Articles
Eating for One
Just because you only have yourself to feed, does not mean it is ok to live off frozen meals and takeaway foods. Cooking for yourself is not only the most nutritious option, it means that you can cook whatever you like whenever you like, and the leftovers are all yours!
It is true, that when you only have yourself to feed that the easy way out, such as frozen meals, can often be tempting. However, nothing beats fresh home cooked food and by planning ahead you can help maintain variety and nutrition and prevent boredom.
This particularly applies to the main meal of the day, most likely the evening meal. Planning meals ahead allows you to save time, shop wisely and pre-prepare for busier times. Food can also be combined in more than one meal so that some ingredients are used across the week.
When planning your weekly menu, think easy but still tasty and nutritious. Try and vary the protein (meat, fish, legumes, cheese) and carbohydrate (rice, pasta, potato, bread, cous cous) each day.
Always include vegetables.
Plan to prepare at least 2 grilled protein meals per week, such as grilled fish, chicken or steak with vegetables. Plan these for days where you may have a little more time. On the other days, prepare meals that you can make in bulk and use for consecutive nights, or take for lunches to work. Meals such as stir fries, casseroles and pasta dishes are perfect for this.
To get you started - one weeks shopping list and menu.
Planning allows you to use leftovers wisely.
Shopping List
200g fish fillet of choice
300g lean beef
2 large chicken breast
1 small lean steak, fat removed
200g pork
1 broccoli head
1 cauliflower head
1 bag carrots
500g green beans
2 small sweet potato
3 red capsicum
14 mushrooms
1 zucchini
2 tomato
1 cup spinach leaves
Frozen peas
1 brown onion
Basics : check that you have them on hand
Thai Spice
Basmati rice
Salt
White pepper
Sweet paprika
Sweet chili sauce
Soy sauce
Oyster Sauce
Pasta spirals or penne
Tomato based pasta sauce, small jar
Olive Oil
Low fat feta cheese
Reduced fat cheddar cheese
Pizza sauce (or use tomato paste
2 pita breads
1 packet microwave 2 minute rice
4 walnuts
1 400g can pink salmon or tuna
Menu
Sunday
Baked Fish and Vegetables
Choose the fish variety of your choice. Fish can be expensive, so if you are looking for a cheap variety, choose Basa. This can be purchased in any supermarket deli section and is a mild tasting white fish that is low in fat. Salmon is more expensive, but is a very tasty option that is high in protein.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Lay the fish on some al-foil, sprinkle with herbs or spices of your choice (Thai spice is fantastic). Wrap up and bake for approximately 20mins, depending on the size of the fish. Meanwhile, steam vegetables of your choice, such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrot and beans. If you are stuck for time, use steamed vegetable packs. Add a baked or steamed sweet potato if you like.
Monday
Beef Stir fry
Slice 200g of lean beef into strips. Slice up ½ onion, ½ red capsicum, 6 mushrooms, 10 green beans, ½ cup broccoli, 1 large carrot. In a wok or pan, fry up the onion in a small amount of olive oil. Add beef and cook until just brown. Add some soy sauce and oyster sauce and vegetables. Add drained can of water chestnuts. Cook until vegetables are just soft. Meanwhile, cook ½ cup of basmati rice.
Serve half of the stir fry with half of the rice for dinner. The rest can be frozen to use at a later date, or taken the next day for lunch.
Tuesday
Chicken and Vegetable Pasta
Dice 1 large chicken into small pieces. Slice ½ zucchini, ½ red capsicum, 6 mushrooms, 6 green beans. In a pan, cook chicken in a small amount of olive oil until just browned. Add vegetables and cook until just soft. Meanwhile, cook 1 cup spiral or penne pasta. When cooked, add some pre-prepared tomato based pasta sauce. Add chicken and vegetable mix and stir to combine. Heat through.
Sprinkle with some crumbled low fat feta (2 dice cube sizes) Serve half of the chicken pasta for dinner. Freeze the remainder for another night, or take the leftovers to work for lunch tomorrow.
Wednesday
Grilled Steak and Sweet Potato Salad
Preheat oven and bake a small sweet potato wrapped in foil for 30mins or until cooked. Meanwhile prepare salad. Combine 1 cup spinach leaves, 6 small cubes low fat feta, 1 small diced tomato, 4 walnuts. Then Grill steak in a non stick pan. When the sweet potato is ready, slice and grill slightly. Dice up and mix through the salad.
Thursday
Salmon/Tuna fried rice
In a wok or fry pan, heat a small amount of oil and cook diced onion until soft.
Add diced red capsicum (1/2), 1 large carrot diced and 1 cup frozen peas. Add a small amount of soy sauce, cook until vegetables soft. Add one tin of flaked pink salmon or flavoured tuna (sweet chilli tuna is delicious). Stir to combine
Meanwhile, microwave the 2 minute rice pack. Add rice and stir to combine.
Serve half for dinner and save half for lunch tomorrow. Or you can freeze it to serve at a later date.
Friday
Chicken Pizza
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Wrap a chicken breast in foil and bake for 30min or until cooked. Remove and slice up small. Spread a pita bread with pizza sauce. Top with chicken pieces, sliced capsicum, sliced mushroom, diced tomato and ¼ cup reduced fat cheddar cheese. Bake in the oven until cheese melts and pita bread crisps.
Saturday
Pork Burrito
Dice up pork and combine with a small amount of white pepper and sweet paprika. Set aside for 30mins to marinate. When ready, cook in a pan with a small amount of olive oil. Cook until just brown. Meanwhile, slice up ½ a small tomato and some onion slices. Grate half a carrot. Spread a tablespoon of sweet chili sauce on a pita bread. Top with cooked pork, tomato, onion and carrot. Wrap up and enjoy.
Below is an alternative weeks menu plan. You may like to mix and match the recipes, but be sure your week includes a variety of proteins, including beef, pork, chicken and fish.
Shopping List
200 grams frozen spinach
200 gram frozen peas
150 grams low fat cheese
2 eggs
500 grams lean mince
1 lean pork medallion
1 small fish fillet
300 grams canned chickpeas
300 grams canned kidney beans
440 gram can, chopped flavoured tomato (with onion, garlic & capsicum)
440 grams canned tomatoes
140 grams canned tomato paste
150 grams canned pineapple slices
2 slices wholegrain bread
1 pita bread
3 large taco shells
125 grams spiral pasta
100 grams instant cous cous
3 medium Roma tomatoes
1 lettuce
3 cups mixed salad greens
1 large potato
1 medium onion, 1 small onion
2 carrots
1 medium zucchini
1 small piece pumpkin Basics : check that you have them on hand
Flour
Long grain rice
Salt
Pepper
Nutmeg
Oregano
Bay leaf
Garlic
Sugar
Unsaturated margarine
Unsaturated oil
Parmesan cheese
Currants or sultanas
Menu
Preparation
Prepare recipe for Meat Sauce. Use 1 cup in Chilli Con Carne. Freeze 1 cup for Pizza on Saturday and freeze the other two cups for Lasagne or Spaghetti Bolognaise in the future.
Sunday
Chilli Con Carne
Prepare Chilli Con Carne by mixing 1 cup Meat Sauce with 1 small can of drained washed kidney beans. Add 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of chilli powder or 15 grams of Taco mix. Use 1 cup for Tacos and freeze one cup for later.
Tacos
Heat 3 taco shells in oven for 10 minutes. Heat 1 cup of Chilli Con Carne in microwave. Fill each shell with 1/3 cup Chilli Con Carne, 2 tabsp each of shredded lettuce, grated carrot, chopped tomato and grated cheese. Serve immediately.
Monday
Tomato Fish Savoury
Bake, grill or fry fish fillet. Pour 1/2 can of chopped tomato flavoured with onion, garlic and capsicum over cooked fish and reheat in microwave. (Reserve rest of tomato mixture for pasta on Friday)
Serve Tomato Fish Savoury with, 1/2 cup cooked frozen peas, 1/2 sliced cooked zucchini and 1/2 to 1 cup cooked rice. (Allow 2 tabsp to 1/3 cup raw)
Tuesday
Stuffed Baked Potato
Bake 1 large potato until soft. Scoop out flesh and mix with 1/4 pkt well drained frozen spinach (refrigerate the rest for Thursday and Saturday), 1/2 small chopped onion and 1/2 can drained chickpeas (reserve 1/2 can for Friday).
Top with grated cheese and grill or microwave until heated through. Serve with a mixed green salad and carrot sticks.
Wednesday
Pork and Pineapple Cous Cous
Grill Pork Medallion and serve on a bed of 1 cup of cooked cous cous (1/2 cup cous cous with 1 cup boiling water plus stock powder). Cover and leave for 10 minutes, fluff add 1 tabsp currants and 1 chopped slice of pineapple). Serve with frozen peas and steamed pumpkin.
Thursday
Spinach Omelette
Beat 2 eggs with 1 tabsp of water and salt and pepper to taste. Cook in a non-stick pan that has been sprayed with oil. When beginning to bubble and dry on top, cover with 1/4 pkt well drained frozen spinach and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Fold in half and serve with whole grain toast and sliced Roma tomato.
Friday
Tomato Chick Pea Pasta
Cook 1 cup of pasta. Add 1/2 can tomato savoury (left from Monday) and 1/2 can chickpea (left from Tuesday). Reheat and serve with mixed salad greens, tomato and carrot. Sprinkle with Parmesan if desired.
Saturday
Pizza
Use 1 pita bread base for a pizza with 1 cup Meat Sauce (from freezer), 1/2 zuchinni, chopped pineapple, (left from Wednesday) and 1/2 cup grated reduced fat cheese. Add left over spinach, sliced pumpkin, broccoli, olives, sun dried tomatoes, fetta or anything else of interest in the refrigerator. Bake in 180°C oven for 15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
Added to site on : Monday, 16 May 2011