Cooking can seem like a lot of work, no matter how many people you’re feeding. Although prepping food for a crowd can be especially labor-intensive, I think cooking for one can be more difficult motivation-wise.
If I wasn’t 1. living with someone (i.e., my husband) or 2. regularly testing recipes for this blog, I know for a fact I wouldn’t cook nearly as much as I do. I’m thankful to have those two reasons to motivate myself to try new recipes and cook healthy meals. Anytime I’m faced with cooking for only myself, I somehow just don’t have the will to try very hard.
This is especially true when I’m riding solo for days or weeks on end when Matt’s traveling for work. I have all these grand plans to make nutritious meals using fresh ingredients my husband doesn’t like (mushroom everything, please), but after a couple days, my laziness sets in.
Having gone through this cycle of making grand plans, starting them, then giving up numerous times, I’ve realized there are 3 main strategies I always end up following. These are realistically how I’m able to motivate myself to eat balanced meals throughout the week.
I highly recommend trying these 3 steps/rules/whatever you want to call them if you struggle with cooking for yourself and end up either 1. consistently eating unbalanced meals or 2. grabbing fast food on a regular basis. These tips may not be right for everyone, but I think they could be useful for most people.
1. Make one big meal at the start of every week.
This is my #1 tip because it’s my lifeline throughout the work week. When I’m alone—whether for one week or several weeks—I spend a little time each Sunday to make a large one-pot meal that I can eat leftover in the following days. This usually means a crock pot meal (e.g., Southwest Chicken Barley Soup in the Crockpot) or another dish that makes a lot of servings (e.g., Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup (the above pic), Ginger Sesame Chicken Salad, etc.). Having this available ensures I have at least one legit, nutritious meal every day.
2. Prep a couple ingredients to use in a variety of ways.
Whether you have extra time to do some food prep before the week, or have a window at an off-time during the week, prepare some ingredients that could be useful in a variety of dishes so you have less work later. For me this usually means cutting up some veggies (great for snacks or in meals), cooking and shredding chicken (my go-to is making a bunch of Broiled Chicken), and boiling eggs. Even if you don’t do a lot, every little bit helps! When you’re desperate, you might be surprised how willing you are to use up the few items you’ve prepared.
3. Keep ingredients on-hand for last-minute meals.
I wrote an entire post about making a master list of go-to dinners to prevent yourself from being stumped and frustrated come dinnertime. Making sure I have the ingredients for at least a few of my go-to dinner ideas (like Easy Burrito Bowls, pictured above) at all times makes life so much easier. That way, I can talk myself out of having cereal for dinner again and, instead, whip up another meal I know will be good and that doesn’t take too long.
Even though I get excited to cook anything I want when it’s just for myself, I also know that motivation will quickly disappear. I’m all for planning awesome meals, but if you’re like me and know actually cooking those meals is a gamble when the time comes, these 3 tips should help you still make well-rounded meals (err…decently rounded).
Do you struggle with staying motivated when cooking for yourself?
What are some strategies you follow that seem to help?
