Introduction
Cooking for One
When was the last time you cooked for yourself? We don’t mean the last time you heated up a microwaveable meal, or even the last time you threw together a stir-fry. When was the last time you really cooked for yourself—when you thought about what you
wanted to eat, went out and bought the ingredients to make it, and put together a simple and complete meal for one?
It’s a scary idea, making a meal for one. For many people, it’s as daunting as eating out alone at a restaurant. And for women, it’s particularly daunting. It’s not because we’re not capable of planning, shopping, and cooking—of course we are! And it’s not because of money—cooking at home is cheaper and often faster than takeout. It’s because we’re just not used to putting that much energy into something that is just for us. Most of us will happily (if not skillfully) cook a fun meal for friends or roommates, but we’re constantly putting ourselves on the back burner (so to speak!).
It doesn’t help that most recipes out there in cookbooks and online serve four to six, or eight, or even ten! It’s not uncommon to find a delicious smoothie recipe that serves four. Four! Who makes smoothies for early-morning parties of four (and if you are, we are going to need an invite!)? That means that when you find a great recipe to try, you either have to remember how to use fractions to work the recipe down to two servings, or you get to eat the same meal six times in one week. Would you ever serve someone else the same boring dinner six nights in a row? Of course not. So why would you do that to yourself?
All of these multi-serving recipes are particularly out of touch because more Americans1 than ever before are living on their own. In fact, more women between the ages of 24 and 36 live alone than with roommates. And while living on your own is great—No sharing milk! Unlimited bathroom time!—it can take a toll on your health if you aren’t careful.2 A recent study found that people who live on their own have low diversity in the food they eat; consume fewer fruits, vegetables and fish than people in multi-person households; and are more likely to have an unhealthy diet—popcorn for dinner, anyone? Since fresh fruits and veggies are the foods that go bad the fastest, and are harder to finish as one person, it’s not a surprise they get passed over at the grocery store. And it doesn’t help that getting dinner (or lunch, or snacks, or bagels) delivered is easier than ever. We’ll get into the details of nutrition and cost of cooking for yourself later, but what’s becoming obvious is that we really are treating ourselves worse than we treat others. Much worse.
This book is here to help. Whether you’re a first time cook or a recipe addict who just needs to master cooking for one, we have 175 fabulous recipes to get you started on the path to better health, more money in the bank, and tastier food. This is a book about radical self-care, about focusing on what your body needs, what you want to eat, and how to support everything else you have going on by adapting and prepping for your week in advance.
So pull the sweaters out of your oven, Carrie Bradshaw, and embrace your inner Monica. You’re going to get cooking and, after a few weeks of planning, prepping, and preparing food for yourself, much of it will become second nature. Like anything else, cooking for yourself is about establishing good habits. And we’re not suggesting that you should spend hours in the kitchen slaving over a 5-course meal for yourself—in fact, this book’s recipe section is broken up into dishes that can be prepped ahead of time, recipes that can be thrown together in a few minutes, and recipes that are slower and indulgent so you can adjust based on your schedule.
Let’s Talk About “Diets”
It’s a common misunderstanding that the word “diet” means an eating plan undertaken with the desire and intention to achieve weight loss. In fact, diet just means “the kind of food that a person regularly eats.” In that spirit, what this book isn’t is a “diet book”—we’re not giving you calorie restrictions or eliminating food groups (unless you count “delivery pizza” as a food group). But the goal is to improve your diet. Add more fruits and vegetables back in, incorporate interesting protein sources (check out our Lamb Meatball Skewers with Tahini-Goat Cheese Sauce on page 183), and don’t forget snacks and smoothies that power you through your toughest workouts.
Your new diet is not going to make going out with friends difficult, or keep you chained to your office microwave for 10 minutes per day. Cooking healthy meals that are planned around your schedule and needs will fuel your life and your #goals.
Cooking vs. Delivery
For the first time EVER, Americans are spending more money on food prepared outside the home than food purchased to cook and eat at home.3 And why not, when we can tap on our phone for two minutes and have almost any dish appear at our door within an hour? It’s enough to make us feel like Marie Antoinette! And why shouldn’t we eat cake?
Both cost and calories, that’s why. And it isn’t just cake. A recent study found that 92% of restaurant meals contained more calories than recommended for a single meal (which we prefer to keep below 500 calories), with the average dish clocking in at a terrifying 1,200 calories.4 And these aren’t fast food restaurants—these numbers are from sit-down spots. What are the odds that you’re eating the 8% of meals that are under the recommended amount of per-meal calories? And eating out will almost always cost more than making it yourself, even before adding in delivery costs if you want to stay in your pajama pants.
Don’t just take our word for it—let’s compare one of the dinners in our book to its restaurant counterpart. Our Yogurt and Parmesan Fettuccine Alfredo costs $1.75 for the ingredients, and clocks in at 342 calories. At a popular restaurant, Fettuccine Alfredo will cost about $15, and could pack close to a whopping 1,800 calories. We could do the math for you about how many calories and dollars you’ll save in one week from eating at home, but you get the picture.
So let’s get to it and build you the perfect cooking-for-one kitchen!
Sausage, Kale, and Apple Frittata Prep It Ahead | Gluten-Free | Freezer Friendly
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Makes 4 servings
A frittata is basically a crust-free, easier-to-make quiche. And this one is even easier because it is prep-friendly for both the night before (chop the leek and kale in advance and store in the refrigerator) and the week or month before—the whole frittata, or leftover slices, will hold in the refrigerator wrapped in foil for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
6 eggs
3 egg whites
1/4 cup 1% milk
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small leek, white part only, rinsed and sliced into thin half-moons
3 kale leaves, stems removed, leaves chopped
4 links precooked turkey breakfast sausage, cut into 1/4"-thick slices on a diagonal
1/2 crisp lightly sweet apple, such as Jazz, Ruby Frost, or Opal, cut into thin wedges
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg whites, milk, and 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. set aside.
2. In a large ovenproof nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Cook the leek, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden. add the kale and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until wilted. add the sausage and cook for 2 minutes, or until heated through. add the apple and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until heated through.
3. Pour in the reserved egg mixture and cook for 5 minutes, or until just barely set, swirling the pan and gently lifting the edges of the egg with a spatula to allow egg to flow underneath. transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 5 minutes, or until puffed, golden, and set.
4. Slice and serve or let cool completely before wrapping in foil.
Nutrition (per serving): 252 calories, 16 g protein, 10 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 4 g sugars, 16 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 591 mg sodium
Chocolate-Dipped Grapefruit Prep It Ahead | 5 Ingredients or Fewer | Vegan | Gluten-Free
Prep time: 1 minute
Total time: 2 minutes
Makes 2 servings
1 1/2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1 grapefruit, peeled and segmented
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1. Place the chocolate in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave on high power in 10-second intervals until melted. Stir and let cool slightly.
2. Partially dip the grapefruit segments into the chocolate and set on a plate. Sprinkle with the salt.
Nutrition (per serving): 158 calories, 2 g protein, 23 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 19 g sugars, 7 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 103 mg sodium
Rosemary-Roasted Vegetables with Manchego Cheese and Serrano Ham Prep It Ahead | Gluten-Free | Pack for Lunch
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Makes 1 serving
You can make this whole dish in advance, saving the cheese for when you’re ready to eat it. It makes a filling lunch or dinner that you can easily reheat in the microwave.
1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2" pieces
1/2 pound small Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons olive oil pinch of ground black pepper
1 ounce Serrano ham, torn into small pieces
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons grated manchego cheese
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. On a baking sheet, toss together the asparagus, Brussels sprouts, rosemary, oil, and pepper.
2. Roast the vegetables, stirring once, for 20 minutes, or until tender and charred. Toss in the ham and vinegar and roast for 2 minutes.
3. Serve sprinkled with the cheese on top.
Nutrition (per serving): 322 calories, 21 g protein, 24 g carbohydrates, 11 g fiber, 7 g sugars, 19 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 935 mg sodium
Copyright © 2018 by The Editors of Women's Health with Katie Walker. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
