming soon
Kitchen Items Buying Guides
Are you about to start university?
University Kitchen Buying Guide coming soon!
Are you about to start your first job/a new job and move into a house share?
House Share Kitchen Buying Guide coming soon!
Are you about to move in a place of your own or already living in a place of your own?
My Kitchen Essentials List coming soon!
References used in this article:
Families and households in the UK – Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)
