“Now that my husband has been gone almost a week on a photography trip, I must say that I don’t know how you come up with healthy meals throughout the day for just yourself.”
This message came from one of our community readers, and it made me stop and think: I do make a healthy meal three times a day, every day, just for me. How do I do that?
For the longest time, I always gave people a free pass if they only cooked for themselves. I went right along with the thinking that they were automatically excused from making healthy meals. Of course you shouldn’t go to all the work of making a meal when you’re the only one at the table, right?
But several years ago I woke up to the obvious realization that I still make myself good meals even though I’m the only one at the table! That’s when I started taking a closer look at the “cooking for one” issue.
The Assumption The first thing I noticed is how we all just assume that cooking for one doesn’t make sense.
Shortly thereafter, I noticed an ad for a one-serving Lean Cuisine meal. In big, bold type, it questioned why anyone would bother cooking when a Lean Cuisine meal could just be popped in the microwave.
Putting two and two together, I had to question: Have we just been led to believe that cooking for one is crazy? And have we been led to adopt that assumption by companies selling meals for one?
Deeper Questioning A big part of Meal Making Transformation lies in examining the unquestioned beliefs and assumptions that block us from healthy meal making. In the case of solo cooking, the messaging behind one-serving meals is certainly appealing. Suddenly, we’re off the hook for kitchen duty!
But is that messaging actually correct? More importantly, does it serve our well-being? Maybe it would be wise to explore whether there is actually a sound logical basis for it—before handing your dollars to a profit-driven company with a primary interest in selling you stuff.
- Why does the value of healthy meal making depend on the number of people at your table?
- Do your health needs suddenly disappear when you cook for one instead of two, four or more? Don’t you still have the same need for affordable, nourishing and nurturing meals?
- Is there some universal principle, scientific finding or law of nature that says it’s silly to prepare a meal for one, but not for two, three or four?
From an objective, rational standpoint, you can see there really isn’t any reason that cooking for one should be different.
But, But, But . . . “I cooked meals for 30, 40 or 50 years for the family and I’m tired of cooking.” . . . “My spouse did all the cooking and they passed away.”. . . “I never learned to cook or set up a kitchen.” Those may be setbacks to work around, but not barriers that stop you. As long as you’re in the land of the living, you need meals that nurture, nourish and support your health–and you deserve them!
Beliefs That word “deserve” gets to the heart of the cooking for one problem. Why do we not think we’re deserving of meals that reward us with vibrant good energy, a good weight and wonderful good health–not to mention yummy taste? Have we been convinced not only that making meals for one is not worthwhile, but also that we aren’t worthy of health-giving meals? See below for one expert’s response to that!
Practical Responses In the meantime, let’s start cataloguing the many upsides of cooking for one that never get any press:
- Less Stress No need to worry if anyone else will like what you make–especially picky eaters.
- Make It Your Way Like your food spicy, salty, crispy or whatever? You’re free to make it just the way you like.
- No Scheduling Conflicts Don’t worry about working around anyone else’s schedule. Cook when you want, eat when you want. Or, if you don’t feel like eating, there’s no one to complain.
- You Get All the Leftovers! Even if you spend 30 minutes making dinner, you may get three meals out of it, which means you only spent 10 minutes per meal. So put your feet up and relax!
The Beauty of Simplicity Being a cooking instructor, a lot of people think I make fabulous creations every night. Not so, at all! Of course I occasionally like to make something with a little more pizzazz, but for the most part I’m totally happy with this kind of lineup:
- Breakfast: Egg scramble with a vegetable and a grain or winter squash
- Lunch: Leftovers or a salad or freezer soup
- Dinner: Some sort of skillet with a protein, starch and seasonal vegetables
To keep things interesting without a lot of fuss, each day I add different spice blends, condiments and ready-made sauces and vary the grains, meats, vegetables, nuts and beans in my meals. This simple technique adds plenty of easy interest to my meals–and gets me motivated to make them!
Four Answers So in response to the question posed at the outset, here’s what keeps me making healthy meals every day, even if just for me:
- I see–but don’t buy into–the marketing claim that cooking for one is crazy.
- I keep meals simple, employing easy-to-use flavorings and ingredient variety to keep things interesting.
- I firmly believe that I am absolutely worth the time to make health-giving food.
- I allow the joy of one tasty, wholesome meal to propel me to make another and another. This keeps me swept up in a self-reinforcing, positive upward spiral. That means, importantly, that I don’t have to dig and strain for motivation. It happens naturally.
Being Worth It On the subject of worthiness, I recently listened to therapist Shelly Lefkoe talk about the big role beliefs play in almost every aspect of our lives–even healthy eating. She shared the story of a client who was so focused on work that she couldn’t even find time to drop by Whole Foods for a healthy take out meal. Lefkoe asked this question about the beliefs at play for this woman:
“What must she believe to not take care of her body that is the vehicle for doing her important work?”
Good question, right? Lefkoe was clear that she totally valued her health and took care of her body. “I’m worth it!” were her exact words.
Shelly Lefkoe on the Dhru Purohit podcast,
Unlock Your Full Potential: How to Overcome Limiting Beliefs
That Are Holding You Back
(A great health podcast, BTW!)
A Final Thought About Loneliness A table for one can seem lonely especially after you’re accustomed to lively meal gatherings. But I no longer buy into the thinking that solo eating is dreary and depressing. In fact, I enjoy my own company and have grown to like the relaxing aspect of a quiet table. I can have wonderfully agreeable conversations with myself, often give the newspaper a leisurely read, sometimes just look out the window and always take time to savor my food! If I ever do feel like human contact, a friend or one of my children is just a phone call away!.