Cooks with only one or two people to feed sometimes have to relearn how to "downsize" their meals without missing out on important nutrients.

When cooking becomes too big a chore

If you've ever contemplated pot roast for one, eaten the same leftovers two or three days in a row, or confronted a row of packaged foods that serve four or more, you know the challenges of "cooking for one". If you've spent years cooking for a spouse and other family members and are new at cooking for one, you may be less than enthusiastic to cook when "it's only me".

While you could, theoretically, retire from cooking, you can't retire from eating. Single older adults need the pleasure and nutrients good meals can provide as much--or more--than anyone else. While it isn't necessary to prepare multiple courses at every meal, skipping meals or limiting your diet to just a few foods every day can undermine your health.

Simple meal strategies

Thoughtful planning can help you enjoy healthful meals while minimizing both labor and leftovers. Here are some hints.

• Plan ahead. Sketch out menus and shopping lists for a few days at a time.
• Assume that you will have leftovers. Use combination dishes such as soups, casseroles, and salads to incorporate them into'new' meals.
• Prepare dishes that can be divided into single servings and frozen, such as spaghetti sauce or meatballs.
• Plan two meals from the same entree. For example, prepare chili one night and a chili-topped baked potato later in the week. For safety's sake, refrigerate the portion you are saving as soon as you are done cooking it. Use leftovers within three days.
• Although initially more expensive, small or individually sized packages can reduce waste and help you add variety to your meals. If available, buy smaller sizes of items that you routinely end up throwing away, or those you don't care to eat more than once in a three-day period.
• Use supermarket salad bars for small amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as individual salads.
• Buy frozen vegetables and fruits packaged in plastic bags that allow you to use only what you need.
• Shop at the deli counter for small amounts of meat, a few ounces of beef for a hot roast beef sandwich, or a thick slice of turkey or ham to dice for a salad or casserole.
• Ask the butcher to repackage chicken pieces, chops, or ground meat into smaller-sized packages.
• If you buy frozen dinners, look for varieties with less than 10 grams of fat for every 300 calories (15 grams of fat or less for a 450 calorie meal). Increase the nutrient value of a frozen meal by adding another vegetable, or a salad, and serve it accompanied by a cup of low-fat or skim milk and fresh or canned fruit.
• Maximize the nutrient value of the foods you choose. Use labels on packaged items to compare similar items andchoose those with higher amounts of fiber, vitamins and minerals. As an example, compare the nutrient values listed on a can of lentil soup to those on a can of chicken noodle soup. And choose brightly-colored fruits and vegetables whenever possible--they're richer in nutrients than other varieties. For example, occasionally bake a sweet potato instead of a white potato.
• Make mealtime a pleasant time of your day. Invite a friend to join you. Set the table with a place mat and your favorite dishes. Play your favorite music as accompaniment.
• Try to assemble meals that include protein-rich foods, a starch, (preferably whole grain), and at least one fruit or vegetable.

Five simple meals

Here are five fast meals that meet these criteria, but are essentially enhancements of tea and toast.

• Whole wheat toast spread with peanut butter, a handful of dried apricots, and a cup of skim or 1% fat milk.
• A split English muffin spread with tuna fish and sprinkled with reduced-fat cheddar cheese. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and accompany with a glass of calcium-fortified orange juice.
• A toasted whole grain waffle topped with a scoop of low-fat cottage cheese or part-skim ricotta cheese and warm, frozen blueberries or strawberries, and a cup of tomato juice.
• Warm canned baked beans, a purchased corn muffin, and applesauce with a glass of skim or 1% milk.
• A cup of cocoa made with skim milk, a stick of string cheese, a handful of crackers, and some fresh apple slices.

Source

The American Dietetic Association's Complete Food & Nutrition Guide. RL. Duyff, Minneapolis: Chronimed Publishing, 1998

Links

• Portion Control : It's In Your Hands
• To quickly access additional accurate information on this and other nutrition-related topics, visit Tufts University's Nutrition Navigator http://www.navigator.tufts.edu