Cook books come up with all sorts of exotic recipes for one or two but that isn’t the problem. After 50 odd years, cooking has become a bore. Are there any cookbooks out there with simple recipes, like meatloaf for one?
Why the rut?
• You don’t have the energy (or perhaps the transportation) to make trips to the grocery store.
• It is too much work to cook an elaborate meal for one or even two.
• You are coping with loss of appetite and jaded taste buds.
• Impossible nutrition recommendations are frustrating.
What happens if you don’t eat for health?
• You risk losing weight when you aren’t trying.
• Malnourishment can lead to fatigue, fuzzy thinking and falls
• You skimp on fresh fruits and vegetables, protein, fiber and minerals.
What are you supposed to do?
Make an effort and share your secrets with the likes of me. Students, empty nesters and seniors all face the challenges of shopping, storing and preparing foods for just one or two persons. If you are eating ready- to-eat meals from a can or a box more often than you should, you are in a rut. Not good.
Make healthy eating a priority:
• Plan ahead. Planning menus and shopping purposefully means you have the right ingredients on hand.
• Buy small portions or divvy up that package of six chicken thighs.
• Find a store that has a salad bar or bulk food section so that you can buy small amounts.
Let’s be practical. If all this still sounds like too much work let’s think again. Make your main course (protein) at home and shop for sides at a grocery store with a good deli. You don’t have to come up with something memorable every single night. Basically, you just need something satisfying and healthy.
Try to focus on getting enough fiber (found in beans, whole grains and leafy greens), protein (meat, chicken, fish, dairy, eggs, nuts and beans), and calcium (meat, cheese, yogurt, leafy greens) in your diet, every single day. It’s a good place to start.
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