How to cook for one without waste?

Embrace the prepped freezer meal — just in smaller portions than your married-with-kids friends do. Freeze individual ingredients, too, so you can vary what you eat night to night. Prep enough vegetables on Sunday that you can eat freshly roasted sheet pan dinners every night of the week. While you're at it, chop extra vegetables to freeze for meals later down the line. Buy the big bags of frozen chicken thighs on sale to pair with all of those frozen vegetables you have on hand. Rescue produce on the edge of going bad, and use it to make meals in the future so much better. When your whole fruits start to go a little soft, bake 'em for breakfast or dessert. If you don't eat all of that fancy bread, turn the leftovers into quick croutons to transform boring salads and soups. Pick up a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store, or roast your own. Rotisserie chicken and pre-chopped frozen vegetables work nicely in 5-minute mug meals, too. Experiment with clean-out-your-fridge meals. Pour a three-ingredient sauce over leftover vegetables and some rice from your freezer stores, and boom — Stir Fry-day. Use mason jars to prep single-serving salads that you can grab for a healthy work lunch or pour onto a plate for a late-night dinner. Learn how to make a big batch of vinaigrette to toss with everything from salads to roasted vegetables.

Make a plan. One of the best things you can start doing is making a menu plan and grocery list each week. When you menu plan, you take out all of the guesswork and you'll be prepared with the ingredients you need for meals throughout the week. I always make sure to plan for leftovers, usually for lunch, to avoid forgetting food and letting it go to waste. Utilize your freezer. Halve recipes and use leftovers. Instead of having an insane amount of leftovers, there is a simple solution: Learn to halve recipes, or even divide them by three if they are meant for six. Having go-to recipes for food that is near expiration can help you cut down on wasted food and wasted money. Plus, using up leftovers in creative ways might help you discover your new favorite recipe!

Invest in the Right Tools Start by equipping your kitchen with small-sized cookware. A small frying pan, 2-quart saucepan or dutch oven, and mini baking dishes are great for cooking single portions. Plan Your Meals Planning is crucial when cooking for one. Create a weekly meal plan that uses many of the same ingredients throughout the week in different ways. Buy Ingredients Wisely Shop for fresh produce at stores that allow you to buy individual fruits and vegetables rather than pre-packed ones. Use bulk bins for grains, nuts, and spices, purchasing only what you need for a recipe or a week’s use. When buying canned goods, buy the smallest size available. Utilize Your Freezer Instead of canned fruits and veggies , buy frozen and use just the amount you need for the recipe, without the waste. Cook Once, Eat Twice… cleverly repurposing them can transform them into exciting new meals. Embrace Recipe Adjustments Learn to scale down recipes to suit your needs, however the recipes on A Weekend Cook have already been scaled down. Use Versatile Ingredients Stock your pantry with versatile staples that can be used in multiple recipes. Be Mindful of Perishables When buying perishables, only buy what you can realistically use before they spoil. Opt for ingredients that have a longer shelf life or consider shelf-stable or frozen alternatives for more perishable items.