Healthy cooking for 1 or 2

Do you make time for healthy cooking when you're cooking for yourself? If not, you're selling yourself short. Instead of settling for leftovers and frozen dinner, try experimenting with these tips on healthy cooking for one or two:

• Make a plan. Take time to jot down the week's menu and a shopping list. You'll find it makes your grocery shopping easier and ensures that you have everything you need when you're ready to cook.
• Stock your pantry. Keep canned vegetables, beans and fruits on hand for quick and healthy additions to meals. Rinse canned vegetables and beans under cold running water to lower their salt content. Consider whole grains, such as quinoa, barley, and pastas. Dried foods are easily portioned for one.
• Take advantage of your freezer. Buy in bulk and freeze in smaller quantities that you can thaw and cook for one or two meals. You may be surprised to learn that you can also freeze foods, including breads, meats, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts and seeds. Freezing keeps food fresh longer and helps prevent waste. For the best quality, freeze food while it's fresh.
• Cook a batch and freeze single portions. For example, make a casserole or stew and freeze individual-size servings. Then take out only the amount of food you need. Be sure to write the date and contents on packages and move older packages forward as you add food to your freezer.
• Prepare one-dish meals. For quick and simple cooking, choose a dish that serves as the whole meal. Look for dishes that include items from several food groups, such as meats, whole grains, legumes and vegetables. Healthy examples include beef, barley and vegetable stew; chicken, vegetable and rice casserole; turkey and bean casserole; and vegetarian chili.
• Use extras wisely. Plan meals so that you can use the extra food in new dishes. For example, cook rice as a side dish for one meal, then use the remainder in a casserole or rice pudding. Bake chicken for a meal and use the leftovers in sandwiches or soup, or toss with greens, dried fruit and nuts for a tasty salad. Or make a meatloaf mixture and bake some as a meatloaf and freeze the uncooked portion to use later in stuffed peppers.
• Shop with convenience in mind. You know there'll be days when you don't have the time to cook. So plan ahead and keep on hand ready-to-eat, low-fat, reduced-sodium canned soups and low-fat frozen meals or prepackaged single-serving foods. The latter can be pricey, so stock up when you find a sale.

Healthy cooking: How to keep it fun

Finding inspiration may be one of the biggest challenges when it comes to cooking for one. Fortunately, you can find a multitude of cookbooks about cooking for one or two people. Some even provide practical advice on such things as selecting healthy foods, planning menus, shopping and reading food labels.

Don't be afraid to mix things up and try a nutritious snack instead of a traditional meal when you're short on time or energy. For example, spread a brown rice cake with ricotta cheese and fresh strawberries or herbed goat cheese and sliced olives. Other snack-turned-meal ideas are corn muffins served with apple and cheese slices, or fat-free refried beans mixed with salsa, a small amount of low-fat sour cream and baked tortilla chips.

Finally, why not treat yourself to company from time to time? Invite friends or relatives over to sample some of your home cooking. Or start a cooking club — it's a great opportunity to try new recipes and have fun in the kitchen.

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