Cooking for one can be a challenge, especially when you’re on a diet. It can be frustrating to buy produce on weekends only for it to go bad during the week. Business and leisure are wrapped in giant bags of chicken breasts that would take a person months to eat. Fast food drive-thrus may be tempted, when it takes great effort to cook for one after a long day of work. Here are some ideas to overcome obstacles during cooking to a diet.

Planning

When cooking for one, planning is essential. Try to plan menus for two to four weeks at a time. Think of ways you can use the same ingredient in various dishes. For example, a pot of beans can be divided and used in burritos, chili in Turkey, on a salad or mashed to a dip for raw vegetables. Shred a head of cabbage and to use part fish tacos for one night. Toss cabbage, remaining in a stir fry later that week. Planning ahead also allows you to divide and freeze meals for lunches and dinners during the month.

Shopping

Buying in bulk can be great for the budget, and shopping smart mass makes for a well-stocked freezer. Buy meat in bulk. Divide the meat and freeze individually before or after cooking them. Season the meat with the basic flavors, like garlic, salt, pepper and onions so that they will work in many recipes, from the Mexican Italians.

Frozen fruits and vegetables are a great buy. You can use what you need and return the rest to the freezer for a future date. Consider freezing produce. Some fruits and vegetables such as strawberries and green beans, the flash can be frozen at home and will keep for months. Spread the raw product on a baking sheet and place in freezer. Once they are frozen, packaged in a zip-top freezer bag.

Check your local ethnic grocery stores for occasions of shelf-stable goods such as rice and beans, as well as the interesting products at affordable prices and spices.

Cooking

Choose one day a week for cooking power. Roast a whole chicken or turkey breast. Prepare a pot of beans or rice. Assemble salad in individual plastic containers for the week. Hard-boil a dozen eggs for snacks during the week easy. Bake some potatoes baked pastries and a pot of eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, onions and garlic. The possibility of meals for the week of this preparation are endless. You can recharge your salads with chicken or roast turkey. Shred leftover chicken and serve over rice and beans with the sauce. Cut a sweet potato and make a hash with roasted vegetables for a vegetarian entree. Not only healthy meals, they are practically made for the week.

Be adventurous

One of the advantages of cooking for one is freedom to buy interesting food in small quantities, and budget-minded tips above will allow you to have more money to be adventurous. Try a few grams of an apricot-studded blue cheese in your salad. Buy a star fruit for breakfast. Treat yourself crab legs or scallops. With a balance of planning and splurging, cooking for one can be an enjoyable experience.