4 Tips for Avoiding Food Waste as a Single Person
In the last reader survey, several people asked for tips on avoiding food waste as a single person. While I've had lots of practice at this with a houseful of people, I'm super inexperienced when it comes to managing food waste for just one person. So, I asked my friend Sarah to write a post for me. Sarah is a childhood friend of mine (I think we met when we were six!), and I'm so happy to share her words with you here today. Thanks so much, Sarah!
Sarah and me at Disney (because Sarah lives near Orlando!)
Kristen asked me to write this several months ago and I got very excited. Then life happened and all my food waste habits struggled to keep up. I won't lie and say that there was no waste.
However, I was able to refocus on 4 simple disciplines that I knew would keep my food waste low. I hope you will find these tips helpful as well.
1. Menu Plan
When Kristen talks about planning her menu, she means assigning meals to each day. When I menu plan, I go online, download a premade menu, and fit it into my schedule.
Having a menu plan (I use The Fresh 20) subscription is the second best investment I have made. It saves me from having to come up with a creative menu (not my strength) for the week.
In addition, since I subscribe to a plan for singles, the portions are always the perfect size. If I want leftovers, I can simply double the recipe. This beats dividing a recipe or having more than one portion of leftovers in my fridge or freezer.
2. Containers, Containers, Containers
The green lidded containers are the first thing I discovered in my quest to avoid food waste. Until I discovered these Produce Savers, I had given up on having vegetables in my home.
Best. Investment. Ever.
Produce that would usually last a few days can go for a week or more. I've also noticed that mixing the veggies in the containers does not result in blending of flavors. Green peppers and onions live together quite well without causing problems.
Over the years I have also invested in single portion-sized Pyrex. I've noticed that food stored in larger containers is more likely to be uneaten. All of my leftovers go straight into these containers and then to the fridge or freezer. These containers also make lunch packing and reheating simple.
Finally, the Ziplock Perfect Portions bags are my alternative to buying a vacuum packer. Freezer burn is very difficult to combat as a single person. A recipe may only call for one or two pieces of chicken or a quarter pound of ground beef; these bags provide the perfect place to put the uncooked leftovers.
I haven't had a piece of meat succumb to freezer burn since I added them to my food waste arsenal. I have also just reached the bottom of the first box that I purchased...3(?) years ago.
While we are on the topic of containers, I can't remember the last time I put anything in the produce drawers of my fridge. I've never had a refrigerator with clear drawers. Food unseen is food forgotten. Thus, I don't use the drawers.
Instead, I purchased a couple of sturdy wire bins that I put on the bottom shelf to organize my produce and other items that would normally go in the drawers.
3. Have a Backup Plan
I do not have leftovers without a plan for them. That plan may be lunch the next day or the freezer for future use.
Additionally, I do not buy produce unless I have a plan for how to use it if it starts to go bad. I may have a smoothie night on the menu, or I may chop it and put it in the freezer for future meals or smoothies.
4. Know Yourself and Your Food
For example, I prefer green leaf lettuce but know that I can't eat it quickly enough to avoid waste. So I buy Romaine.
I also know that when it comes to fresh fruit, waste will occur if I purchase more than three pieces. This is especially true of peaches, nectarines, and plums.
I will eat Brussels sprouts or asparagus long before I finish off fresh broccoli.
I also just discovered that yellow and orange peppers last longer than green so I no longer purchase green peppers.
I also know that there are days when I'm going to be too tired to cook. I try to tweak my menu plan with this in mind in order to avoid running to Chipotle or ordering a pizza.
That said, I'm not ashamed to admit that sometimes I put Chipotle into my menu plan. Days with work meetings or important school deadlines mean simple meals, leftovers from the freezer, or popcorn and smoothies for dinner (call me weird but I love this combo).
Since these are planned into my schedule, I'm not bumping a meal to another day and therefore risking food waste.
So, there you have it: the four things I use to keep my life simple and as food waste-free as possible.
And for non-single folks out here, those tips are handy, too! Thank you 🙂
Sturdy wire bin on the bottom shelf of fridge. What an most excellent idea.
Thank-you,
Richard Zorniak, a senior citizen living in Vancouver BC.
Very good tips for all and I'm going to pass them onto my son who lives by himself. If Sarah doesn't have time for her blog these days, I'd like to read more guest posts from her.
This could not have come at a better time .. Although I am not a single person , I have followed Sarah's blog and I have been increasing concerned as to where she disappeared to ! Thank you for the advice and relief from a concerned reader !
These are great for everyone! I am going to forward this to my mother. She has a hard time cooking for one and I know a lot of waste happens at her house. She would love some of these tips. Thanks!
Great post! Thank you for sharing. When I was single I tended to cook one it pot of something that I would eat on for supper all week. It was nice to be able to pop something in the microwave.
I did something like this, although I'd freeze several portions for later, lunch, or a quick bite. This allowed me to have different foods during the week.
Not sure if they are available in Florida, but I love Perdue Perfect Portions...individually wrapped boneless chicken breasts in a resealable bag. You get 5 in a bag.
Yes! I've noticed a few companies have started offering chicken in single portions. This is also common with some types of fish from the freezer section.
What an excellent article!
Excellent ideas! We are 2 so much of this applies to us, too. Nice guest post!
I was single all through my twenties. The trick that worked best for me was cooking four to six portions of a meal and freezing some for later. I just couldn't motivate myself to cook for one every night.
Great Post! I have never tried those particular ziplock bags but will be on the look out for them now!
I have really liked recipes from a "Cooking for One "cookbook that is really great: http://www.amazon.com/Cooking-One-Seasonal-Preparing-Delicious/dp/0867308222
Just a heads up. The article in email came across pretty unreadable because of the picture size.
I'm so sorry about that! I didn't think to check the formatting size when Sarah sent me the post.
Sarah, if you don't mind sharing, what was the FIRST best investment you've ever made?
Barbara,
The Rubbermaid Produce Savers. Even my wardrobe thanks me ;).
Sarah
This advise is great, even for my 2-person household. I especially like the part about always having a plan for leftovers. Too often, I find myself with a fridge full of leftover food that I can't possibly eat before it all goes bad, simply because I didn't purposefully think about how I would use them. Great article!
On a side note, I made the FG pizza crust recipe for calzones this weekend and my husband loved the dough. I don't have a pizza stone or peel, which would probably make it even better, but it was still delicious! And as a bonus, it was somewhat comical watching my husband literally throw the calzones into the 500-degree oven by hand 🙂
You know, I actually find it a lot easier to avoid food waste (well, easier than it would appear based on the families I know). I always know exactly what is and isn't in my fridge, there's noone else shuffling things to the back of the fridge to get missed, plus there's generally less in the fridge so I can see everything right away when I open it. I also freeze a lot - if you freeze things into individual portions or individually a cookie sheet, you can freeze a ton of leftovers easily.
I like cooking, but not on my schedule. I feel like I need a whole day and that it takes up so much time. I'm bad for just getting a sub, and many times I think it saves me lots of money and waste to just spend £3 a few times a week. I will often cook chili and have it 3 or 4 days in a row. (Freezing isn't an option when sharing a European sized freezer with 3 other people.)
Jess,
For the first few years of moving out of my parent's house, the local sub shop would have my order half made before I even made it to the front of the line. I totally get the feeling of total exhaustion that leads to grabbing something on the way home. Can you do crock pot meals? There are many recipes out there that can be made the night or morning before and will be ready when you get home. Also, what kind of relationship do you have with your roommates? Can you rotate meal responsibilities so that each of you preps a meal for the entire group once or twice a week?
In the long run, the thing I find most important is keeping in mind Kristen's definition of simplicity. "That which does not cause me to go nuts." If grabbing a sub makes your life simple and fits in your budget right now, don't feel guilty.
Sarah
Check out The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook from Americas Test Kitchen. The front section on using up small amounts of ingredients is worth reading!
As a single woman I say, thank you. Thank you, Thank you. It is extremely annoying when recipes serve 8 people and I only have myself to feed. These ideas are golden and I am going to employ then.
I've been cooking for one for most of my adult life, and I found this very interesting! I might have to check out those produce savers. I'm generally not a fan of plastic food storage containers, but I might make an exception in this case.
I think my strategies are very different from Sarah's since I'm a life long gardener and I LOVE to cook. I don't meal plan or use recipes, I generally cook big batches with whatever's on hand, and either eat the same thing for days in a row, or freeze the leftovers - or some combination of the two. I also tend to look at most meals as a potluck. Lasagna with a side of baked beans and Mexican bell pepper & corn salad - sounds good to me!
For produce, I try really hard to use the entire vegetable at once, and never put half an anything back in the fridge. If it won't fit into the recipe that I'm making, I'll make it into something readily edible... Half an avocado in the fridge = doom. Small bowl of guacamole in the fridge = joy! Half a cucumber = impending science experiment. Small bowl of marinated cucumber salad = yay, I've got pre-made salad! On the rare occasion when I do store half of a veggie, wrapping it in waxed paper helps keep it fresh.
For days when I don't feel like cooking for real, I sometimes use those single serving vacuum packed chicken breasts, and frozen veggies are definitely my friend for days like that!
Thanks for this post Sarah, I enjoyed it!
Thank you for this post!. I have appreciated the comments as well. I have also found the smaller pyrex dishes to be very useful and with the leak proof lids, ideal to pack with leftovers for taking to work.
When I cook, I try to plan leftovers with work in mind and pack in half pint mason jars, as well. Some things are better made in larger quantities, like ham and beans, or vegetable soup. When I make those, I try to have a recipient friend or family in mind with which to share. When my best friend and her family lived next door, it was easy for her to share the single portion leftovers with me and when I wanted to really cook (I was the oldest child of six and then ventured out and have been on my own for 40+ years), it was easy to share with her family.
Going to the farmer's market is the hardest for me. This past summer, I got home with a large variety of beautiful items and realized that even though I'd purchased small quantities, there was not enough time in the week of work to prepare and eat it all. Duh! I ended up making a stir-fry for our after church Sunday carry-in, and made more thoughtful choices the rest of the summer.
As a 30 something single I love these tips! Thank you for sharing!
As someone who has lived alone for the past 30 of my 63 years, (in young adulthood I had room mates) . I like the savings afforded me by shopping for larger quantities rather than single serve portions. I also like not spending a lot of time each day on meal prep.
For me it works well if every couple of weeks I have a BIG kitchen day. I make some combination of the following; burritos, soup, meat or fish patties, roast or fried chicken and a casserole or two.
I own a LOT of one portion sized storage containers. After one or two meals, I portion the leftovers and freeze them. As I fill the freezer I shuffle the containers.
About every other day I thaw 3-4 of these frozen portions. This way I get a varied menu.
I then microwave my meal. When I have eaten my way through my freezer stockpile I have another BIG kitchen day.
Like Sarah I purchase fresh produce only a few pieces at a time.
I admit my diet isn’t as balanced as it could be, I get my fresh veggies mostly in the form of main dish salads such as Taco, Cobb, or Chicken Caesar. These large salads means I can eat a head of lettuce before it spoils.
I also keep a supply of carrot and celery sticks in the fridge ready to munch on.
I was almost 36 when I got married, so I spent a significant number of my single years cooking for one. I confess, I ate out a lot, too, mostly for the companionship. Like AFS, above, I found it most helpful to take an afternoon and cook 3 different meals--I would make a crockpot meal, a stovetop meal, and an oven meal. I would package and freeze individual servings. Using the salad bar section of the supermarket can be helpful--you can customize what veggies you get, and yes, it's pricier, but so is letting food rot in your crisper! I was a big fan of breakfast for supper, especially eggs and French toast (I could manage the ingredients to make it healthier, for instance, topping the French toast with fruit instead of syrup).
great article Sarah! I was single for the first 28 years of my life and got verrrryyy good at cooking for one and making leftovers work for me....I'm a teacher and my small pleasures in life don't involve eating what I ate for dinner as tomorrow's lunch 🙂 When I got married, quickly did I realize that husbands are a lot hungrier than expected. Also, my carefully planned and executed plans for leftovers was shot because of the aforementioned hunger. It has taken me almost two years but I'm figuring out how to keep him satiated and me with variety when I cook in bulk! Thanks for sharing your purchasable items -- excited to try the bags!
Great article. I just wanted to add that the Fresh 20 cookbook is a great resource too. I have made many of her recipes from that book. They are excellent. Her service is good as well.
Thanks for the great post! This is very clear, helpful, and informative. This kind of guest post is the best!
Very helpful! I live alone and I love to cook....a dangerous combination when trying to avoid food waste. Sometimes, being disciplined enough to NOT cook dinner and eat leftovers instead is the hardest but smartest thing. Otherwise, the freezer is my best friend.
Great tips for anyone! I'll have to look for those ziplock bags for chicken breasts. containers are so key, I've never been able to trim down my plastic container collection because it is so handy to have so many different sizes/shapes/multiples to throw leftovers into when I need. I'd be much less likely to save things if I had to wash a container or use plastic wrap (hate that stuff!)
I honestly feel like we waste more food as a family...as a single, everything I bought was something I knew I would/could eat and I knew what was in my fridge so wouldn't buy more when we already had some. I cooked in bulk to have lunches/dinners through the week or to freeze, I ate random dinners of hodge-podge to use things up, etc... Now we have lots of stuff I can't eat (for taste/health), multiple people buying things (even with lists, my husband is an overbuyer) and picky picky palates that will suddenly reject the FAVORITE from 2 weeks ago. Plus a lot less time & energy to do things like make banana bread or croutons out of loose ends.
I was single until I was 54, and soon after we wed, we became a family of 4 adults. (MIL has Alzheimer's and we moved her in with us, along with DSS who's in college and is a huge help.) As I am a vegetarian and my family is not, in some senses, I am still cooking for one. I thought I knew all the tricks of singleton eating, but this article was excellent. Thanks for the inspiration, Sarah and Kristen.
My mom-in-law is single and cooks one week of every month. Let's say Monday is Chicken a la King and Rice, she cooks a pot (enough for 4 portions), eats it that night and plates the other three and puts them in her freezer. That repeats for that week and then the rest of the month she has them all ready in the freezer 🙂
I think this is genius!
I absolutely LOVE meal planning - it saves me so much aggravation and waste! I have never purchased a meal plan but my sister (who is single) has and she loved it. If anyone is interested in plant-based eating, my sister used the Happy Herbivore singles plan and said it came with a shopping list and prep guide.
sadly the ziplock perfect portions bags have been discontinued.
This is all tremendously useful advice! I'm not exactly a chef, but I do like to eat healthy, and the result has been a lot of food waste. Hopefully I'll be able to ditch all of that guilt and save some money now. Thanks!
My biggest food waste over the last few years has been leafy greens - mainly spinach. No more! As soon as I see one leaf starting to go soggy I put the bag in the freezer! I can add some to smoothies, omelettes, soup or pizza! You name it and in it goes! It really takes the guilt out of having to buy too much (or having too much in the summer when I grow my own).