Meal planning for one

frustrated12

I need some help, I live in my own and I have trouble just cooking for myself. I've heard all about meal planning and batch cooking but it doesn't really work for me. I work shifts therefore I am not always home for dinner, I get free food at work therefore I don't take leftovers to work and I only have a small freezer.
The stuff I buy tends to go off before I have eaten it, I tend just to buy takeaways or microwave meals, this is boring and expensive.

I am looking for ideas please, that are quick and easy.

good_advice

Hiya, agree cooking for one is not the same as cooking for a family.

How about scrambled egg on wholemeal toast with tomatoes.

A stir fry? I like cooking with peppers, onions and mushrooms and any other veg I have.

Cottage pie. You can buy small amounts of mince. Sometimes we have the same meal 2 days running.

CCP

Do you have space for a bigger freezer? I got a second-hand one very cheap (less than £50, if I remember correctly) and find it invaluable - anything that isn't going to get eaten before it goes off gets thrown in the freezer for another time, and then you can also do some batch cooking so you've got home-made ready meals sitting there when you need them.

You might find this thread useful, too, if you've got time to read through it all!

mumofthetwins

hi
I do have 2 boys but they eat at there grans most nights so i end up cooking for just me .. ive found that im just making meals but putting half in a seperate tub, i then eat it the next day or put it in the freeze for a couple of days (i never leave it longer than a week though as then im cooking when i dont have to) it doesnt take up to much space and its really easy ..
Im making things like pasta with cheese, curry and rice, sweet and sour etc ..
I even used the left over curry to make some pies the other day. The pasta is mega cheap yummy and easy to do .. i use the tesco value sauce 31p put in a few jalepinos for spice then add it to cooked pasta and put some cheese on ... im sure this could be frozen but it never makes it past day 2.
sweet and sour i use the juicy bags (home bargains 19p) add 2 chicken breasts some onion and peppers the just make some rice to go with it ... again cheap and easy.
Before i started doing this i found i was living of beans on toast or just toast but i feel much better now and its not any extra work ... its even nice knowing that second day i can just come in and dinners done

lisa x

emg

One of the best tips I was given for a small freezer was too freeze things flat in ziplock bags. Not only does it fit more in but because they are really flat they defrost quickly too.

flyinggiraffe_2

I was like you and not really a fan of batch cooking because I thought it was time consuming but I have found once I got into the swing of it, it makes perfect sense!

I started just making one meal from scratch a week, and having easy things the rest. So one night I made a chilli for 4 people and froze 3 portions. The next week i would do a lamb casserole and froze 3 portions, and after a month of doing this you start to get a good little stockpile going.

I've currently got 2 portions of enchilada filling, a lamb casserole, 2 portions of chilli, 2 portions of Mexican chicken, a lasagna portion and a beef stew in my freezer. Only spend 1 hour a week prepping a meal and usually I do something that is bunged in the oven whilst I so something else so I don't actually need to keep an eye on it.

I take it out of the freezer in the morning, and then when I get home from work it goes in microwave and is no longer than a microwave meal you can buy from the shops.

Stir frys are quick, I like to use that precooked chicken you can buy as it saves time cooking the chicken.
Omelettes are quick and good for chucking in things that you want to use up.

What kind of food do you get at work? Perhaps you could switch to having a "main" at work, and just doing soup and a sandwich in the evenings?

SailorSam

Can't you get a second serving of free food in work and put it in a doggy bag to take home.

frustrated12

Hi guys, thanks for all of the replies. Certainly given me something to think about.
CCP - unfortunately I don't have enough room for a big freezer, but I would love one, it would make life so much more easier. Thanks for the link, I think I will start working my way through it later on tonight.

Mumofthetwins - great advice there, I really like pasta so I think this is going to be something to work on. Eating pasta regularly.

Flyinggiraffe - omelettes!! I haven't had them since I was little.

Sailor Sam - I certainly could get food from work to bring home, but as I am already eating it 5 days a week, I don't really want to be eating the same stuff at home.

Thanks for all of your help. Going to attempt to cook something on my day off next week, just haven't decided what yet!