Meal Prep for One: Cooking Solo Without Waste
Introduction: If you live alone or cook most of your meals just for yourself, you know the unique challenges of solo cooking. It’s easy to end up with more food than you can eat, leading to leftovers lingering for days or ingredients spoiling before you use them up. Meal prepping when you’re cooking for one is all about smart planning and portioning so you can enjoy variety without excess and avoid tossing food (and money) in the trash.
One major issue solo cooks face is food waste. Smaller households actually tend to waste more food per person than larger families. When recipes, grocery packages, and even produce portions are often geared towards families, single cooks can wind up buying more than they need. In the US, the average person wastes about 238 pounds of food each year (roughly 21% of the food they buy), which adds up to about $1,800 of wasted money. With a bit of planning and clever meal prep strategies, you can cook solo without contributing to that waste – and save yourself time and cash in the process.
Benefits of Meal Prepping for One
Meal prepping isn’t just for large families or fitness enthusiasts with stacks of identical meals. When you’re cooking for one, meal prep can be a game-changer for your budget, health, and sanity. By planning and preparing your meals ahead, you will:
Save time and reduce stress: Instead of cooking from scratch every night (or resorting to takeout), you’ll have ready-made meals or ingredients on hand. This means less time wondering “What should I eat tonight?” and more time doing things you enjoy. As one dietitian put it, meal prepping is a great way to save yourself both time and money, and it “goes a long way toward reducing the stress of not knowing what to eat”.
Save money and avoid waste: When you prep carefully, you buy only what you need and use it efficiently. You can take advantage of buying certain items in bulk or on sale and then portioning them for later. Prepping meals helps ensure you actually eat the groceries you purchase, cutting down on the chance of forgotten produce turning to mush in the fridge. Fewer impromptu takeout orders and less wasted food means more money stays in your pocket.
Eat healthier, home-cooked meals: Having pre-portioned, balanced meals ready makes it easier to stick to a healthy diet. If dinner (and tomorrow’s lunch) are already prepared, you’re less likely to grab fast food or snack on chips. Cooking at home generally leads to better nutrition and fewer calories consumed than eating out, so meal prep can help you meet health goals even when you’re busy.
Enjoy variety without spoilage: Meal prepping for one doesn’t mean eating the same casserole five days in a row. In fact, it allows you to introduce more variety. By planning recipes that use common ingredients in different ways, you can cook a diverse menu while still using up everything you buy. For example, if you roast a tray of vegetables or chicken breasts, you can season them differently or pair them with different sides throughout the week so each meal feels fresh.
Plan Your Meals with Portion Control in Mind
The first step to solo meal prep success is smart planning. Start by mapping out what you’d like to eat for the next few days or the week. Think about breakfasts, lunches, dinners – and even snacks – that suit your tastes and schedule. As you plan, pay special attention to portions and realistic quantities for one person:
Scale down recipes: Don’t be afraid to halve or quarter recipes designed to serve 4-6 people. Many recipes can be reduced for a single serving or two servings with a little simple math. If a recipe makes more servings than you want to eat this week, decide if you can freeze the extras (more on freezing later) or if it’s better to choose a different recipe.
Plan to use all ingredients: When picking recipes, check the ingredient list for items that might leave you with excess. For example, if you buy a whole bunch of cilantro for a garnish, do you have another meal that can use the rest? If a recipe calls for half a can of beans, plan another dish to use the remainder. Always ask yourself: “Will I use up what I buy before it goes bad?” and try to plan meals so the answer is yes.
Use the same ingredient in multiple ways: Embrace recipes that share common ingredients so you can buy a reasonable amount and use it up. If cherry tomatoes are in season, you might plan a pasta dish, a salad, and an omelette that all include them. Or if you cook a pot of rice or quinoa, think of a couple different meals that can include that grain (a stir-fry, a grain bowl, stuffed bell peppers, etc.). This way you get variety, but also efficiency.
Be mindful of perishables: Plan to cook with fresh highly perishable ingredients (like seafood or delicate greens) early in the week, and save more durable items (like root vegetables, hardy greens, or frozen items) for later. This staggered approach helps prevent things from spoiling before you can use them.
Smart Grocery Shopping for One
How you shop is just as important as how you cook. To avoid waste, get strategic when buying groceries for one:
Make a precise list: Based on your meal plan, write out a shopping list with exact quantities you need. This helps prevent impulse buys or overbuying. If you only need 3 carrots, don’t buy a whole 2-pound bag – see if you can buy loose carrots individually.
Buy produce by the piece: Whenever possible, select fruits and vegetables individually rather than in pre-packaged bags. You can grab two apples instead of a whole bag, or one onion instead of a bulk pack. Shop at stores or farmers’ markets that allow you to buy exactly the amount you need.
Use the bulk bins and deli counter: For grains, nuts, and spices, bulk bins are a solo cook’s best friend. You can scoop just half a cup of quinoa or a few tablespoons of a spice, rather than purchasing a full package. At the meat and deli counter, you can often request a small portion (say, one chicken breast or a quarter-pound of turkey) instead of the pre-packaged larger sizes.
Split larger items: If buying in bulk is more economical but too much for you alone, consider splitting with a friend or neighbor. For example, a big bundle of cilantro or a large pack of chicken might be shared so nothing goes to waste. Some solo chefs even split community-supported agriculture (CSA) boxes with another household, to enjoy farm-fresh produce without being overwhelmed by quantity.
Beware of “deals” that aren’t: It’s tempting to grab the 2-for-1 special or the warehouse club mega-pack because the unit price is cheap. But it’s not a deal if you end up throwing out half of it. Stick to buying what you know you’ll realistically consume.
Batch Cooking: Cook Once, Eat Multiple Times
Cooking in batches is a cornerstone of meal prep, and it works brilliantly for solo cooks – as long as you manage portions. The idea is to cook a larger quantity of a component or a full dish, then divide it into individual portions for future meals. Here’s how to batch cook without getting bored:
Batch cook staples, not necessarily entire meals: Sometimes it’s more flexible to batch-cook ingredients rather than full dishes. For instance, grill or bake a few chicken breasts at once, or roast a pan of mixed vegetables. These can be seasoned differently and paired with other items throughout the week (toss chicken into a pasta dish, in tacos, on a salad, etc., and use veggies as a side one night and in a wrap another day).
Divide and freeze extras: If you do make a big recipe (like a pot of chili, a casserole, or a stew), portion it out immediately. Keep one or two servings in the fridge for the next few days and freeze the rest in single-serving containers. This gives you a variety of meals to pull from over time. In a couple of weeks, that frozen chili will be a welcome instant dinner.
Use portion-sized containers: Invest in a set of small reusable containers that hold one meal each. This makes it easy to store individual portions and helps with portion control. When you open the fridge or freezer, you can grab a perfectly sized meal without having to thaw an entire multi-portion batch.
Label and rotate your freezer stash: Mark containers with the name and date (e.g. “Butternut squash soup – Oct 2025”) so you can keep track. Rotate newer items to the back and plan to use up older frozen meals within a few months for best quality.
By batch cooking and freezing, you’ll always have a variety of options. One night you might reheat a homemade curry you froze last month; another night you assemble a quick salad with the pre-cooked chicken and veggies from earlier this week. Future you will thank present you for the head start.
Love Your Leftovers: Creative Reuse
Even with careful planning, you’ll inevitably have some leftovers – whether it’s an extra serving of last night’s dinner or odds and ends of ingredients. The key is to embrace leftovers by turning them into something new:
Remix cooked proteins and veggies: Leftover roasted vegetables from dinner can be folded into an omelette or tossed with greens and a vinaigrette for a salad. That bit of steak or chicken can become tomorrow’s sandwich filling or a topping for a quick homemade pizza.
Soup, stew, or stir-fry: Almost any leftover meats and vegetables can be chopped up and thrown into a soup or stew. Keep stock or broth on hand (or freeze homemade stock in small portions) to create a “freezer pantry” soup. Similarly, a quick stir-fry can use up small bits of veggies and protein, combined with a sauce and served over rice.
Grain bowls and salads: If you have random bits of cooked veggies, proteins, or grains, assemble them into a hearty bowl. For example, leftover rice plus some roasted veggies and a protein with a tasty sauce or dressing can turn into a nourishing grain bowl. Or mix and match cold leftovers onto crisp lettuce for a satisfying salad.
Freeze ingredients for later: If you won’t use it now, freeze it if possible. Chop and freeze extra herbs in olive oil (using ice cube trays), freeze leftover broth or tomato paste, and even fruits that are getting overripe (toss banana pieces or berries into a freezer bag for smoothies). This extends their life until you’re ready to use them.
By thinking of leftovers as ingredients rather than waste, you’ll get more meals for your effort and truly stretch your food budget. A shift in mindset is one of the easiest ways to reduce food waste at home – for example, realizing that vegetable scraps like broccoli stems or carrot tops can be repurposed (into pesto, stock, etc.) makes you see your groceries in a new light.
Meal Prep Ideas Perfect for One Person
Need some inspiration? Here are a few meal prep ideas and tips tailored for solo cooks:
Overnight oats or chia puddings: These single-serving make-ahead breakfasts are perfect for one. Mix rolled oats (or chia seeds) with milk or yogurt and your choice of flavorings in individual jars. They’ll be ready to grab and go in the morning. Prep a few with different flavors (e.g. one with berries, one with peanut butter and banana, one with cocoa and almond) so you have variety each day.
Mason jar salads: Layering a salad in a jar keeps everything fresh until you’re ready to eat. Put the dressing at the bottom, hearty ingredients (beans, chicken, cherry tomatoes) next, and delicate greens at the top. Make 2-3 jar salads for the upcoming days. Come lunchtime, just shake it up or pour it into a bowl. You’ll get your veggies in without having to prep from scratch at work or school.
Single-serving freezer meals: Take a Sunday afternoon to cook one or two big recipes that freeze well (chili, soup, lasagna, stir-fry, etc.). Pack them into individual portions and freeze. You’re essentially creating your own healthy “frozen dinner” lineup. On a busy evening, you can heat one up instead of ordering takeout.
Mix-and-match grain bowls: Cook a small batch of a grain (like quinoa, rice, or couscous) and prep a couple of proteins (maybe roast some chickpeas or chicken) and a variety of veggies. Store each component separately. Throughout the week, assemble them in different combinations and add a sauce or dressing. One day it’s a Mediterranean bowl with quinoa, chicken, cucumber, olives and a lemon dressing; another day it’s a Tex-Mex bowl with rice, black beans, roasted peppers, and salsa. One prep session, many possibilities.
No-cook platters or snack dinners: Remember that meal prep doesn’t mean you must cook everything. You can assemble no-cook meals too. For example, prep a “snack plate” dinner with cut veggies, cheese, hummus, hard-boiled egg, and whole grain crackers. It’s like an adult lunchable that you can throw together in minutes from prepped components, perfect for those days you don’t want to turn on the stove.
Don’t forget to periodically shake up your menu. One advantage of meal prepping for one is that you can cater entirely to your own tastes and change course whenever you want. If you’re tired of something, switch it up next week. The ultimate goal is to make your solo cooking rewarding and waste-free.
Conclusion: Meal prepping for one is absolutely doable and can even be fun. By planning wisely, shopping smart, and using your freezer and leftovers creatively, you’ll streamline your cooking routine and waste a lot less food. You might find you enjoy solo meals even more when most of the work is already done and you’re saving money each week. Give some of these tips a try and tweak them to fit your lifestyle – your future self (and your budget) will thank you.