Table for One

Today's post in this series is a tasty one from Poe at Many Waters.

I was so grateful to read this, because I got some great ideas from it. 

Cooking for a two year old Millie and a not big eater (me) always seems like it's such a chore 

and too annoying to think about. I hope these ideas inspire you, too! 

Make sure to check out her blog when you're done, including the recipes she mentioned.

While there are a few things I dislike about my husband being gone, including sleeping alone and dealing with “manly stuff” like fixing broken things, mowing the lawn and oil changes, there is one that tops the list. As simple as it seems, I HATE cooking for one and eating alone. Because of that, there is a scene that plays itself out several times during a separations:

I’m in the kitchen, holding the refrigerator door open. I’m letting all the cold air out but I can’t decide on what I want to eat. I close the door and turn around and look in the pantry. I stare for a few more minutes. Sometimes I’ll then go and look in the freezer as well. Then it’s back to the fridge. There are times it can take me 20 minutes to decide on something to eat.

There’s just something about eating alone. I don’t care if it’s at home or at a restaurant, it’s just not fun. And cooking for one? Who likes that? Not me! I know that I haven’t always eaten well when The Man is gone. Even with a weight loss goal, not eating is not the way to meet it. So I had to come with some ways to make sure I was eating and staying healthy.

One, I accept that cereal is an acceptable dinner. I try not to have it for dinner too often…once or twice a week works for me. If I add fruit, it’s even better! I mean, fruit makes everything healthy, right?!?

Secondly, I eat foods that The Man doesn't like. Somehow I managed to marry a man who doesn't like Mac N’ Cheese or BLT’s. Serious flaws, I know. I enjoy them often while he’s gone. These are a few dishes that I can eat again and again and again.

Something else I do is to make a normal size of something and than freeze it in individual portions. Take lasagna for example. I can make a full lasagna (or lasagna rolls) and freeze individual portions. I also like to make crockpot chicken and pick on it for a few days. I also tend to eat a lot of sandwiches because they are easy to make and I can change it up a bit without too much thought.

Lastly, I still meal plan just for me. I don’t assign a meal to each day but I do figure out a few things that I’d like to eat and make sure I have those ingredients on hand. I imagine this would be helpful if you have kids so they don’t end up eating chicken nuggets for a week straight (unless they want to, of course!)

I know they are little things, but they still help a lot. When he gets home I’m so excited to cook for him again. I get excited planning all his favorite meals. I also get excited because my husband likes to cook and is usually looking forward to doing it again so I get spoiled a little. Stuffed pork chops? Steak grilled to perfection? Yes, please!

Do you have any tips or tricks to help you eat healthy while your spouse is away?