Cooking for One: The Hassle-Free Guide
Cooking for yourself often means buttered pasta or takeout. Recipes are usually for 4, packaging is too, and motivation evaporates when there's no one to impress. Yet, cooking for one can be fast, economical, and satisfying. You just need to change your approach.
Steps
Master the half-recipe technique
Most recipes are easily divided by two or four. One egg in a recipe for 4? Use a beaten egg and only take a quarter. Seasonings scale down proportionally. In 2-3 tries, you'll have the reflex to mentally convert quantities without calculating.
Shop smart for one
Avoid bulk packaging for fresh products you won't finish. Choose single vegetables (1 zucchini, 2 carrots) rather than pre-packed trays. However, buy rice, pasta, and legumes in bulk: they keep for months. Frozen foods are your best allies — take exactly the amount you want.
Cook once, eat twice
The most effective strategy for one: always cook for 2 servings. Have one for dinner and take the second for lunch the next day. This cuts your cooking time in half and guarantees a healthy lunch. Vary the presentation: tonight's curry becomes tomorrow's wrap.
Invest in small utensils
A small 20 cm pan, a 16 cm saucepan, and a small oven dish change everything. Cooking one portion in a 28 cm pan results in food lost on the edges and uneven cooking. Small formats cook better, faster, and are easier to wash.
Create a 2-week rotating menu
Establish 10 recipes you've mastered and rotate them over 2 weeks. This eliminates the daily "what should I eat?" question while keeping enough variety so you don't get bored. Add or replace one recipe a month to gradually refresh.
The solo cooking mindset
Cooking for yourself isn't a diminished version of cooking for others. It's total freedom: you eat exactly what you want, when you want, how you want. No compromising on tastes, no "but the kids won't like that." Take the opportunity to explore flavors you wouldn't dare impose on others: spicy food, weird combos, breakfast for dinner. Solo cooking is a playground with no rules.
Freezer-friendly individual portions
When you cook a big dish (chili, soup, stew), immediately portion the extras into individual containers and freeze them. 400-500ml containers are perfect for one serving. In a month, you'll have 10-15 different meals in the freezer — your own homemade "ready-meal" aisle, without additives and 3 times cheaper. Always label with the name and date.
Quick 15-minute meals for lazy nights
Vegetable omelet: 3 eggs + any veggies in the fridge = full dinner in 8 minutes. Pasta aglio e olio: pasta + garlic + olive oil + chili + parmesan = authentic Italian meal in 12 minutes. Salmon-avocado bowl: smoked salmon + rice (already cooked) + avocado + soy sauce = 5 minutes assembly. Whole-wheat sandwich: whole-wheat bread + cream cheese + tomato + tuna + salad = 3 minutes. Having 4-5 "15-minute" recipes in mind saves you on nights when energy is at zero.
FoodCraft Tip
Portion adaptation by FoodCraft
Every recipe in FoodCraft adjusts to 1, 2, or any number of servings. All ingredient quantities are recalculated automatically. No more mentally dividing "400g of chicken for 4 people, how much for me?" — the answer is displayed directly.
AI scaling for one person
Use the AI adaptation to adjust any recipe to your personal macros and a single serving. The algorithm doesn't just divide quantities — it also adapts cooking times and temperatures when necessary for small amounts.
Frequently asked questions
How do I avoid waste when cooking for one?
Are ready-meals a good option for one person?
How do I stay motivated to cook alone?
What are the essential ingredients for a solo cook?
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