Cooking for One – Relearning Meal Planning

Photo Courtesy of Funky Fridge

A new disruption in my life has been cause for some major changes. I have always been used to cooking for two people but due to some recent life events it’s now down to a one man meal. With that said, I will also mention that there has been a major cut in the grocery budget so from here on out my meal planning will have to be much more simplistic than I am used to but I also feel like it will be a great learning experience because ready-made will have to be a thing of my past for now. 

Biting the Budget Bullet

My new budget for the month for food is…. $200. Yikes right? That includes going out to eat, which means I won’t be going out to eat.  I have broken it down to $50 a week (how many 5 week months are there? ::cringe::). $50 a week breaks down to about $7 a day with some change left over. $7 a day breaks down even smaller to $2 a meal with $1 a day for snacks. I know that sounds completely impossible but with some creativity and effort I think I can do it. 

A Few Tips for Staying in Budget

• Check the clearance aisles (Meat, canned veggies, etc.)
• Keep an eye on sales (Know what a good price to pay for what you’re getting is)
• Shop your pantry (I bet you didn’t realize you have three jars of peanut butter)
• Coupon clipping isn’t just for your granny (It’s actually addicting, beware
• Store brand isn’t always bad (Sometimes it is though, trial & error my friends)
• Try your skills out at growing (Or be nice to someone who does
• Eat your leftovers (Don’t just let them rot in your fridge; they will start to smell)
• Don’t be lazy (Cut up your own goodies) 

Staying Healthy

Another point I’d like to mention is that I am very in to eating healthy (excuse the McDonald’s cup on my desk) and enjoy fitness so I will not be binging on Ramen noodles or Kool-Aid either. My goal is to continue to maintain my weight of 120-125 lbs. which involves plenty of fresh fruits and veggies, lean cuts of meat and water. 

My plan for the upcoming week:

Do you have any tips on meal planning for one?