Cooking for One or Two

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

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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

9. 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.

10. 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!

11. 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

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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!

17. That’s all Folks!