Many recipes and grocery packages are made for four or more people. When you are cooking for one or two, it is easy to waste food or overpay for small sizes. A few habits help.
Plan smaller
Canada's Food Guide notes that you can plan meals for a whole week or just a couple of days at a time, and that it is helpful to consider how many people will eat each meal. Planning for two or three days at a time can keep fresh food from spoiling.
Shop smart in small households
- Compare unit prices. Small and single-serve packages often cost more per gram, so check before you choose. A BC health organization advises avoiding snack-size or single-serve items when your budget is tight.
- Buy larger, divide, and freeze. Canada's Food Guide suggests buying the family-size package and dividing it yourself, as long as you will use it.
- Use frozen vegetables and fruit. You can use a small amount and put the rest back in the freezer.
- Buy fresh produce in smaller amounts, or choose items that keep longer, like carrots, cabbage, and apples.
Cook once, eat more than once
- Make a recipe for four and freeze half in single portions.
- Cook enough for dinner and lunch the next day.
- Follow Health Canada's leftover guidance: cool promptly, refrigerate leftovers and eat them within two to three days, or freeze them.
Easy meals that scale down
- Stir-fries with a small amount of meat and lots of vegetables
- Eggs, omelettes, and frittatas
- Soups, which freeze in single servings
- Sheet pan dinners for one or two
- Pasta with a simple sauce
The bottom line
Cooking for one or two works best with short plans, careful shopping, and freezing extra portions. Compare unit prices instead of package prices, and don't be afraid to cook more and freeze. GopherCart can show you the cheapest nearby store for a smaller basket too.
Sources
- Health Canada, Canada's Food Guide, "Plan what you eat": https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-guide/explore/healthy-eating-recommendations/cook-more-often/plan-what-you-eat.html
- Health Canada, Canada's Food Guide, "Healthy eating on a budget": https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/tips-for-healthy-eating/healthy-eating-budget
- Foundry BC, "Tips for eating on a budget": https://foundrybc.ca/?p=5652
- Health Canada, "Food safety tips for leftovers": https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/general-food-safety-tips/food-safety-tips-leftovers.html