Questions from a reader

I received some questions from someone who wants to remain anonymous. I am going to include my response but I would love any other advice others might have on the subject!! Feel free to supplement my answer!

1) Would you be interested in offering advice on cooking for one? I get so frustrated because I want to eat well and fresh, and do my best, but it seems so hard to cook for one person. Any suggestions?

2) I've noticed that I am constantly hungry and always thinking about my next meal. I am not distracted enough at work to keep me completely busy so I feel like I'm watching the clock waiting to eat. I don't overeat but I'm always thinking about food. I also feel like I've gained some weight. Any suggestions on foods/snacks that will make me feel full? I am worried about this because I know I can get obsessive and I don't want. I want to be healthy and happy!

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Well as far as eating for one, I am definitely a pro at that since I've lived alone for the past 3 years. The one thing I've had to learn is to figure out what the proper amount is to cook up for a portion size for one. I tend to not like leftovers very much so the idea of cooking something then eating those leftovers for a later meal only works for me on certain dishes. Use things that are easy to prepare in a one-person portion. For example, cut up 1 chicken breast, 1 bell pepper, and 1 slice of onion. Cook & season as desired, or if you want to use a packet of seasoning don't use the whole thing. Use w/ 1-2 tortillas & top w/ avocado to make tacos/fajitas. Or prepare with a little more chicken and use the whole seasoning packet. Then use the leftover chicken for taco salad the next day. If you're the type that likes to make recipes remember not all recipes are going to scale down easily. Look for recipes that you can taylor down to a smaller portion or ones that you would enjoy eating leftovers. Another thing that I've found very useful is using cooking appliances that taylor to a one person meal such as The Bullet and a George Forman Grill. It makes it much easier (& quicker) to make a personalized smoothie without getting your whole blender dirty or grilling up a patty for your turkey burger without having to light the grill (which is especially good for apartment life).

Here are some general tips for eating for one:

• Plan ahead for leftovers so that you can cook once, and eat twice (or more!) For example, use leftover meat for soup or quesadillas


• After cooking a meal, freeze single sized portions for use later


• Purchase foods that are already individually portioned such as frozen chicken breasts, fish fillets, fruits, and vegetables .


• When eating alone it may be helpful to re-think your idea of a meal...sometimes a “snack” is really sufficient


• Use a skillet for a one-pan meal...add your meat, veggies, and sauce or marinade of choice. Serve over rice or pasta.


• If you don't like to cook a lot or don't have time, reserve an hour or two on the weekend (or whenever is good for you) to make one or two recipes, then set aside servings for future use. Refrigerate or freeze servings in individual containers, then pull them out later for a quick homemade meal.

As far as always feeling hungry, this may be due to a couple of things. I'm going to be giving some general suggestions. Since I'm not sure how much you are actually eating throughout the day some of this may or may not apply to you.

• From how you posed your question, I'm not sure if you're eating snacks in your day. One of the best ways to maintain your hunger and your weight is by eating 5-6 mini-meals throughout the day (or 3 small meals w/ snacks in between). First of all this helps to boost your metabolism but it also helps to curb your hunger. If you feel yourself hungry you know its just a couple hours till you get to eat next. A good snack typically contains some carbohydrate and some protein. This will help tie you over until your next meal. For example: cottage cheese & fruit, celery & peanut butter, yogurt, apple & string cheese. You get the idea. Now if you're altering your eating pattern so that you are eating 5-6 mini-meals throughout the day the snacks would be a little bigger since they are now a mini-meal. Not all of us can do this with our work schedules so it's whatever works for you & your schedule!


• Next, look at how much fiber you're getting from your food. Fiber helps keep you full longer. Eat some extra fruits and vegetables! Also make sure you're getting whole grains encorporated into your diet.


• Also, at times people try to eat "too" healthy and try to cut all the fat out of their diet. Healthy fats have essential purposes for our body and also help to keep you feeling full. Make sure you focus on getting enough healthy fats in your diet. So what is a healthy fat? Healthy fats are the unsaturated fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated). Focus on the monounsaturated fats...found in plant sources such as olive oil, avocado, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, olives. Put some avocado on a sandwhich, eats some nuts as a snack, etc.


• Make sure you're eating enough :) Some people that "diet" eat wayyy too little calories. To those of you starving yourself...remember it actually slows down your metabolism to eat too little. Eat a little more and you might find you lose a little more! Surprising huh?