As a solo cook (or one cooking for two) there is often the problem of cooking more than you can (or want) to eat. After all, there’s only so many days in a row you’ll be willing to eat the shepard’s pie you made that was meant for 6 people. I’ve put together a few tips to help you solo cooks save food.. and ultimately money.

  1. Buy pots, pans, and bakeware in small sizes. Most often when I make too much food it’s due to me wanting to fill up the pot or saute pan I’m using to cook. When I use my smaller sizes pots and pans, I don’t have trouble only making the amount I’ll eat. [Note: this is the best advice I have.. go do it.]
  2. Buy a good “solo cooking” book. One I especially like is Going Solo in the Kitchen by Jane Doerfer. With a cookbook designed for solo cooks you get recipes that serve one - you won’t have to think about scaling ingredient amounts. Plus, you’ll eventually get the feel of how much food you can actually eat in one sitting, so it will be easier to scale recipes or make up your own.
  3. Buy small packages at the store. They may cost more in the short run but, when you waste half a can of tomato sauce you’ve destroyed your savings. Also, you’ll be more likely to make smaller amounts of dishes if you have smaller amounts of ingredients to work with. An alternative is to buy larger packages and repackage them yourself into smaller packages.
  4. Be creative with your leftovers. Don’t look at the rice pilaf you made yesterday and think “I really don’t want pilaf again”. Make that pilaf into rice salad; add diced cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots and dressing.
  5. Take a list (including amounts) to the grocery store. This is easily accomplished if you create a menu plan before you head to the store. If you stick to your list you won’t end up with all fruit and no vegetables - you’ll have what you need to make a weeks worth of meals. And you’ll be less likely to buy more food than you can eat in a week.
Posted by carrie under articles