Making food for your closest friends and family can inspire delicious meals with appetizers, entrees, drinks and even desserts. Sharing your talents in the kitchen displays your love and care for those closests to you. But what happens when you have to cook for yourself or you live alone. Often, all that hard work of making a laborious meal doesn’t seem as appealing as before. It can be tempting to pour yourself a bowl of cereal or finish off an entire bag of chips while watching your favorite show every night. Those foods for every meal can get old quickly. Preparing healthy and balanced meals meant for one person can be challenging but is a way, if you have the will.
I find it important to understand why something should be done before doing it. Eating the appropriate foods for our bodies is essential for our health. People who live alone have the same nutritional needs as those who live with other people. Well balanced meals benefit the consumer, no matter who else is eating it. For the elderly population living alone, eating healthy meals can help you be well both mentally and physically.
Cooking a healthy meal for yourself every night seems daunting. All of the preparation, cutting, and cooking all that food then cleaning all those dishes just to eat for a few minutes. I say, don’t do it. Instead, cook once or twice a week. Make the entire recipe of that healthy dinner you have planned but then eat it over the course of a few days. This concept is called meal prep. Make sure you make a recipe that you will want to eat that often. Many people incorporate this style of cooking into their lives. It can make their time in the kitchen minimal and help those eating toward a certain health goal. Meal prep can be used by those who have a hard time justifying making an entire recipe for one person at one meal time. Planning out what you want to eat for the week is crucial for this to work. Since meal prep essentially causes someone to eat the same meal repeatedly, incorporating a variety of food groups is vital. Whole grains, vegetables, fruits, calcium-rich foods and lean protein sources, for example, should be incorporated in every meal. You can mix and match these food groups into your meals. I suggest having at least 3 food groups represented in these meal prep meals. If this is something you want to implement in your life, I also suggest following proper food safety procedures. Properly cooking, cooling and storing your food can help protect yourself from food borne illness and help keep your meal stay fresh as long as possible. If you have more questions on how to meal prep appropriately, I suggest contacting your physician or your Registered Dietitian to help you find what works best for you.
There are many ways people who often eat alone can still cook for themselves without it being overwhelming. Meal sharing, pre cut fruits and vegetables, healthy snacks, meal services, etc. are all great ways to make eating healthy more obtainable for this population. Eating alone and eating healthy can be done successfully and you can do it!
