Tips for Dining Solo in Older Age

Introduction

Cooking for one can be a challenging task, especially if you live alone and are used to cooking for two or more people. It can also be quite difficult to muster up the motivation required to cook a full nutritious meal for oneself, it can be much easier to opt for a quicker unhealthy option of processed food or a simple takeaway. It is especially important for the older solo cook to prioritise health and nutrition when it comes to home cooking. Cooking for just yourself though, enables you the opportunity to make healthy delicious meals that cater to your individual tastes and dietary needs.

Batch Cook

It can become a bit much to cook a meal every single day. If you are used to cooking for two then you still can but have the second meal for tomorrow’s lunch or dinner, this way, all you have to do is reheat the meal saving you time and effort. By cooking four portions all at once means you can have a few days’ worth of meals ready in your fridge or even freezer for a later date. Get a magnetic dry wipe board for your fridge door and some markers to note down your weekly meal plan, this will help you use the food up before it goes off. It doesn’t have to be a strict plan as it is dry wipe you can swap out Wednesday’s dinner for Friday’s depending on what you fancy that day.

For more tips please see our previous article Meal Planning and Preparation Tips For Older Adults

Get Inventive With Leftovers.

Left overs can be a great base to make all sorts of new dishes, that’s how bubble and squeak became a well-known dish! You don’t need to have the exact same meal two days in a row. If you have made yourself a curry and have some rice left, you could make some egg fried rice. Same goes for leftover Chilli or Spag Bol instead of making fresh pasta or rice for your meaty left overs, instead have it over a freshly baked jacket potato and sprinkel some cheese or sour cream on top with a side salad.

Experiment With Cuisines and Exotic Flavours

Cooking for just yourself allows you to be more experimental as you are only catering for your own taste buds. Invest in some cookbooks or search the web for recipe ideas. If you have always fancied trying steamed boa buns filled with pork, give them a go! You could set a day of the week to try something new like "Mix it up Monday" this will keep meal times fun. If you are a spice lover this is your time to enjoy all those hot flavours. Or even try new things at the supermarket, pick a new fruit or vegetable that you haven’t tried before and add it into your meal or have it as a snack. 

Get Creative With Your Main Meat or Protein

Older people do require a healthy amount of protein to support muscles and general health, eating the same protein source for each meal can get boring rather quickly. You could consider swapping out chicken for tofu or minced beef for lentils. As it is Veganuary you could switch things up further by eating vegan or vegetarian for certain days of the week.

Make Recipes Work for You

Just because you’ve seen a recipe for four this doesn’t mean you can’t cook it for just yourself. You can make the full recipe and enjoy the leftovers or if you are trying a new recipe and are unsure if you’d want to eat it again then simply divide the ingredient amounts by four if the serving size if four. Some recipe websites like Pinch Of Yum allow you to adjust the portion size on the recipe page. The cooking time may also be reduced when cooking smaller portions so bear this in mind. A top tip, when cooking meats, a meat thermometer can take away the doubt if something is cooked. Make sure it reaches a safe temperature of above 75°c.

Portion Control

It can be hard to get used to cooking portion sizes for just yourself, but practice makes perfect. Try to buy only enough produce for what you need. If you find you aren’t eating the fresh vegetables quick enough try switching to frozen vegetables so you can use as much as you require for the one meal. Smaller pots and pans to cook with will help you stick to a smaller portion size with better control when cooking for yourself. It will also help to eliminate food waste. Invest in some storage containers, having these on hand will make it a lot easier to store and reheat left overs. Using glass tupperware means your left overs can go straight from fridge to oven or microwave.

Cooking Classes

Have you considered a local cooking class, it’s a great way to try out new recipes and cooking methods. Also, gives you the opportunity to socialize and share your own cooking tips and recipes with others. Learning new skills is a good way to keep the mind active and engaged also reducing the risk of cognitive decline.

Meal Inspiration for One

Some quick and easy meal ideas to cook for one. 

• Salmon with roasted mediterranean veg and diced potatoes
• Crispy Tofu stir fry
• Classic Omelette
• Pita Pizza