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Easy Meals for Seniors Living Alone: 20 Simple Ideas for One

Writer: Granny Nora
Granny Nora
Aug 25
19 min read

Updated: 17 hours ago

Living alone certainly has its advantages.


You can eat when you like. Nobody complains if you want scrambled eggs for dinner. And if you fancy the last piece of cake, there's no need to negotiate!


But cooking for one can also be surprisingly tricky.


Most recipes seem to feed four people. Fresh food can spoil before you finish it. You open a can and use half. And some evenings, going to all the trouble of cooking a proper meal for just one person can feel like...well, rather a lot of trouble.


I've found that the answer isn't to stop cooking!


It's to make cooking fit the way you live now.


easy meals for seniors living alone - banner

That might mean making a simple meal for one, cooking two portions and freezing one, keeping a few easy foods on standby, or deciding that eggs on toast absolutely count as dinner.


So if you're looking for easy meals for seniors living alone, I've put together 20 ideas for all sorts of days - including proper hot dinners, meals for when you don't feel like cooking, clever ways to use what you already have, and meals you can cook once and enjoy twice.


Nothing complicated.


Nothing that requires seventeen ingredients and every saucepan in the cupboard.

Just simple food that works when there's one person sitting at the table.


Kitchen Granny's Little Thought: Cooking for one doesn't mean every meal has to be tiny, perfect or terribly sensible. Some days I cook. Some days I assemble. And some days toast comes to the rescue!


🍽️ Making Meals for One a Little Easier


I think one of the biggest mistakes we can make when we start cooking for ourselves is trying to cook exactly as we did when there were more people around.

You don't need to.


Cooking for one has its own little tricks.


Buy foods that can do more than one job. Chicken can be dinner tonight and tomorrow's sandwich. Greek yogurt can go with fruit at breakfast or into a tuna filling at lunch.


Use your freezer. Bread, individual portions of soup, cooked meals and frozen vegetables are particularly useful when you're feeding one person.


Don't be frightened of shortcuts.

Ready-cooked chicken, frozen vegetables, canned beans, microwave rice and prepared soup can all make the difference between eating something decent and deciding that a biscuit will do.


Think about tomorrow while you're cooking today.

Sometimes making two portions takes almost exactly the same effort as making one.

And perhaps most importantly:


Stop worrying about whether something qualifies as a "proper meal."

A baked potato with beans and cheese is a meal.

Soup and toast is a meal.

An omelette is a meal.

A plate of cheese, hummus, vegetables and crackers is a meal.

It doesn't need three courses and a garnish!


🥚 Kitchen Granny's Easy Meal Formula


ham sandwich - easy meal for seniors living alone

If you open the fridge and have absolutely no idea what to make, try this:


Choose ONE + ONE + ONE


🍳 Something with protein


Eggs

Chicken

Tuna

Beans or lentils

Cheese

Fish

Greek yogurt


🥔 Something filling


Potato

Bread or toast

Rice

Pasta

Wrap

Crackers


🥕 Something colorful


Fresh vegetables

Frozen vegetables

Salad

Fruit


Then put them together.


For example:

Egg + toast + tomato

Tuna + potato + salad

Chicken + rice + frozen vegetables

Cheese + crackers + fruit

Beans + toast + tomato


You don't necessarily need a recipe.

Sometimes you simply need three things that make sense together.


When I don't know what to make, I find this much easier than staring into the fridge waiting for inspiration to strike!


🍲 When You Want a Proper Hot Meal


Some days you want something warm on a plate.

It doesn't have to take an hour to prepare, though.


These five easy meals work particularly well for one person and can easily be adjusted according to what you have.


1. Baked Potato With an Easy Topping


A baked potato is one of my favorite meals for one.


There's no measuring involved - you simply cook one potato!


Depending on what you have, top it with:


  • Baked beans and grated cheese

  • Tuna and sweetcorn

  • Cottage cheese and tomato

  • Leftover chicken

  • Cheese and chopped vegetables


You can cook your potato in the oven if you have the time, or use the microwave when you want dinner much faster.


Add a little salad or some frozen vegetables on the side and you've got an easy hot meal without much washing up.


Kitchen Granny Tip: If I'm using the oven, I'll often cook two potatoes. The second one can go into the fridge for another meal - we're going to talk more about my "cook once, eat twice" trick later.


For more ideas take a look at my easy dinners for seniors.


2. One-Pan Chicken and Vegetables


This is the sort of dinner I like because everything cooks together.


Put a small chicken breast or chicken portion into an ovenproof dish with vegetables such as:


  • Carrots

  • Broccoli

  • Peppers

  • Courgette

  • Onion

  • Baby potatoes


Add a little olive oil and whatever simple seasoning you enjoy, then cook until the chicken is safely cooked through and the vegetables are tender.


You don't need six different vegetables. Two or three are plenty.


And if chopping several vegetables feels like too much work, frozen or ready-prepared vegetables are perfectly useful shortcuts.


One dish. One plate. Much less clearing up.


3. Scrambled Eggs on Toast


easy meal for seniors - scrambled egg on toast

Never underestimate scrambled eggs.


They're quick, inexpensive, easy to make in a small quantity and useful at almost any time of day.


Have them simply on wholegrain toast or add something you already have:

Tomato

Spinach

Mushrooms

Grated cheese

Avocado


A couple of eggs with toast and tomato can make a perfectly good light dinner.


And if you've always thought of scrambled eggs as breakfast food, I give you full permission to ignore that rule!


One of the advantages of living alone is that nobody can tell me scrambled eggs aren't dinner.


4. Easy Fish, Potato and Vegetables


Fish doesn't need to become a complicated recipe.


One individual fish fillet, a potato and some vegetables can make a lovely simple dinner.

Frozen fish portions are particularly handy when you're cooking for one because you can take out exactly what you need rather than buying a large amount of fresh fish that needs using quickly.


Serve your cooked fish with:

A small baked or boiled potato

and

Frozen peas, broccoli or mixed vegetables

Add lemon, herbs or a little sauce if you enjoy them.

That's it.


A straightforward hot dinner without having to turn the kitchen upside down.


5. Simple Pasta for One


easy meal for seniors - pasta dish

Pasta is another meal that's easy to make complicated when it really doesn't need to be.


Cook a small portion and add one easy sauce.


Perhaps:

Tomato sauce + grated cheese

Pesto + chicken

Tomato + tuna

Pesto + frozen peas

Tomato sauce + canned beans


Add some vegetables if you have them, and dinner is done.


Jarred pasta sauce is absolutely fine too. If you're unlikely to finish the jar quickly, divide what's left into smaller portions and freeze it if the product is suitable for freezing.


And don't worry if you accidentally cook enough pasta to feed the neighborhood.

Tomorrow's lunch can always be pasta salad!


💛 Simple Doesn't Mean Second Best


I want to stop here for a moment because this is important.


When you're living alone, it's very easy to start thinking:

"It's only me."

So perhaps you don't bother.


But making something nice for yourself doesn't have to mean cooking an elaborate dinner.

Sometimes taking ten minutes to make eggs on toast and sitting down to enjoy them is enough.

Sometimes it's a baked potato.

Sometimes it's fish and vegetables.

And sometimes it's something you've pulled out of the freezer because today simply isn't a cooking day.


All of those are perfectly reasonable ways to feed yourself.


The aim isn't to cook impressively.


It's to make eating well manageable enough that you'll actually do it.


And if you'd like more hot-meal inspiration, I've also put together Easy Dinners for Seniors, with simple ideas for evenings when you're wondering what on earth to make.


Kitchen Granny's Little Thought: I don't think cooking for yourself should feel like running a tiny restaurant with one customer. Feed that customer something she enjoys - and then close the kitchen!


Cooking for one can be even trickier when you don't feel very hungry. I've put together 15 easy meals for seniors with a small appetite for those days when a big dinner simply doesn't appeal.



🥪 When You Really Don't Feel Like Cooking


simple meal for a single senior - make cooking fun again when you are alone

Living alone means there isn't anybody waiting at the table asking:

“What's for dinner?”

Some days, that's wonderful!


But it also makes it very easy to decide that cooking simply isn't worth the effort.

On those days, I don't think the answer is to force yourself into making a complicated meal.


Have a few almost-no-effort meals you can fall back on instead.


Here are five of mine.


6. Soup and Toast


There are days when soup and toast are exactly what I want.

Keep a couple of individual portions of soup in the freezer, or have a good prepared or canned soup in the cupboard.


Then all you need to do is heat it and make some toast.


You can add:


  • Grated cheese

  • A boiled egg

  • A little leftover chicken

  • Crackers

  • A small sandwich

if you'd like something extra.


And if all you want is the soup and toast?

That's fine too.


Kitchen Granny Tip: If you make soup yourself, freeze it in individual portions. A huge frozen container of soup isn't terribly helpful when there's only one of you and you're hungry now!


7. Hummus, Cheese and Salad Plate


This is a meal I would assemble rather than cook.


Put a spoonful of hummus on a plate and add whatever you have:


Cheese

Tomato

Cucumber

Crackers or bread

Olives

Avocado

A boiled egg


You certainly don't need all of those.

Three or four things can be plenty.


I particularly like meals like this because you can make the portion as large or small as your appetite allows. And there's virtually nothing to wash up afterwards.


8. Microwave Egg and Toast


When you want something hot but don't want to stand at the stove, the microwave can be very useful.


You can make scrambled egg in a microwave-safe bowl, stopping to stir as it cooks until the egg is completely cooked.

Serve it with toast and perhaps tomato, cheese or avocado.


It takes only a few minutes and gives you something warm without getting out the frying pan (and having to clean it after!)


If the microwave is one of your favorite shortcuts, my Quick and Healthy Microwave Meals for Seniors guide has plenty more easy ideas.


Kitchen Granny's Little Thought: I don't care whether dinner came from the oven, the stove or the microwave. If it's tasty and I didn't have to work too hard for it, I'm happy!


9. Tuna and Crackers Plate


easy meals for seniors - tuna and crackers

A can of tuna is one of those useful cupboard foods that can rescue lunch or dinner when the fridge isn't looking terribly inspiring.


Mix some tuna with a little mayonnaise or plain Greek yogurt if you like, then serve it with:


  • Wholegrain crackers

  • Tomato

  • Cucumber

  • Cheese

  • Avocado

  • Fruit


Again, this doesn't need to look like a beautifully arranged grazing platter from a restaurant.


It's simply an easy way to put several foods onto a plate and call it a meal.

Which is exactly what it is.


If a whole can is more than you need, use half and store the remainder safely for another meal.


10. Yogurt, Fruit and Something Crunchy


Dinner doesn't always have to be savory either.


A bowl of plain Greek yogurt with fruit can make a useful light meal when your appetite isn't particularly big.


Add something crunchy such as:

A little granola

Chopped nuts

Wholegrain cereal

or have a slice of toast on the side.


This can work for breakfast, lunch or a light evening meal.


One of the pleasures of cooking for yourself is that nobody gets to decide what time of day you're allowed to eat yogurt!


For more easy meals that don't require cooking - here are some no-cook meals for seniors.


Kitchen Granny's “I Can't Be Bothered” Rule


I think everybody who lives alone should have three meals they can make almost without thinking.


Mine might be:

Eggs on toast

Soup and bread

Hummus, cheese and crackers


Yours could be completely different.


The important thing is knowing:

If today is a low-energy day, I already know what I'm going to eat.


That removes the decision as well as the cooking.

And if you'd like more meals for exactly those days, have a look at my No-Cook Meals for Seniors guide.


🥫 When You're Using Up What You Already Have


Cooking for one seems to produce lots of little bits.


Half a tomato.

A small piece of chicken.

Half a can of beans.

A spoonful of rice.

Three mushrooms.

A bit of cheese.


None of them looks like dinner.


Put a few together, though, and suddenly you've got one. This is something I've become much more conscious of when cooking smaller quantities.


Before opening something new, I like to ask:


What's already in the fridge that needs using?


Here are five easy possibilities.


11. Leftover Chicken Wrap


easy meals for seniors - leftover chicken wrap

If you've got a small amount of cooked chicken left from yesterday, you've already done the hardest part of today's meal.

Slice or shred it and put it into a wrap with whatever you have available.


Perhaps:

Chicken + lettuce + tomato

Chicken + avocado + cucumber

Chicken + cheese + salad

Chicken + hummus + tomato


No wraps?

Use bread and make a sandwich.


This is also why I don't mind cooking a little extra chicken. A second portion doesn't necessarily mean eating the same dinner twice. It can become something completely different tomorrow.


12. Leftover Vegetable Omelette


An omelette is one of the best places I know to hide those tiny portions of cooked vegetables that don't seem worth saving.


A few mushrooms.

Some spinach.

Leftover broccoli.

A spoonful of peas.

A little roasted pepper.


Chop larger pieces if necessary, warm the vegetables thoroughly and add them to your omelette.

A little cheese works nicely too.


Suddenly yesterday's side dish has become today's lunch.


Don't dismiss a leftover because there's “not enough for a meal.” It doesn't have to BE the meal. It can become part of one.


13. Easy Leftover Rice Bowl


A small amount of cooked rice can become the base of a very different meal.

Reheat it safely and thoroughly, then add whatever makes sense from your fridge or cupboard.


For example:

Rice + chicken + vegetables

Rice + beans + tomato

Rice + tuna + cucumber

Rice + egg + frozen peas


Add a little dressing, sauce or seasoning you enjoy.

You don't need a formal recipe.

You're simply building a bowl around something you've already cooked.


14. Kitchen Granny's Bits-and-Pieces Plate


bits and pieces plate - easy meals for seniors living alone

We talked about this in our leftovers article, and I think it belongs here too because it's particularly useful when you're feeding one person.

Look through the fridge and gather up the little things that need using.


You might end up with:

A little chicken

A piece of cheese

Half a boiled egg

A spoonful of hummus

Some cucumber

A few crackers

A handful of grapes


Put them all onto a plate.

That's dinner. No recipe. No saucepan. No problem!


Some of my easiest meals aren't really recipes at all. They're just several nice things that happened to meet each other on a plate!


15. Pantry Bean Bowl


Half a can of beans can be the beginning of an easy meal rather than an annoying leftover.


Use chickpeas, cannellini beans, black beans or whatever you have.


Add a few other simple ingredients, perhaps:

Beans + tomato + cucumber + cheese

Beans + leftover rice + vegetables

Chickpeas + hummus + salad

Beans + avocado + corn


A little olive oil, lemon juice or your favorite dressing can bring everything together.

You can eat your bowl cold or warm suitable ingredients if you prefer.


And because canned beans are so useful for small meals, they're one of the foods I like having in the cupboard for days when I haven't planned anything.


Leftovers can work so well when you need a quick and easy meal. They also save time, energy, and money! Here are my ideas on easy leftover meals.


🧊 Give Leftovers a Job


One thing I've learned is that leftovers are much more likely to be eaten when I decide what I'm going to do with them.


Instead of putting chicken into the fridge and thinking:

“I'll use that sometime.”

try thinking:

“That's tomorrow's chicken wrap.”


Instead of:

“There's half a can of beans left.”

think:

“Those are going into tomorrow's lunch bowl.”


It sounds like a tiny difference, but it stops food becoming one of those mysterious containers we discover several days later and stare at suspiciously!


🛒 Before You Open Something New...


Here's another little habit that can help when you're cooking for one.

Before opening a new packet, can or container, have a quick look at what's already open.


Could you use:

The half tomato instead of cutting another one?

Yesterday's vegetables instead of cooking new ones?

The open cheese before starting another packet?

The half can of beans instead of opening tuna?


Not every meal has to be carefully planned around leftovers.


But using one or two things that are already open can make a surprising difference to how much food gets thrown away.


And it can make deciding what to eat easier too. Sometimes the fridge chooses dinner for you!


When you don't feel like cooking a full meal, a few simple foods can be enough. My 10 easy snack plate dinners for seniors are perfect for those days when you have food in the house, but nothing quite seems to make a meal.


💛 Easy Food Still Counts


There's a theme running through all ten meals we've covered so far.

Some are cooked.

Some are reheated.

Some are assembled.

Some are made from leftovers.

And some barely qualify as cooking at all.

That's intentional!


If you live alone, I don't think every meal should demand the same amount of effort.

On a day when you feel like cooking, make the chicken and vegetables.


On another day, make an omelette.


And when you really don't feel like doing anything? Put cheese, hummus, crackers and tomato on a plate and sit down. You're not failing at cooking!


You're simply matching the meal to the day you're having.


Kitchen Granny's Little Thought: I've stopped asking, “What should I cook?” every day. Sometimes the better question is, “What's the easiest good meal I can make with what I've already got?”


🍲 Cook Once, Eat Twice


Cooking for one doesn't always mean cooking one portion.

In fact, sometimes that's the least convenient way to do it.

If I'm already chopping vegetables, heating the oven or washing a saucepan, it often makes sense to make enough for another meal at the same time.

But there's one important difference:

I don't necessarily want to eat exactly the same dinner two nights in a row.

So I like to give the second portion another job.

Here are five easy ways to do that.


16. Make a Small Pot of Soup


Soup is one of the easiest things to make in more than one portion.

Make enough for two or three bowls.

Have one for dinner with bread or toast.

Then either refrigerate another portion safely for lunch or freeze individual portions for another day.


You can also change what you serve with it.


Tonight: Soup + bread + cheese

Tomorrow: Soup + half a sandwich


Same soup. Different meal. And you've only cooked once.


Kitchen Granny Tip: Freeze soup in one-person portions. Then you can take out exactly one bowl instead of defrosting enough to feed the street!


17. Make a Small Casserole and Freeze Half


If you're going to the trouble of making a casserole, making precisely one serving can seem rather pointless.

Make two or three portions instead.


Eat one while it's fresh and portion the rest for the freezer once it has been cooled and stored appropriately.


Then one evening when cooking feels like the last thing you want to do, you've got a homemade dinner waiting.


Add some frozen vegetables, bread, rice or potato and you're sorted.


Just remember to label the container. A freezer full of unidentified brown objects isn't nearly as helpful as it sounds!


18. Cook Extra Chicken for Tomorrow's Lunch


If you're cooking chicken for dinner, cook an extra portion at the same time.


Tonight you might have:

Chicken + potato + vegetables


Tomorrow, the extra chicken could become:

A chicken and salad wrap

Chicken sandwich

Chicken and rice bowl

or

Chicken on a bits-and-pieces plate


This is one of my favorite kinds of planned leftover because the second meal doesn't

feel like leftovers at all.


You aren't eating yesterday's dinner again. You're simply using one ingredient you've already cooked.


19. Make Two Portions of Pasta Sauce


Pasta sauce is another useful food to make in small batches rather than one tiny serving at a time.


Make enough tomato, vegetable or meat sauce for two or more meals.

Use some with pasta today.

Then freeze another portion or use it safely in a different meal.


For example:

Today: Tomato sauce + pasta + cheese

Another day: Tomato sauce + beans + baked potato

or

Tomato sauce + vegetables + egg


One little pot of sauce can do several jobs.


And if you're using a jar rather than making sauce yourself, that's fine too. Portion the remainder appropriately rather than letting an open jar slowly disappear into the back of the fridge.


20. Cook Two Baked Potatoes


easy meal for one - jacket potato with tuna and corn

This is such a simple trick that it hardly feels worthy of being called one!

If the oven is already on and you're baking one potato, put in a second.

Have the first one hot for dinner.

Then store the second safely for another meal.

The next day you can give it a completely different topping.


For example:

Day 1: Baked potato + tuna + salad

Day 2: Baked potato + beans + cheese


You can do the same sort of thing with other foods too.


Cook a little extra rice.

Roast a few extra vegetables.

Boil an extra egg.


The idea isn't to fill the fridge with leftovers. It's to deliberately make tomorrow easier.


Kitchen Granny's Little Thought: If I'm already doing the cooking and washing the saucepan, I rather like getting two meals out of the effort!


🧊 Don't Forget the Freezer


freezer meals for seniors - easy cooking for one

Your freezer can become one of your best friends when you're cooking for one.

Instead of thinking of it only as somewhere to keep frozen peas and ice cream, use it to create your own little collection of easy one-person meals.


Depending on the food and whether it freezes well, you might keep individual portions of:


  • Soup

  • Casserole

  • Pasta sauce

  • Cooked meals

  • Bread

  • Muffins

  • Cooked chicken

  • Rice

  • Frozen vegetables


The important word here is: Individual.


If you freeze six portions together, you've simply created another problem!

And label things clearly with the name and date.


If you'd like more ideas for building a useful freezer supply, see my guide to 15 Freezer Staples Every Senior Should Always Have.


🛒 Keep a Few Easy Meal Backups Around


There will always be days when the meal plan doesn't happen. Perhaps you've been out. Perhaps you're tired. Perhaps you simply don't fancy what you intended to make.


That's when a few basic foods can save the day.


I like the idea of having something from each of these groups available:


Cupboard

Canned tuna

Beans or chickpeas

Soup

Crackers

Pasta

Rice


Fridge

Eggs

Cheese

Yogurt

Hummus

A few easy salad vegetables


Freezer

Bread

Frozen vegetables

Fish portions

One or two individual homemade meals


You don't need a kitchen bursting with food.


You just need enough options to know:

I can make something.


For more ideas, you can also see my guides to Pantry Staples for Seniors and Fridge Staples for Seniors.


📋 Kitchen Granny's Easy-Meals-for-One Cheat Sheet


If you're still standing in front of the fridge wondering what to eat, here's the whole article reduced to one little table:


Today feels like...

Try...

I want a proper dinner

Fish, potato and vegetables

I want something quick

Scrambled eggs on toast

I don't want to cook

Hummus, cheese and salad plate

I've got leftovers

Omelette, wrap or rice bowl

The cupboard looks empty

Tuna and crackers or beans on toast

I want tomorrow sorted too

Soup, casserole or extra chicken

I have lots of little bits

Bits-and-pieces plate

I really can't decide

Choose one protein + one filling food + one colourful food


You don't have to plan every meal perfectly.

Sometimes having a few reliable fallbacks is much more useful.


🧼 Don't Create More Work Than the Meal Is Worth


When you're cooking for one, washing four saucepans to produce one plate of food seems particularly unfair!


So when you're choosing meals, think about the cleanup too.

Use one pan when you can.

Cook vegetables alongside your main food where appropriate.

Use frozen vegetables when chopping and preparing fresh ones feels like too much work.

Line suitable baking trays.


And don't feel you need a separate bowl for every component of your dinner.

This is another reason meals such as baked potatoes, omelettes, soups, tray bakes and simple bowls work so well.


The easiest meal isn't only the one that's quick to cook. It's the one that doesn't leave the kitchen looking as though you've catered a wedding afterwards. (Have you ever catered for a wedding?)


❓ FAQ


What are some easy meals for seniors living alone?


easy meal for seniors living alone - vegetable soup and a slice of fresh bread

Some of the easiest options include scrambled eggs on toast, baked potatoes with simple toppings, soup and bread, pasta, fish with frozen vegetables, omelettes, rice bowls and help-yourself plates with foods such as hummus, cheese, crackers and vegetables.


Choose meals that suit your appetite, cooking ability and energy level rather than feeling that every dinner has to be elaborate.


What should I cook when I live alone?


Start with foods you already enjoy and can use in several different ways.

Eggs, chicken, canned tuna, beans, potatoes, bread, frozen vegetables, rice and pasta can all become simple meals without needing lots of ingredients.

It can also help to cook two portions occasionally and save or freeze one for another day.


How can I make cooking for one easier?


Keep a few easy foods in your pantry, fridge and freezer, use shortcuts such as frozen vegetables when useful, and choose meals that don't create lots of washing up.

Planning the next job for leftovers can also help.

For example, tonight's chicken can become tomorrow's sandwich rather than simply becoming “leftover chicken.”


Is it worth cooking just for one person?


I think it is - but cooking for yourself doesn't have to mean preparing a traditional cooked dinner every evening.

A simple omelette, soup and toast, baked potato or help-yourself plate can all make perfectly good meals.

The trick is finding a way of cooking that feels manageable for the way you live now.


How do I avoid wasting food when cooking for one?


Buy smaller quantities where practical, freeze foods in individual portions and choose ingredients you can use in several different meals.

Before opening something new, check whether there's already something in the fridge that needs using.

And don't be afraid of half a can!


Half the beans can go into tonight's meal and the rest can have a planned job tomorrow.


⚠️ A Quick Word About Food Safety


Because we're talking about cooking extra portions and using leftovers, this is one area where I wouldn't rely on guesswork.


Food needs to be cooled, stored, reheated and used safely.


For example, the USDA advises refrigerating perishable leftovers within two hours, generally using refrigerated cooked leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheating leftovers to 165°F (74°C).


For more info on food safety, here is the USDA's detailed guidance:


Kitchen Granny Tip: If you're putting something into the fridge or freezer for later, label it while you still remember what it is!


💛 Cooking for One Is Still Cooking for Someone Important


I think this is the part of cooking alone that we sometimes forget.

It's very easy to say:

“Oh, it's only me.”


And I've probably said it myself more times than I can count.


But being the only person eating doesn't mean the meal doesn't matter.

At the same time, I don't think we should swing to the other extreme and feel that we need to prepare a beautiful cooked dinner every night simply to prove we're looking after ourselves properly.


There is a comfortable place somewhere in the middle.


Cook when you feel like cooking.

Use shortcuts when they help.

Keep a few easy meals around.

Make two portions when it saves you work tomorrow.

Eat scrambled eggs for dinner if that's what you fancy.


And occasionally put a few bits and pieces onto a plate and call the kitchen closed!


The best way to cook for one is the way that makes it easy enough to keep doing.


If the bigger challenge isn't deciding what to cook but finding the enthusiasm to cook when you're eating alone, you might also enjoy How to Enjoy Cooking for One After 60.


Kitchen Granny's Little Thought: There's only one person at my table sometimes - but she's still worth making something nice for!



















 
 
 

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Written by Granny Nora

Granny Nora shares simple meals, kitchen confidence, and practical tips for seniors who want to keep enjoying time in the kitchen.

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