Cooking for One or Two Presented by – Johanna Hahn, Extension Agent, FCS Virginia Cooperative Extension - City of Newport News

Cooking for One or Two Doesn’t have to be difficult if you follow a few basic rules. Choose low cost foods. Use smaller amounts of meat, poultry and fish. Feature grain products. Use menus to save time, money and stress.

Cooking for One or Two Planning is the key to nutritious meals, low cost meals and variety. Use the Food Guide Pyramid to plan. Be conscious of appropriate serving sizes. Balance “convenience” foods with “homemade” foods. Dust off the cookbooks, review magazines, check the internet for new ideas.

Cooking for One or Two Some great web sites for recipes, menus, sound nutrition info and ideas are: http://www.refdesk.com/food.html http://www.kelloggs.com/kitchens/index.html http://www.culinarycafe.com/ http://www.eatright.org/ http://www.landolakes.com/mealideas/index.cfm

Cooking for One or Two Avoid impulse buying Get familiar with the regular prices at your favorite supermarket Check the Sunday and Wednesday papers for sale ads. Shop with a friend or family member to help alleviate boredom.

Cooking for One or Two Take advantage of seasonal fruits and veggies. Take inventory of your cupboards before you menu plan and make shopping lists. Eating with others is often more enjoyable than eating alone. Consider inviting friends, neighbors, co-workers to lunch or dinner. Learn how to half a recipe, portion meals for freezer.

Cooking for One or Two Shopping and cooking ideas for 1 or 2 Try dry spices/seasoning packets. Use ½ Individually wrapped cheese slices keep better. Small bottles of salad dressing adds variety. Buy frozen free-flow veggies.

Cooking for One or Two Use dry milk for cooking or baking Consider individual serving sizes if cost allows Meals on the run Carrying out Ordering in

Cooking for One or Two Recipes that can be divided by 2 or 4 are most successfully divided. Recipes that contain very little liquid may become too dry if halved. Prevent boring meals…try a new recipe. Start a recipe file of easy recipes designed for small servings.

Cooking for One or Two Plan meals in advance! It’s the key to preparing appropriate and useful amounts of food. Try to plan meals on a weekly basis. When trying to prepare a weekly menu begin with the main dish or entrée with breads/pastas, veggies, fruit or fruit salads. Don’t be afraid to try a variety of different foods and combinations of foods so that boredom with meals doesn’t happen!

Cooking for One or Two Planned-Overs Invite guests when making a large meal. Divide leftovers into smaller portions, enough for one meal and have 3-4 ready. Save leftovers and create new meals by adding different vegetables, or cheese. Divide leftovers into meal-sized portions and freeze for convenient meals later.

Cooking for One or Two Did you know...that fitting more servings of vegetables and fruits into your day could be easy? Try these ideas: Make breakfast count. In addition to your cereal or toast, start the day with a glass of 100% fruit juice and mixed berries stirred into lowfat or nonfat yogurt. Or combine juice, fruit and yogurt in a blender for a quick, healthy breakfast shake. Pack a fruit or veggie snack for a day's outing. Bring along dried fruits, like apples, apricots, prunes or raisins. Stash a snack-size can of peaches or pears packed in fruit juice (and a plastic spoon) in your bag.

Cooking for One or Two Add vegetables to your everyday meals. Add carrots, peppers and broccoli, or sliced mushrooms and zucchini, to pasta sauce. Top a baked potato with salsa. Lessen the layer of cheese on your pizza and load it with vegetables like tomatoes, onions, green peppers, broccoli and spinach. Choose fruit for dessert. Top lowfat frozen yogurt with sliced strawberries. Slice ripe peaches onto graham crackers. Have a baked apple sprinkled with cinnamon.

Cooking for One or Two Look beyond the usual. Try different varieties of melons, potatoes or greens. Make a fruit salad with mango, papaya, kiwi, pineapple or other fruits that are new to you. Create a new vegetable salad with Belgian endive, radicchio, cherry tomatoes and yellow bell peppers. If all this effort still leaves you without an appetite, invite a friend to dinner. Many cooks know that looks often make the meal, even when eating alone.

Cooking for One or Two Make it easy on yourself. The convenience of frozen and canned vegetables and fruits makes them an easy addition to many meals. They are also a very nutritious choice. Be sure to rinse canned veggies before using to wash off excess sodium. Or buy no-salt added vegetables. Also, choose fruit canned in its own juice.

Cooking for One or Two Skipping meals deprives your body of energy and can make you feel tired. Snacks are a great way to save time and get some valuable nutrition. The bottom line… Make sure you are eating the necessary foods each day to maintain your health and energy!

That’s all Folks! What do you mean by notes?