Do you have to cook for just one person? How do you cope?

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If you do do you think that it's not worth the time it takes to cook for just one person. And what about all those leftovers?" For some people who have cooked for a large family, or who are single for the first time, making a dinner to eat alone may seem like a big effort with few rewards. As a result, many who are forced to eat alone may skip meals, pay little attention to what or how much we eat, substitute snacking for good balanced meals, eat out or turn to frozen meals just to get by. Truth is, cooking for one or two is worth the time and effort for one reason--your health. For good health, we need to eat a certain amount of food each day. When people live alone, eat alone or are depressed or ill, eating habits change. Skipping meals deprives your body of energy and can make you feel tired. So what's a body to do? Make eating alone an easier, more enjoyable experience by learning to shop and cook for one or two people. Cooking for one person begins with planning meals for one. Start by thinking like a single person. How much food can you use in a week? One way to tell what food you need is to see how much food you have left in the refrigerator, freezer or cupboard at the end of a week. Or, how much you throw away! Buying less food and buying food weekly can save you money, time in the store and cooking time. Once you plan what to buy, cooking for one person means shopping for one. It may be difficult to resist the temptation to buy more food or frozen ready-made dinners. But stick to your plan. Look for foods that can be portioned with ease into smaller serving sizes such as rice, pasta, potatoes or frozen vegetables. With foods such as these, the solo chef can use just enough for one meal and not have to cook an entire package of food. • Buy fruits and vegetables by the piece, not by the package. • Buy smaller cuts of meat or ask the butcher to cut roasts or chickens into pieces big enough for one meal. What sort of things do you cook for yourself?