Easy Dinner Ideas for One

Cooking for one person isn’t easy. It doesn’t always feel worth the effort, and most recipes serve so many people that you’re eating the same thing all week. But before you give up and order out (again), check out these easy tips to make prepping and cooking weekly meals for one an enjoyable, affordable experience.

Budget Buying for Meal Prep

The first step to your prep is knowing HOW to buy at the store. Anything that will keep at home for a long period of time (pantry ingredients, frozen foods, etc.) should be bought in bulk, if you’ve got the room. Buying in bulk is cheaper and can give you a nice variety of ingredient options to choose from.

But make sure you don’t overload your cart with too many fresh items at once, especially produce. Some meats and produce can be frozen, but it’s best to check which options keep in a deep freeze and which don’t. Buy the amount you know will get used and won’t be thrown away, or else your budget might get busted.

The Right Recipes for One

Once you’ve got the kitchen stocked, it’s time to prep your dinners for the week. For a great variety each night, choose a few different recipes that are freezer friendly. That way, once you make each dish, you can have them portioned and ready for the week and freeze the rest for weeks to come – a great way to keep meal options “fresh” for the evening.

Another way to keep variety in mind is to make your recipes scalable. If you’ve got a recipe for 4, do the “kitchen math” to pare down ingredient amounts to a single serving. And feel free to make substitutions as you see fit to make the ingredients fit.

Repurpose Leftovers

One more way to keep your meals for one interesting is to repurpose those big recipes. Got leftover chicken or beef? Shred it up for next-night tacos. Have a big salad with lots left? Blend it up for a healthy, hearty smoothie. Getting creative in the kitchen is a surefire way to keep it interesting with your meals for one.