Cooking for 1 with the lapband?

[louisem]

Hey all, I was just wondering if there any other singletons out there having a hard time figuring out what to do for a meal so that you aren't eating leftovers for a week. I seem to be stuck eating mostly packages foods because making a meal for 1 just seems a waste. Any suggestions on quick and small meals for the single people?

Louise

[determination]

Hey Louise,

Even though I am married, I am finding that I do the packaged meals myself.

If anyone else out there has any suggestions for meals, I like Louise would like to know what you are all doing.

Anne

[jhawkchick75]

I also do a lot of packaged meals which is OK, but just make sure you are upping your water intake. Lots of sodium there!

Another trick is I buy the bags of chicken breasts and shrimp from Target or Wal Mart that are re-sealable. That way I can just take out however many I need then marinate them in something. I also do the small cans of veggies they are the perfect size. I am not much of a cook, but many people I know will cut a recipe in half so they are not wasting.

Just a couple of ideas on my end.

[Smiley]

I cook the normal portion size, eat on it for a while, and then when I get tired of it I put it in the individual ziplock containers and throw it in the freezer. These are wonderful to then grab in the morning and take to work for lunch. I usually have 4 or 5 different things available to choose from in the freezer. When I make meatloaf I make it in my muffin pan so that it is already portioned out and easy to freeze in a big container and then just grab one out here and there.

Other than peas I don't really buy canned vegetables. My mom cans all of her garden stuff and I reap the benefits. I have a bunch of quarts of green beans that I am going to give to my brother and his family b/c mom is going to can me some in pints this year which will help tremendously. Bags of frozen vegetables are easy to keep in the freezer and to just take out what you need when you need them.

A trick my brother taught me for heating up pieces of meat such as steak, pork chops and chicken is to cut it in strips, put a little water on the plate, put a microwaveable cover over the plate and heat it for no more than a minute. You can get the microwaveable covers at Wal-Mart in the kitchen section for a few dollars. This helps to keep your meat moist and tender without drying it out b/c you don't have to heat it forever to get the middle warm.

There are also some cookbooks out there that cater to people who are cooking for 2. Those would have smaller portions that would alleviate so much being left over.

[JazzyJude]

I don't do packaged meals. I never did since the band surgery. All the meals I've cooked have leftovers on purpose so I can hace it another day. After meal time, I just put them in zip lock bags or individually wrapped in saran wrap and put them in the freezer - SIMPLE. I do fresh veggies/fruits when I can, otherwise, I do home-canned next, then frozen and lastly store bought canned items.

I do the same as Smiley and utilize my cupcake pans to make chicken pot pies, meatloafs and other baked goods. I do casseroles and when done, put in the fridge to firm it up; cut into serving size, wrap it up and freeze it. Same goes for the crockpot meals - put in containers you can have at a later date.

Also, if you're like me and like to cook, you can always cut your recipe in half or less and just have that meal for the one time. But I like my cooking with the herbs and spices I use, I like the 'taste' of my meals! HA!

Hope this helps - Jazzy!