This year was my first year living on my own in an apartment, and like all other young people living on their own for the first time, my mind was filled with dreams of endless possibilities…as a Nutrition major, most of my daydreams consisted of cooking huge, delicious, nutritious meals for myself. Two semesters and 15 classes later, I can admit that my fantasies of gourmet meals every night definitely did not come true. My dinners have, regrettably, mostly consisted of frozen meals and Pasta Sides.
For too long, I’d made the timeless excuse of not having enough time to cook myself proper meals. This past month, I’ve really buckled down and have tried to make meals from scratch several times a week. I’m pretty proud of myself for this development, actually, but some unforeseen problems have arisen out of my newfound motivation. So much food goes to waste! As a petite young girl, I do not need nearly as much food as recipes call for, so the produce that I buy either goes bad before I can use it, or I’m sick of eating the same leftovers for three days straight and I end up throwing them away. As a college kid on a budget, I don’t have this wasted money to spare, so I acknowledged that I have a problem and went where any Nutrition major would go to solve a food crisis: eatright.org!
Thankfully I did, too, because the article “Cooking Tips for One or Two” (http://www.eatright.org/resource/food/planning-and-prep/cooking-tips-and-trends/cooking-tips-for-one) really saved me. Recently I’ve just given up on cooking and instead have been eating out a lot, costing me both money AND calories. This article showed me how to avoid that, and it gave me reasons to look forward to having to only cook for one person- me! First off, it’s so nice that I don’t have to worry about picky eaters or any cravings other than my own…I only have to worry about what I want! I have the flexibility to add my favorite ingredients to any meal and to omit the ones I don’t like. I can have breakfast for dinner. I can create varieties of one of many staple dishes, such as omelets.
One of the general tips I appreciated most was how to utilize freezer space. I can eliminate waste by “cooking once, eating twice.” This means I can make a mess in the kitchen one time towards the beginning of the month, eat, and save the leftovers in a freezer bag for later that month when I don’t feel like cooking or doing lots of dishes. This is genius! It really gives a whole new meaning to “frozen meals.” Another great idea is to separate large portions into smaller individual portions, whether it be cooked rice or raw chicken, ahead of time and stick them in the freezer for later use on the fly. Utilizing frozen fruits and vegetables instead of buying fresh produce is also an awesome way to eliminate waste.
Holly Larson, the RD who wrote this article, also had great ideas for specific types of food. She suggests visiting the bulk bin in grocery stores, as they usually have better deals on grains, herbs, and nuts. This way, buying what you need with no waste is possible at a less expensive price per pound. Another great idea is to eat the more perishable produce, such as berries and spinach, earlier in the week and to save produce that lasts longer, like carrots and potatoes, for meals later in the week. She brought up the great point that eggs are extremely versatile and can be cooked in a flash. She even included a recipe for a “Scrumptious Strata” that I am definitely willing to try!
Overall, this article has renewed my excitement for cooking again now that I have some tips to arm myself with when at the grocery store and in the kitchen. I feel like with this new knowledge gained, I will be on my way to creating delicious and nutritious meals for a long time coming! Thanks, Holly.