Cooking for one - motivation needed

sixtiesgal_2

Hi, well I work full time, am tired when I get home, I live alone, haven't been able to see the point in cooking properly just for myself so generally live on ready meals every day, I do realise this isn't good for my diet or my purse and am trying to do some proper cooking thats simple and quick. However, its not working. I know I haven't given it much time but tonight I decided to cook myself an omelette. I've got some eggs in, so I bought some mushrooms and sausages on the way home, all eager to make a start. Well I just don't feel very full or satisfied like I do when I've had a ready meal, there are more pots to wash, (saucepans, collinder etc) rather than just one plate and cup, knife and fork when I've had a ready meal.

I am currently doing a project with two friends, we are trying to eat more healthily and are doing other positive things and are keeping a diary each week on it, I feel I have failed already.

We have discussed healthier breakfasts. My breakfast is always a bowl of cornflakes (I love cornflakes) but on Monday this week I decided to make an effort and do a boiled egg. It tasted nice and I know it doesn't take much time but its such a faff when I am getting ready for work and I end up with another saucepan to wash.

How can I keep motivated, or are ready meals every day really bad for you? I know of some people who do have them every day and are fine. I have the M&S ones which are good quality.

SailorSam

If you haven't got one you should get a slowcooker, a whole meal in one pot and enough for a few meals.

Meadows

Ready meals everyday :eek: I wouldn't say they were good for you.

Can you not take time a few weekend a month batch cooking and freezing so your ready meals are what you have cooked, have exactly what you know in them and better for you.
Have several selections so you can pick and chose then get out to defrost in a morning so where you get home you have a tasty meal that can be ready within 30 minutes (depending on how you re heat).

Weight Watchers do a cooking for one book that has some nice recipes.

flutterbyuk25

I live on my own, and am often too tired after work to cook a proper meal. What I do is spend a couple of hours on a Sunday (once or twice a month) batch cooking. I'll make a big pot of curry, one of chilli, one of pasta sauce, couple of pots of soup, and something like a lentil pie/nut roast (I'm veggie). Each pot makes 4 portions, so thats 12 meals (curry/chilli), 8 soups (lunch or dinner), and 6-8portions of a main bit of a meal. I freeze these then I only need to cook the accompaniment eg pasta/rice/potatoes/veg when I come home. I freeze rice/mash if I have leftovers.

It totally works for me, I enjoy the couple of hours in the kitchen. And it saves me so much time/effort mid week. A week's meals look something like this:

Mon - veggie chilli in wraps (so just need to heat chilli and wraps)
Tues - pasta in tomato sauce (just need to cook pasta)
Weds - curry (just need to cook rice)
Thurs - stirfry (quick and easy to make)
Fri - pizza - shop/homemade base topped with the pasta sauce and veg
Sat - Soup and roll (have lunch out on Sats)
Sun - veggie roast dinner (lentil pie, veg, pots)

HTH

EDIT - crossposted with Meadows

sixtiesgal_2

Thank you for your replies. I have tried a slow cooker but didn't like the taste of the food from it. I also don't want many gadget type things cluttering up my kitchen.

The batch and freezing is a good idea, though I don't have a very big freezer and I am sometimes wary of reheating food.

melanzana

Have to say cooking from scratch is a total pain when on your own. YOU have to cook. YOU have to prep. for one.

Realistically who would bother doing that after an 8 or 10 hour day or whatever working? Different for a family, some help there I think, hope!

YOU eat on your own, with NO ONE to say, "hey, that was great, thanks". And, YOU have to wash up too. So i totally empathise with OP.

I batch cook, prep, and freeze, on a day that i feel like doing it. Every few weeks on a Saturday afternoon mostly.

Then take out to defrost on the day.

Otherwise I would live on toast and beans. Which I love too.

All I can say to OP is, select the meals you like. Gt the ingredients. Have a cookout, and freeze in meal size portions. Defrost in fridge in the morning for eating that night.

It is soooooo nice, to come home from work and all you have to do is put the meal either in MW or oven. One dish, knife and fork, one plate, to wash!

Happy days.

Meadows

sixtiesgal wrote: »

Thank you for your replies. I have tried a slow cooker but didn't like the taste of the food from it. I also don't want many gadget type things cluttering up my kitchen.
The batch and freezing is a good idea, though I don't have a very big freezer and I am sometimes wary of reheating food.

Many recipes work quite well re heated.
Get hold of slim containers that will allow you to stock as much as you can in the freezer (you can also get bags to hold liquids, soups etc.).
Then either re heat in a microwave, on the top of the cooker or in the oven.
If you have space you can cook up several portions of rice in one go as it re heats a treat. Cool quickly bag up and freezer as soon as cool enough and the re heat in the microwave or in a pan on the cooker.

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/recipes/favourites/meals-for-one/

http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipes/tag-622/cooking-for-one.aspx

http://www.deliaonline.com/premium-content/cooking-for-one

http://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity-lifestyle/articles/livingalonerecipes

COOKING FOR ONE
Price £7.95
Over 90 delicious and satisfying meals all developed to serve one – this cookbook is perfect for anyone who regularly cooks for one. So no more sacrificing taste and reaching for the nearest thing to hand – with this cookbook you can relish cooking for yourself – it’s all about you and your favourite food. So what’s for dinner tonight – Steak B!arnaise, Butternut Borlotti Stew, Crispy Fried Chicken or one of the other fabulous recipes? Yum!
http://www.weightwatchers.co.uk/shop/pub/index.aspx

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WEIGHTWATCHERS-PROPOINTS-COOKING-FOR-ONE-HB-BOOK-/170975756628?pt=Non_Fiction&hash=item27cef30154

VfM4meplse

The easiest way around this is to cook in bulk and freeze in smaller portions. Take something out of the freezer before you go to work and you're sorted with your own health ready meal.

You can always supplement your dinner with a couple of apples or weetabix if you're still hungry after that.

suki1964

I'm the same, and to make matters worse I work shifts as a pub cook so often come home knackered late at night and hit the cheese and biscuits

And I'm not fussed on veggies either

This year I'm making a huge effort to change and so far it's working

I batch cook one day a week and freeze in portions.

Last week I made a lot of fish pies as I got reduced fish, this week I've frozen a batch of lasagnes. I'm also making soups, vegetable based and blended so I can stomach it

I enjoy my one day cooking and will be increasing what I batch cook and freeze as I gather up containers. It's one half a day in the kitchen with a pile of dishes, after that its one plate again.

I'm also posting to the what are you having for dinner tonight thread, so much inspiration there

My diet has improved considerably in just the past two weeks

uk_american

There are a lot of good tips already here, regarding batch cooking and recipe sources. I have a tiny kitchen, so no gadgets here either, and only a minimal amount of cooking bowls, trays, pans, etc.

As well, I live near an M&S and know when reductions occur, so have a tendency to pick up M&S food, as I agree with you, the quality is quite good, especially when I find it at a good price and it makes for a nice treat here and there.

However, if your aim is to be healthy, would suggest going beyond ready meals every day and mixing in some homecooking days. Ready meals are great for people who struggle with portion control or who live on a diet of fast food, it's a way to get healthier for them. However, ready meals often have more fat and salt than their homemade equivalents.

For example, I had their Oriental Veg in Black Bean sauce, it has 31% of one's salt for the day. When I make my own Asian meals, I go heavier on the garlic or ginger, and less of the salty things such as soy sauce.

Or the Scottish Haddock fish pie that was in last week's tenner deal...lovely tasting and serves 2, it has 34% of one's fat and 72% of one's sat fat per serving. :eek: Nevermind the side and dessert with the meal! It's the same as the Asian example--if I was making/batch freeze, I'd cut down on the cheese/cream, to make it a little less heavy.

Maybe an idea to start small--make a homemade lasagne or something large on sunday, so that you can have it on sunday and monday. Then a ready meal on Tues. Then something homemade but quick on Wednesday? I often do a salad with tuna or something that can be quickly prepared. Thurs a ready meal again, then something doubled up and nice on Friday night which can be had on Sat as well?

And personally, I'd stick with the cornflakes on work days. I'm not much for cooking in the morning, so a bowl of cereal and/or a piece of fruit usually works out just fine.

sixtiesgal_2

Thanks, this is so encouraging. I hope I can get and stay motivated like you are all doing. As you say, batch cooking means just one half day a week of cooking and washing of pans and then its easy for the rest of the week.

Another question, how often do you shop for food? I do an online shop once a month for cleaning products, cat food and tinned stuff which is heavy to carry and buy the rest fresh, though that also gets heavy too. I can never seem to get into a proper shopping routine.

As regards the cornflakes, I am happy to continue with them, quick and easy in a morning and tasty but my friend says they are not good for you, they too are full of salt. The healthy breakfast thing is part of our diary plan but to be honest, though I am prepared to make an effort when I get in from work, I really don't have the time or inclination to get pans out in a morning, I am not a morning person, am always running behind time and have to be at work on time so can't afford to mess about.