Cooking an "actual" meal just for yourself...

Hi Karen, Don't worry you;re not alone. I do the same too. Choose the easiest/simpliest/fastest way prepare food for myself. I just don't have the drive to prepare a full just for myself alone. For me, it's not practical to cook a small amount of food for one person, I better eat out. I have eating alone. I enjoy preparing and cooking full meal for my family and that's every weekend and even after work if our caregiver hasn't prepared dish for the evening. I love eating with my family, friends and with a group.

hi! pfw1982 don't worry every time you try ! you find out some thing new in taste, this is not only your problem , i am also facing this problem every day, don't call trouble this is art of cooking my dear friend, i just follow the basic rule of cooking, i hope my dear friend you have a brave heart!keep it up, don't worry ........... regards your friend art of cooking..10,9,8,7..........

Like you, I sometimes will not cook a whole meal just for myself. It depends on my mood and "cravings". For me, it's the cleanup that hinders me. I like to eat interesting food and I like to cook, but the deterrent is the cleanup. Soup does make an excellent meal for one, with lots of leftovers if made from scratch. You can just add a salad, sandwich, or even bread. Of course, salad and sandwich make a nice meal together, or each can stand alone. Pasta for one is also easy to make. It's best with homemade sauce, if you've made a batch and frozen some. Add salad, bread, or not Eggs make a good simple meal at any time of day. Omelets are a good way to use leftovers in the fridge. I don't like to eat cereal except at breakfast. A baked potato with lots of fixings, like cooked veggies, cheese,etc. is a great and filling meal for one. Any one-pot stew or chili is good re cleanup and freezing leftovers. I get pretty suggestible about food. If I see something on Food Network that looks good, I'll make it just for me, even if it does take some work. I wish I didn't enjoy food and cooking so much that I have to make myself an interesting meal every time, cause then I'd lose weight.

[b]Hello my friend I love cooking for myself, I have put together some things lol its so funny because I forget what I cooked its always a spare of the moment type of thing, and I love it, my daughter and grand are so picky they make cooking boring lol, but when its just me, stand back because kitty is going to put together something that will make your mouth water Thanks my friend.[/b]

I know what you mean about cooking an "actual" meal. While I do cook fairly often for myself, I don't always cook several dishes for a meal. I mean, where a normal meal might be meat, potatoes and a vegetable, I tend to more often cook one thing. But, I do like to make dishes that have several food groups included. For instance, one of my favorites is stir fry consisting of one or more meats and several different types of veggies, served on rice. I have a few meat, starch, veggie casseroles that are good too or I might make a small beef roast in a cooking bag or crock pot with vegetables and potatoes in with it. I like a good stew too and used to love to make it in winter time. A good stew or hardy soup tastes great when you come in from the cold. Anyway, I like the one dish meals that have fairly balanced nutrition, plus the fact that they are easy to make. In the end, I eat pretty well. [;-)

I know what you mean. It's only natural to cook a multi-course meal when there are many people in the house. I love simple meals, however. I don't mind cooking for myself, but I try to make it plain and healthy. In fact, I notice that when I cook for many people I usually throw the healthy choices out the window. I wonder why that is? That being the case, it's probably better for the body to eat alone as much as possible. You can still find interesting ways to cook for yourself. Just pick up the Recipe for Life book and in it you'll find many healthy recipes that are easy to make and delicious, as well.

I do find cooking for one much more difficult. My husband usually does all the cooking in our house anyway. I do cook from time to time, but I prefer to do other things in the house and leave the cooking for my husband who enjoys it.

What I cook at home for myself is simple. Fish and rice or meat and rice or potatoes. I hardly ever go beyond that to say I'm doing veges or other stuff. I practically never have any dessert. I do have a few snacks during the day to keep up the health situation. Its like that when you're a tired batchie.

HI KAREN, I to live alone but i do cook for myself. I don't cook a bunch of different things at one time like i did when my boys were home but i cook. I get hungry for veggies & things like that so i cook.

I don't think I've ever cooked a decent meal for myself.. I've been living alone for the past 11 years and most of the time I just order takeaways or get ready made food heat it up in the microwave I never really have anytime to cook and hell I can't even cook!

Hello, Karen. I don't live alone, but my husband loves chips and offal, which I hate. When I cook him something I don't want, I make a nice pasta dish for myself, with vegetables, tuna and tomatoes. It's quick and easy, yet it's just like a 'real' meal. Nothing wrong with jacket potatoes and salads, but why not make yourself a big pot of curry or chilli or casserole, then freeze down into individual portions? That way, you always have something nice at hand, as well as a standby when unexpected guests call.

well if i am eating by myself i do cook a proper dinner (one course) but make plenty. the rest can do me for several more meals. i sometimes add a salad (which i always do if there is somebody else) but i'd rather eat something nice than just a snack. maybe you don't need to cook several courses but making the main course might be quite nice for you. AND when you factor in how many din dins it will do you then is probably in the end actually less work than making a sandwich every night.

it really difficult preparing a meal just for yourself however, i would not cook a 3 course meal and whatever is left goes to the fridge for another day

Hi,when I saw what you wrote,as if I saw myself.As long as liveing with my husband I normally cook big meals.And when I am alone ,instate noodles,cookies,bread became my meal.Even sometimes I prefer going out to eat to cooking an actual meal for myself.

I love cooking, so thought it would be fun to cook for yourself... And usually I am never alone too! But last week everyone here had gone home for vacations, so I got the chance for this all.. and soon gave up! Well, didn't have much resources but even if I had, it's a time-consuming job. And eating your own is not so pleasant.. So I did a more or less of hunger strike for the week

I'm thinking I would be like you....I'm not sure that I would go to the bother of fixing myself a real meal. As it is, I have my daughter and for that reason I do cook decent meals for us. When all 4 of my girls were in the house, cooking and planning the meals was an important weekly thing for me. IT took me quite a bit of getting used to cooking for just 2 of us. I may cook myself a steak or a baked potato but I really don't see myself making a stew or meatloaf or mashed potatos etc just for me.

Even with two of us it is hard to get energy to fix a proper three course meal, mainly I fix a main course and allow both of us to supplement this with other prepared items, like yogurt, fruit or even salad.

hello. I know how to cook because my parents made it sure that I know it before they sent me to live alone far from home to pursue my studies. I have the same problem. If i am alone, i don't know what to cook for myself. I just eat bread and a glass of milk or not eat at all. Maybe because I am alone. That makes sense. I lose my appetite when I am alone and I feel lazy to eat by myself. Good day.

I am the same as you it seems poiuntless to cook a meal just for one,so if i am here on my own i tend not to bother as it seems i am making myself alot of work for no reason where as a bag of crisps or a sandwich is good enough.I tend to only cook when all of the family are here as they need a hot meal.

Even though I am a boy, cook most of the time for myself. I am actually a fond of cooking, thats why it is my craze to cook and eat. I make salad, main dish, desert and drink by myself in the dinner and serve myself in a quite elegant way. I dont feel tired or boring in this task as well. Well the moral of the story is that, you have to be dedicated towards the cooking, then you dont feel bad while cooking all alone.