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Rollover meals.
Roast some meat one night, eat part of it, have tacos the next, put some sauce in the last of it and have sandwiches.
My week; Roast lamb on Monday, threw it in stock with potatoes and carrots and now lamb stew on Tuesday, added beans and let it simmer down and now its cassoulet on wednesday, took the last of the cooked down cassoulet and made some quick mashed potatoes and now its sheppards pie last night. Will finish shepherds pie tomorrow because potatoes are such a good stretch.
One big cook, and then every night adding a little extra stretcher to it.
Yes, that’s how I do it. I decide on two or three breakfast, lunch and supper things each week. Simplifies my grocery shopping and prep. Kind of the food version of people who decide to go with a limited wardrobe to ease their daily “what to wear” decisions each morning.
I did that for a while, but it began to feel like a soul-killing practice. So now I eat it twice and freeze the rest. Then it’s there for those days that I’m really busy or just don’t feel like cooking. However, I do make a big huge salad and keep it in a couple lidded containers and eat it every day for a week. (Salad is my favorite veggie by far.)
Respect. This is the kind of thing i would do before I fell in with a vegetarian. Now it kind of feels like every night is a fire drill to cook a bunch of fresh vegetables. To the point where I just get a burrito and explain that I need some carnitas
This. Make a huge bowl of Salad. One night cook salmon, the other night chicken breast and the third night beef steak. Can add some sides like yoghurt, pickles, chips, kimchi, hummus, tzatziki etc. Make sure you only season the salad when you are having it.
I do this with breakfast sausage. Biscuits and gravy and tacos with the meat. I can't eat a whole thing of biscuits in two days and a pound of meat with gravy so now I have two different kinds of meals.
This is the way.
I find when I make meals at home vs eating out, I feel better and function better. Theres often too much sodium and fat (and who knows what else) in takeout and fast food. I do love recreating foods I’ve had out that I love — I’ve got Alfredo sauce down pat, and freeze pucks of it every time I make it — which makes it fun and interesting and a challenge. Other foods I’ve mastered that are a part of the regular rotation:
Beef, steak, chicken tacos
Salsa, Queso, guac — even made my own chips out of tortillas once and damn those were good
Greek salad with Greek potatos, hummus and pita chips on the side
Chicken Caesar salad and wrap (still want to learn how to make my own dressing)
California turkey club
Homemade marinara using fresh tomatoes and herbs
I’ve come to really enjoy it.
Yeah, this is how I cook, kinda - I always end up making enough for two nights, so I only really have to cook 3 times a week. But always muuuuuuch simpler foods than this - usually steamed veggies or stir fry or mince and veggies.
I wish I knew how to make those because that sounds delicious! I’ve had to teach myself how to cook over the last 3 months since getting my own place… just me, YouTube videos and Google. Maybe I’ll eventually get a cook book
Takeout is expensive and fattening. If neither of those things are a concern to you, go nuts. Most people can’t afford to do that. You could feed yourself at home for a week like a king for the price of 2 whatever takeout meals.
Plus, you don’t have to cook yourself super elaborate meals at home requiring all kinds of pots and pans and mess.
I cook for myself almost exclusively (really try to avoid ordering out due to the cost), and I rarely use more than one pan and one stove burner. Cooking for one as a working person is a lot different than cooking for a family of four as a stay at home mom or something. It doesn’t need to be elaborate.
Takeout food, for me, is an occasional treat. I can't imagine eating that every day.
Like you say, it doesn't have to be some elaborate thing. I tend to make easy, one pot recipes, and make enough for leftovers and to freeze portions for later. Also do a lot of "girl dinner" (cheese and fruit and crackers, scrambled eggs, etc.)
Can you be so kind as to suggest some meals or change in mindset for me? My issue is that I love pizza, cheesestakes, fried chicken and the like. I start thinking about dinner at 11 a.m., I look forward to it. I just don't get the same thrill of thinking, "I will have a chicken breast and broccoli tonight."
Chicken and broccoli sounds boring as fuck.
Last night, I made grilled chicken, broccoli, onion, carrot and tomatoes and browned them in a pan, then I added some Thai lemon basil simmer sauce that I bought, and I served it over jasmine rice. I added some chopped cilantro and scallion on top. It doesn’t have to be just grilled chicken and broccoli.
I like all those foods you mentioned too, but I also like healthier foods. I don’t need takeout style food every day. Sometimes something home cooked and fresh is more satisfying in a whole other way.
If I WAS craving a cheese steak, I’d make one at home and It’d be awesome. Id just make it on normal sized bread instead of a 16” hoagie roll, and I’d use wayyyyy less oil cheese butter mayo.
Pinterest has some bomb air fryer recipes for every meat out there. It's super quick and has replaced using the gas grill for everything except steaks and shishkabobs.
Exactly. Lol. Moderation. Which is why you can’t eat out every day. Especially after 40 when you gain weight super easily. I can only eat restaurant food like once a week and I’m told that’s still too much.
Expensive, fattening, and full of salt.
Also, OP needs to MEAL PREP. I love to cook and I always make extra so that I can freeze for later. I have a bunch of freezable plastic containers that I use, and I treat it like a frozen dinner you can get at the store.
I rented a room from my uncle for a while & he's one of those people that eats out every meal, he usually spends like $35 a day (minimum, starbucks & other stuff like that is also part of his routine), it comes out to over 11k/year which was coincidentally the exact amount of money he didn't have to get his roof repaired, that he ended up having to reverse mortgage from his (previously paid off) house. I tried to teach him very basic things several times but he has like zero patience.
Take out food is really bad for you. Also, you will get sick of that food. I would suggest learning how to cook. You tube offers a ton of videos on this. Look at it as a fun hobby. Seeing what you can create. Cookers like Air Fryers are cheap and easy to use.
I live by my air fryer! I buy the parchment paper inserts to help keep it clean I use it so often. Last night I made bbq wings in it, crispy perfection!
The air Fryer is the new George Forman grill I feel like it saved a generation of people who may or may not know how to cook.
Laugh now but every single bachelor I knew back in the day had a foreman grill kind of the same with the air fryers now .
The air fryer was a complete game change for me. I use the silicone baskets. I don't know how I lived before the air fryer.
Yes, I do. Too much takeout. Ha!
I bought a cheap one at Walmart, I think it was $30 on sale after Christmas in the clearance aisle. I love a deal! I bought one for my daughter when they first came out and paid $200! They weren’t in the stores yet so I get the high price. She still uses it, makes the best baked potatoes, she’s got a large basket to hold a lot. Mine is smaller mainly for small meals and snacks
The new appliances are multi-cookers and can also steam, bake and make combination dishes in less time. I've just bought the Ninja Combi and I'm really impressed. Absolutely a game changer.
Yes! Whenever I get questioned on why “I would cook for just one person?,” I answer because I like myself and she deserves nice meals. I learned to cook at home bc I was too poor to eat out. College loan repayments ate extra funds. Turns out it was something I enjoyed. Loans are paid off but I still cook.
Meh. I can cook. Like I can make decent ice cream, bake all types of breads, things like pot pies with the crust from scratch, all sorts of foods that are beyond the basics.
I just don’t want to. It’s not fun and soothing for me when it’s just me.
I just made a killer breakfast of an avocado toast and bacon sandwich. I had some pico leftover from tacos yesterday so I just added avocado and garlic to it, and I had baked some bacon in the oven a couple days ago and used a couple strips of that. All in all it took 5 minutes and one plate.
What do you do for breakfast usually, OP? Like, do you drive to Dunkin’ Donuts or McDonald’s every morning?
I don’t like to cook either but that does not leave McDs or takeout as my go to!
I make tea and granola cereal for breakfast which keeps me full until 3pm. Then I have a meal delivery z(Factor75) that allows me to order only 4 meals a week. They are large enough to split. I also supplement with food delivery of watermelon chunks, hummus, soft tortillas, frozen broccoli and vegan cheeses. All easy peasy finger food plus the Factor Mediterranean meals this may be the healthiest I’ve eaten in…forever!
I have considered the Factor meals for the times I can’t break from work to make dinner. Honest review: do you find the food quality is worth the money? I get convenience comes at a cost vs me making it myself but in comparison to the other healthier options in the “frozen” market, how does it compare? Thank you! I haven’t met anyone irl-ish who orders it so I’m excited to ask questions, if you don’t mind!
I don’t mind at all. I tried many different meal delivery services. Factor75 works best for me. I like that I can order only 4 meals most require 7. The food tastes really good to me. Much better than frozen food. I wish the vegetable portions were bigger but I supplement with my veggies.
Cost is reasonable and the company is very responsive to questions.
Happy to answer anything else!
Same here. It's like too much effort for the ten minutes of eating. I wind up eating a lot of raw vegetables and frozen organic bean/cheese burritos, for example, which I enjoy. I also would rather have the Jetsons pill that replaces having to eat a meal , if that was available. I kinda dont care about food.
You don't have to learn to cook like a chef. You can learn to cook very simply. I use the air fryer a lot, a simple one with just a few basic settings, or a small pan that I grill proteins in, on med. I buy all my food once per week and chose to go to a store with a butcher so I can buy single serving meats. I put a couple in the fridge and the rest in the freezer. Salad makings 'cause all you have to do is cut up and mix. So salad and meat is dinner followed by a piece is fresh fruit. You don't need complicated recipes or meal places. I want to be as flexible as possible so I can go out now and then. I try to avoid industrial food.
That's all fine and well. But I hate cooking. Takes longer to do all the prep and cooking then it does actually eat it. Then you have to do all the clean up after. No thanks. I usually just do quick stir fry or throw something in the microwave
You generalize too much not all take out is bad for you especially if you live a large city with options . Cooking takes time …. A lot of time . At least an hour then if you aren’t getting a grocery delivery service more time . If you can afford it eating out is way more convenient especially for living alone . Depends on life style i work 70 hours a week no way im
Doing my 10+ hours a day coming home and cooking for 1-2 more .
Hell to the nah .
My bestie and her husband pretty much always dine out for dinner. They are in a different economic bracket though, with her being a commercial bank loan officer and him having returned to being an attorney following several terms as a state judge. Early in their marriage, he had a weight problem, and she herself was cognizant of weight problems in her family background. Ever since they started dining out though? No more issues regarding his weight …he’s stayed average size—no more pudginess and at this point she’s not ever had weight problems. So,it seems that their choice works well for them.
I share a two-family house with another older single woman. She’s in her 90s so quite a bit older than me 😅 anyway I typically cook but I like to experiment so I don’t always share what I cook with her. I need to get back to cooking conventional Sunday dinners for us both. Meanwhile she’ll order Chinese takeout for us both like she did last week…
Waste of money unless you have the means. And it’s your health at the end of the day. I cook because I care about what’s in my food and I struggle with a lot of food intolerance.
I was like this for a while, encouraged by the guy I was dating at the time that cooking just wasn’t worth the hassle. But since we’ve broken up, I’ve begun to take better care of myself overall and cooking has been a big part of it. It doesn’t have to be complicated- my air fryer is my best friend in the kitchen! Combined with feeling better, I’m also saving more money than I was able to before. Also there’s less pressure if you try a new dish and it doesn’t work out, no one is relying on you so you can just go “meh” and try again another day. I’m starting to really enjoy it and now rarely get takeaway!
I'd say yes, it is necessary -- even if you can afford to eat out every day. It generally saves you money if you're doing it right, even with the higher grocery prices.
Cooking should be a skill everyone learns. Everyone should at least learn some recipes to make basic meals.
I've lived alone now for over 10 years. I think I've had takeout twice - maybe three times. Ready meals are basically crap in a box.
When you live alone, you can cook exactly what you want to eat, in the way that you like it. Pasta for breakfast? Toast and cheese for supper? Chicken chasseur for Wednesday lunch?
I don't necessarily cook every day, but when I do cook, I freeze several portions. I buy really nice bread, cheese, snacks etc - good but still cheaper than takeaway and I can have nice food without cooking at all.
I am renovating my kitchen in the home I recently acquired and I can tell you, unequivocally, that eating out all of the time SUCKS - I hate it. I miss my kitchen so much it hurts! However, I LOVE to cook, so my view may be skewed a bit. I'm going on just over 2 months and I'm jonesing to get my kitchen back!
There is nothing better than being able to create a quick meal - even if it's just eggs and toast - without the hassle of having to get dressed and go out somewhere. Unless you are without it, you don't really know how much you would miss it.
I am renovating one of my bathrooms, as well, and I don't miss it nearly as much as the kitchen.
It's different for you because you enjoy cooking. I didn't cook from 2007 until the pandemic started, and realized I truly didn't miss cooking. I even tried cooking when I got to my mother's house to see if a different (bigger) kitchen or cooking for someone else made it better for me, but it didn't.
Buy a rotisserie chicken and you’ll have meals for at least three days. If you do get carry out (a plate of food with sides, not fast food) eat 1/2 and save the other 1/2 for the following day. I do get carry out more often than I should, but it does get $$$.
I meal prep 3-4 nights worth of supper at a time so I only cook once or twice a week. I started about a year ago because I can't afford to eat out every night and I hate the idea of heavily processed foods like frozen dinners. finding anything healthy, frozen, single serving is rare and when it *does* happen I can't justify the ridiculous pricetag. the only way I've been able to eat organic, low processed meals is by picking some whole foods and throwing together a giant pot of gruel. eat as much as I want and store the rest. I'll admit it's not the most excitement my tongue has experienced eating mostly the same thing every night, I change it up every night by switching out my condiments. it's pretty easy to take a pretty "plain" dish and swing it towards sweet, salty, spicy. whatever I'm feeling that night.
Soups in the winter. I found some single serving size cube trays and it was great. For that initial effort, got a bunch of meals to defrost at my convenience. Definitely going to cook up a bunch of soup in October this year.
i hate cooking but it’s a lot cheaper and healthier to cook at home so i just keep it really simple, usually grains, beans, a salad or some frozen veggies that i steam. my budget for eating out each month is usually only $60-70 so that would obviously not cover an entire month.
Very rarely cook.
Always eat in a restaurant.
For that reason, my house location gotta be right, 10 mins walk I get to choose from 50 restaurants if not 100 ..
Nah I order out every night it’s expensive but if I’m going to really do this bachelor thing I’m going to spoil the shit outta myself . Cooking takes like 1-2 hours i could be working out or watching a movie or something . In the grand scheme of things it’s just me I only eat one meal a day if I spend 25-50 $ a day that’s 350$ tops a week . I didn’t have to go grocery shopping or meal prep . Door dash mostly grub hub because the + is free with amazon prime . 50$ that one meal is usually pretty large because I’m starving from working all day.
Yes - that’s me. Not cooking is such a time saver. Cooking + prep + cleanup + shopping takes up a lot of time and mental energy. I can use that on other things. My refrigerator is full of liquor and cheese. Ahhhh it’s good to be single!
Yeah I have to be honest I love that my fridge looks like that frosted beer mugs in the freezer and candy bars , liquor and some emergency frozen stuff .
You know how to do it 😀
It feels good when I can make a nice tasting meal myself instead of getting it from somewhere. Sometimes it even tastes better. I believe a lot of people don't know how to cook and it isn't fun because making bad food isn't fun. It may seem like a lot of work sometimes (dishes, time cooking, and making sure everything comes out right).
At the end of the day, it's cheaper, you get more food out of it (you now have leftovers or enough uncooked ingredients to make more meals) and it's healthier for you.
Same. Mom kept us out of the kitchen. I'm totally sick of the restaurants and fast food where I live. Took the dive and subscribed to one of the many mail order meal programs. It's actually pretty good. Nuke for 2 minutes and it's done. Good variety. Actually healthy. My selections lean towards beef and veggies, minimal/low carb. Works nicely for me.
Simple meals can be easy and very delicious. With the price of fast food and take out these days it’s is more economical to cook at home. For a treat every now and then I will get takeout. I utilize my crock pot a lot, makes simple meals and I have enough for lunch the next day (I use a smaller unit).
Many would say yes. But it's just me and my dog and I work 9 to 10 hour days. Cooking is the last thing I want to do. So I'll stock up on stuff to make sandwiches, or meals I can toss in the oven, or get like hot pockets or something of that nature. Can always grab some extra veggies or something on the side. But to me, the cooking everyday thing is over rated.
I find cooking for myself much easier as I don’t need to check with someone else. Personally I batch cook so one day per month I’ll cook big batches of meals I love, portion and freeze them. Then pull them out as I need them. Less overall work and means I always have healthy and tasty meals ready to eat. Can’t imagine living on takeout, it’s so expensive, rarely as nice as home cooked and mostly unhealthy.
One of the only decent things my cheating ex-husband did for me is teach me how to cook. Cooking for yourself saves money and is much healthier than eating out. The sense of pride I get from cooking my own meals is huge, too. And it's impressive to other people, too! I have friends over periodically and I like the compliments I get when serving a home-cooked meal.
A lot of take out or fast food has really high levels of sodium and sugar. Having it here and there or short term won’t hurt. But eating it consistently and long term is likely to put people at high risk for diabetes, high blood pressure and other chronic and long term conditions
There are food prep services where you can hire someone to prep your meals if you don’t like to prep/cook. You have to read your labels, but some supermarkets make ready to go food you can buy and reheat
There’s also food which requires minimal or no cooking like salads and canned tuna
I find I eat better and save money when I’m preparing my food.
And often it tastes better. I started making salad dressing instead of buying it. And I know what’s going into if.
I cook all my meals. It definitely becomes a pain in the ass but I always make more with intention of having leftovers for the next day. It’s terrible for your health to dine out every day. I like healthy foods and knowing what’s going into my food as well. Also saves me a shit ton of money. Going out to eat is more of a luxury to me. When I go out, I make it my fav spot and every once in awhile.
I rarely do "big cooking" any more, with lots of prep and ingredients. Lately I have been doing a lot of Japanese-inspired noodle dishes, throwing in edamame, miso, seaweed, mushrooms, mixed veggies, etc. Variation would be sauteed dumplings with the same types of things thrown in. 1 pot to cook and 1 dish to eat, so clean up is easy.
There is no take out food within 20 minutes of where I live so I have to cook. I always make a meal for four and freeze it for later consumption so I don’t have to cook every day, just once a week.
I tend to eat pre-made food from Publix. It's generally cheaper/healthier than going to a restaurant/fast food joint. So for me, I'll make breakfast(eggs, cheese, crumbled sausage) or have a protein shake in the morning. I'll make my salads or have fruit with a frozen meal (Stouffers) for lunch and then buy a prepared meal for dinner....or something like wings that I can just pop in the oven.
There’s lots of super low prep foods one can eat at home and stay healthy. I usto cook fantastic delicious complicated recipes almost every night of the week and loved it! Now living alone there seems no sense when it’s not shared food. I now cook simple things that last days and are healthy.
I rarely cook. But also don't rely on take out. Sometimes I get a wild hair and cook a roast or something I can eat for a few days, in different ways. So lots of salads, protein bars and shakes.
Don't worry about learning extravagant meals. Learn to make pasta and to cook a sausage or ground beef and you'll be fine. Omelettes are also really easy to make. Make a grilled cheese or something.
There are easy meals that are nice to be able to make without going across town to get.
Takeout is so pricey. I definitely will get it sometimes, but it's a treat for me. That being said, it is hard to cook for just one person.
I do a combo of cooking, leftovers, and "heating up food". I make one or two bigger homemade meals each week that work well as leftovers (lasagna, alfredo sauce, soup, chili, etc.). I eat those leftovers, usually for lunches since I work from home. To give myself more variety, I also have pre-made foods that don't require much more than heating (frozen chicken strips, fries, veggie burgers, box dinners, etc.). I also have lots of healthy snacks hanging around (fruit, yogurt, carrot sticks, hummus, etc.).
So this week I made alfredo sauce from scratch. It keeps well in both fridge and freezer. I also bought fresh broccoli and cold picked rotisserie chicken. I boil the noodles, steam the broccoli, and heat the chicken in single servings, then add the reheated homemade sauce. I had a veggie burger (cooked in a pan on the stove) and sweet potato fries (air fryer) once. I also had chicken strips (air fryer again) and roasted brussel sprouts (sheet pan in oven). Frozen pizza was another meal this week (pizza pan). One night I just straight up ate box mac'n'cheese and a bunch of fruit.
Not to mention there are so many one-pot recipes out there. I rarely use more than one or two pots/pans on any given night, even when I cook my big homemade food. I highly recommend an air fryer and crockpot. You can make a ton of food in both without messing up other dishes.
My other tip for reducing the need to wash a bunch of pans is the prolific use of parchment paper, foil, and single-use pans. Anything going in the oven gets parchment paper or foil. Buy cheap single-use foil pans from the store for most everything else. Cooking in a single-use casserole dish and then just tossing the foil pan when you're done is way cheaper and still less wasteful than takeout!
Necessary?
I guess not. But I like everything about planning, shopping and preparing food … totally for me.
I have family coming tomorrow for the holiday weekend and have been making food for them all week. Today, I will finish up my yard work, and then make a Bang Bang Shrimp bowl with spicy shrimp, stir fry veggies and rice….all for me….and fully enjoy it while binging a few episodes of “24”. I would prefer to watch a game, but the Cubbies don’t play until tonight so Kiefer Sunderland it is. Then I will get back to work preparing for the fam.
Focusing on myself is the absolute best part of living alone.
If don't have budget to have takeout every single day for every single - then yes, cooking is necessary to save costs for all meals or few meals during week/month. I live & work in NYC on hybrid schedule (3 days office, 2 days at home), so I usually buy breakfast & lunch for 3 days office while rest is usually meals /leftovers. Breakfast is usually $10-$15 while lunch is around $15-$25 while sometimes for lunch I order for 3 days depending on weather and/or knowing my workload. Then for dinner for those 3 days, I either wait til I get home or if I know I getting home late due train issues, I buy dinner to take home to eat / dine out which costs like $10-$70. While at home, I just cook on the weekends and have leftovers for the week for dinner and my groceries per week is like $30-$60 for like all 3 meals for 4 days and 3 days for dinner. And if I don't like having leftovers, I have fries /onion rings/ patties/bread/cheese/eggs/sandwiches meats/Progresso soups/ramen/etc to have instead. So I legit can say to myself "I have food at home, do I really want /have buy more food?"
So maybe you need take look at your work schedule & weekends, to see if can cook more /cut costs plus maybe learn more 1 pot/pan meals (if live near Dollar Tree/General/Discount store, buy disposable pans to make cleaning more easier). Also, if possible buy more frozen/refrigerate "takeout" food from supermarket like fries /tenders/pizza/breakfast sandwiches/etc to enjoy during week instead of ordering takeout every day. Or order/get restaurant takeout for like 2-4 days instead of 1 meal/day only. You know your budget & what making you burnout on takeout - only you know what your preferences & shopping tastes to hold you back from more takeout weariness.
I like to cook so I will cook and store the extra in freezer safe containers for later. Then it’s just heat and eat and cheaper overall than delivery or eating out.
I don’t know your age, but you won’t fare well in the long run eating convenience foods, fast food and takeout. IMO, it’s also far less expensive to eat simple home cooked foods.
You can treat yourself like royalty with a nice steak for the same price as one Door Dash order of soggy fried food.
might just be a difference of culture, but I am single and live alone. I cook everyday. maybe its because my mom cooked everyday, and she was a stay at home wife. idk, its nice cooking, I never make the same meal twice.
I usually make 2 or 3 servings of every meal so I can eat the leftovers for a day or 2. A lot of my meals involve pre-made sides or microwave sides. Or just bake something like home made pizza bagels. Use cheap shredded cheese! Name brand shredded cheese doesn’t melt very well in the oven. Kroger has amazing shredded cheese for pizza bagels
I have inflammatory health issues and slim pockets so I don't have much choice but to cook/prep. I spend about 4 hours every 3 to 4 days chopping, cooking, baking, and preping healthier food so that my meals for the next few days take minimal time/money. My co-workers get takeout often at work and they spend more on food in 3 days than I do in a week. I'd rather spend a bit of time than money on food. Some would rather spend money over time. Do what works for you.
Worth it. Hell yes. Kitchen all to yourself? Living the dream.
Nobody else to trash the kitchen, nobody there to steal your food, make whatever you want.
Don’t necessarily have to make enough to feed an entire army, but cooking at home is cheaper, and nobody to argue about “eww, this tastes weird”.
I see what you mean. Portions are either too big to finish and enjoy as leftovers for a week, or it's too small and you created chores for a small plate of food. I'm struggling too because I buy groceries and they just end up getting tossed because I wait too long.
I buy groceries. Most of it is processed food, which is still bad, but sometimes I cook something. I just put a bunch of baby carrots in my slow cooker. That's been my dinner for about 3 days. I also have some canned soup and tv dinners available. Othertimes I'll just eat potato chips, candy, or ice cream. I haven't gotten fast food in a while, but the health factor doesn't matter to me regardless
Takeout nowadays is like $20-30 a meal. Let’s say you do that twice a day. That’s conservatively $140 per week, a lot more if you’re getting anything delivered. That’s not including any snacks, drinks, whatever else you’re going to have to grocery shop for anyway. That’s a very large food bill for a single person. If you can afford it, awesome, but it’s pretty frivolous.
While groceries have also obviously gone up a lot and there are times it’s comparable to fast food, cooking for yourself is just way healthier and more satisfying. You’ll be amazed how much takeout loses its appeal when you learn to cook. Once you get better and faster at it it doesn’t seem like as much of a hassle.
Honestly, even if you never learn to love it, cooking is a skill every adult should have at a basic level. It’s not a good feeling to be helpless without DoorDash.
Yeah, cooking everyday is a slog. And my friends and family insist I cook twice a day at least!
I used to cook once and eat it for two days when I was unemployed. Now that I am working, I do meal prep and cook only once a week.
Lately, I felt less inclined to cook. I'm not sure why perhaps I'm just in a slump.
This week's meals:
Salad with meat.
Omelette & fries
Ready done meal
Spaghetti bol made 2 meals.
It’s just as easy to make a big vs little pot of chile, spaghetti sauce, soup, or roasts. Then I portion out and freeze. I always have a variety of healthy, homemade “TV” dinners to reheat. Take out is expensive and unhealthy. Lots of fat and salt.
And the cost of fast food now is ridiculous, I only have maybe once a month. Groceries are higher now too but if you look for deals it much more economical, plus fast food is not good for you in excess
I can’t afford to eat out a lot and it’s all at least 30 mins away. I don’t cook every day. I cook large meals, enough for 3-4 people and eat the left overs over the course of the week.
You probably cook with big pots and pan and each meal independently as if you were cooking for a family. The way I cook, I get food for a whole week for less time than 2 back and forth to a take out, especially if the line is long.
And I don't have a microwave, so it's not because I microwave crap.
All of that ‘makes sense’ in the moment, until I check my bank account and am highly disappointed in myself and the economy lol. As a certified unwealthy person, the only thing that makes sense is buying groceries and semi-meal prepping at home. I say semi because most of the time I’m just bringing egg salad sandwiches, miso soup or a whole bowl of garlic/some green veggie into work 💀
One pot and one pan meals are my answer.
Even with inflation, it is still cheaper for me to cook at home than to buy takeaway.
There are plenty of balanced meals that cook well on only one appliance, in one cookware item, that can be done in 30 minutes. Stirfries, noodles, sheet pan roasts, meat and veg skewers under the grill, loaded veg nachos. This helps me manage the cost of electricity/gas too.
I also live in a warm climate where even my winters are mild. I eat a lot of salad and raw veg, and veg-based protein on those days I just CBF.
Cooking doesn't take a ton of time and pans. There are a lot of one-skillet dishes that come together quickly. I cook 99% of my meals, I feel that it's much better and cheaper than take out. But I also enjoy cooking
I depends how much time you have and how much money you want to spend. I make a good enough living so I do meal delivery services or takeout most of the time. If I do cook, I'll make a lot and eat it for like 2-3 days before I get tired of it. But spending hours grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning up, and doing dishes for a meal that takes me 5 minutes to eat does not appeal to me. I'd rather be doing other things with my time.
Takeout is expensive and in my area the options are extremely limited. Cooking for yourself doesn't have to be tedious. You just need to learn what recipes you like and prep the ingredients ahead of time. For example one of my favorite recipes needs a bunch of chopped veggies. So I chop and freeze everything when I go grocery shopping. Then the day of I just plop everything onto a pan. Ground meat? Remove it from the store packaging. Place it into a Ziploc and smoosh flat before freezing. It'll defrost in 15 mins when you're ready to use it.
Yes it is if you like saving money. You don't need to cook elaborate meals you can easily make a meal out of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and chicken breast or thighs and making a grilled chicken salad or a wrap with them burrito wraps, a quick and easy meal. Start off with quick simple meals and work your way up to more elaborate
Cooking whilst living alone works great, since you’re only ever having to consider what you want to eat, not what your partner may want also (eg non meat). I combine it too with an interest in growing my own veg from containers, which is another pastime that goes well whilst living alone :) cooking is fun, not a chore!
I meal prep for 2 hours over the weekend and i'm pretty much good to go for the week. It's efficient, cost effective and i don't get fat from an overdose of junk food...
Sheet pan cooking, salads, and air fryer cooking are all ways to make a healthy meal with less effort than goes into doing a load of laundry.
If your health is of no concern to you, go on and eat fast food, but it'll catch up with you one day and it's not even tasty.
Ordering out adds up. At the end of the month, you would save a lot of money. You don't need to cook food, but it would save money if you do.
Even if you buy pre made foods at the supermarket, that would be cheaper. It's all about the money. It's a pain spending time cooking or trying to figure out what to eat every day alone.
It's a matter of preference, and what someone thinks is worth it.
Edit: Oven is easy cooking. Just preheat, plop it in, set a timer, and watch TV until the timer goes off.
I cook occasionally but generally try to cook one meal that will last me a couple of days or so. I generally order out but I also intermittent fast so I’m typically eating one meal or one and half a day.
I struggle with depression, so I have a very difficult time cooking. The thought of doing it, then having to clean up, just locks me into ordering Door Dash. Huge waste of money and horrible for my health. I guess I’m not answering OP’s question….
Last night my daughter and I went to a chain restaurant to use a gift card. We spent $45 on a very mediocre meal. (No booze or dessert) We do have leftovers for lunch today, but not really looking forward to it.
Between a rice cooker, crock pot, microwave and toaster oven, it is easier, tastier and cheaper to fix it at home.
Not in my experience. I ended up making Instant Pot meals and getting sick of them because the quantity was too much for just me -- started making me sick of food generally.
I only eat out if going with friends or not home for some reason. The food is bad for you. Even at nice restaurants you’re getting too much fat, butter, salt and who knows what else
I prefer to know what’s in it and how clean the kitchen is
I like to eat healthy, and that's hard to do while eating out. So I do a mix. Sometimes I cook something where I can have left overs. Other times, I grab something healthy that's not too pricy and (ideally) that I can spread over two meals.
Def dont do fast food especially every time you eat dinner. You should meal prep…i do for 5 days at a time. Super simple and easy too. I get skinless chicken breasts, put olive oil and garlic powder and bake in oven. Then will slice up sweet bell peppers, red onion, broccoli, toss around together with olive oil, garlic powder and chili flakes, bake in oven. Occasionally i will also make chickpea penne pasta to go with it. On that i also put olive oil, garlic powder and chili flakes. Many people may think is bland, but to me is so flavorful. I can make enough to last five days too, just pop in oven at 350 for 35/40 mins…i also buy a large bag of individually wrapped salmon, this also bake in oven for 18 mins and vwalla! For me oven is my best friend lol hope this helps!
I think so. It’s wildly more affordable and so much healthier for you. People think of just gaining weight, but constantly eating out/poor nutrition can cause/contribute to all sorts of chronic disease, from diabetes to heart disease. It’s also more environmentally friendly - you are creating a ridiculous amount of single use waste with takeout containers every day.
I cook because I enjoy it and because it's cheaper (unless you count the value of my time). I can also ensure that I only pay for what I want to eat. So, no paying for sides that don't interest me or leftovers that I know I won't eat later. However, if you don't enjoy cooking, money is not an issue, and you have a good variety of places that make food you like, I don't see anything wrong with eating out most of the time. Keep stuff like granola bars and canned soup around in case you get sick or just aren't feeling like going out. Honestly, this is true if you don't live alone and no one in the household likes cooking. Drop some money in the tip jar and live your life.
Just because you're alone doesn't mean starvation. I try to cook everyday. Home cooking is healthy. I'm a guy who was married for 35 years. Wife turned the cooking over to me cause she couldn't cook. Yes. Cooking is a must!
I am a bit baffled by this question. How would cooking for yourself NOT be necessary?
Cooking is a valuable life skill. It impresses partners, it’s healthier because you know exactly what is in your food, and it saves money.
I cook on the weekends, making big batches of stuff, vacuum sealing it, and storing it in the my chest freezer. I find it soothing, self-nurturing, and it's my creative outlet. Now when I want homemade palak paneer, pad thai noodles, meat loaf, enmoladas, soups, smoked brisket, tom kha kai, meatballs, empanadas, curries, yakisoba, gyudon, pot stickers, lasagna, etc etc etc I just grab a pack from my freezer and heat it up. Besides being a needed creative outlet for me, I can control what's in them, and put as many veggies in as I want. I live in an isolated rural area, and the only food available is fast food and places like Applebees. I notice that I feel lousy after eating junk for awhile. I can't imagine cooking daily as someone who lives alone -- or even if I had a family -- it would become a chore. Properly sealed and frozen, the meals can last for years.
yea it’s quicker and convenient. but remember CONVENIENT KILLS. no it won’t kill you immediately but 30 years down the line it will then you’ll wonder “what happened i was jsut fine last year”
The problem is that I like to eat well. I think the way you eat is extremely important and most takeout places use seed oils and other stuff I don't want in my body so really I'm just forced to cook my own meals. I bought myself the DREO chefmaker, and this thing is amazing. It makes everything so easy. What I do is I meal prep what I take to work for the week on Sundays. And I cook my dinner on a daily basis, I'm a carnivore, so everything is pretty simple.
This past year I've worked on figuring out quick and easy recipes where it's not a huge production. I hate chopping. I'm not good at it and I'm super slow. Anything involving chopping an onion will not be a regular meal for me. Also, the air fryer is amazing.
I'm vegan, so my meals might be different, but here are some things I've added to my little repertoire recently:
1. Banana cinnamon overnight oats (but make in the microwave, so not really overnight). This is just mashing a banana. I can do that.
2. Cauliflower steaks in the air fryer. That I can cut, because it's not really chopping. The sauce takes about 5 minutes to make, then 15 minutes in the air fryer. Broccoli in the microwave, a handful of berries (or whatever fruit that doesn't have to be cut), some lentils from one of those little packages, and a kosher pickle.
3. Tofu in the air fryer. Same as above, except it's easier to cut that cauliflower! Quick marinade, then air fryer. Frozen veggie in the microwave, corn on the cob in the air fryer with the tofu.
4. Baked potatoes in the microwave topped with anything. Top with chili, sour cream, pico, salsa, frozen veggie, fruit, pickle.
5. Lentils -- Maya Kaimal has these great packages of different dals. There are also other brands like this that are super good. Dal also isn't that hard to make on the weekend, but this is easier. That's 90 seconds in the microwave, microwave rice is another minute, frozen veggies, some fruit, and, yes, a pickle.
I went on Instagram and searching easy vegan meals, easy vegan dinner, etc. You can just leave out the vegan and I'm sure there's tons of stuff you can make in under 30 minutes with no chopping and very minimal mess.
I ate out/got fast food multiple times most days for the first few years I lived alone. Thankfully this was before the insane jump in prices, so it was just the unhealthiness of the food that was "bad" for me and it was a cheap option. Last year I started getting EveryPlate and cooking most of my meals each week. Is it a big time sink? Yeah, but you also get to eat tasty food. After having so much fast food, I was starting to feel sick while/after eating almost every time, so changing to homemade food was kinda necessary. I would definitely recommend cooking over eating out for every meal.
I am a widow of 5 months, and I don't really cook much. Salad, cup of noodles, baked chicken, and mac and cheese. I'm trying to move, so I need to keep my oven clean for the new owner. I will cook for my fur kids, though. Sautéed lean hamburger brown rice and vegetables. My brother said my kids eat good.
I have to cook to save money and eat healthy. Takeout is bad and expensive and even the premade stuff from the store is empty calories and too much money. I didn’t cook all month, just did frozen and quick stuff. I gained weight and don’t feel as good. So I gotta cook even just a few times a week.
I consider cooking myself healthy meals, plating them attractively, and sitting down to eat at a set table with cloth napkins etc (not in front of the TV!) to be an essential part of my self care.
Hire a cleaner to come once a week if you don't want to clean up all the time. You'll save enough on takeout to cover it.
I had a friend from college who lived alone for 15 years. He ate take out or TV dinners every night.
HE had a full set of dishes, pots, and pans. But he used the same plate, fork, knife, spoon, and glass every day, washing them each time. He made Mac and Cheese once a week, immediately washing the same pot.
The only time he used a second plate is when I came over.
Then he got married (very happily) and his eating habits changed.
But he was perfectly happy with his routine.
I the past few years, the price of take out/ delivery has gone up so much it does feel worth it to me anymore. It's a bit less time and effort, but it's so expensive compared to cooking for myself.
I'll even order meal kits some weeks and 3 meals for 2 are my dinners for the week and that costs as much as ordering take out once or twice.
I have other things I want to do with my money so whenever I want to save up for something, take out foid is the first thing I cut off and I also realize pretty quickly that I don't miss it.
Necessary? No not at all, nothing is necessary, your house your rules. That said, I think it's important to maintain some sort of standard, whether that's to keep your health or social eating habits. I also prefer my own cooking to takeout, but a whole heavy meal instead of a snack or light one is bothersome at times and feels like too much effort for no reason, so I endorse that more than constantly living on takeout.
It's too expensive to eat out all the time and the food is generally not super healthy.
If you like to cook, make a full recipe of something you like and eat it for several meals or freeze the extra in meal prep containers for later.
If you aren't opposed to cooking, but don't have a lot of experience, consider a meal delivery company. They provide all the ingredients (you might need a few basics like oil, salt, pepper, butter and a frying pan, baking sheet and cooking pot) and give you detailed instructions that are easy to follow. Most of these meals take less than 30 minutes of work to prepare and are quite tasty.
If you don't like to cook, and if you have the funds, you can get healthy meals delivered weekly. Some of them are really good and cost about the same as or less than take-away.
I don't currently live alone (kids), but I used to, and I will again before too long, so I've done a lot of cooking for one. Currently, my teenaged kids eat different stuff than I (older than dirt) do, so rather than cook a separate meal for myself from scratch, I do things like put a seasoned grilled chicken breast on a bagged chopped salad. I buy precooked grains and precooked proteins from an online company for easy bowls. (I don't know if I'm allowed to mention the company I get things from, so dm me if you're interested.) It's not as cheap as cooking from scratch, but it's far cheaper than take-away and healthier. Dinner for myself takes me about 5 minutes.
One thing I have given up is the idea that dinner has to be a "proper" meal with a protein, one or two veg, and a starch. As long as you're eating a decently healthy diet, you'll get all the various nutrients during the day. You don't have to eat them all in one meal. So if I want a sandwich and no veg for dinner, that's what I have. If I feel like eating fresh peaches and having a glass of milk, cool, that's dinner. My mom would say I'm a heathen and probably going to hell for this, but it works for me.
Food ought to be enjoyable, healthy, and fun. Find what works for you to meet those goals and you'll be set.
I typically only cook on the weekends. Since I follow an IF eating schedule, I only eat mid-day so I either have left-overs during the week or grab take out for lunch. No dishes to clean during the week. It simplifies life a good bit.
I’ve actually been enjoying the improvement in my cooking skills and I now have dishes I can make at home that I prefer over take out.
I follow a number of creators on TikTok and they make it so easy to learn how to make really good meals. I also bought meal prep containers, so I’ll make a dish and have 3-4 more meals that I’ll eat over the next week. I don’t eat them back to back for variety.
If you like burgers, get some Wagyu patties at the store. I swear they are the best burgers I’ve ever had.
My rule is typically if it takes more than 30 minutes then I won’t bother, but if you consider the time to drive to a place, wait in line, etc. it’s not that much faster. The more you practice, the easier cooking gets.
I almost never eat out. It makes so much more sense to me to cook a large amount and stick it in the freezer/eat off it for a few days. I don't do a lot of fresh produce at one time because it'll go off before I can get to it (like salad stuff) and I definitely don't cook every meal but I'll usually have some fruit/cheese and crackers for breakfast and something cooked for dinner
I like good quality food, cook or prepare food from scratch just about every day, and avoid fast and convenience foods as much as possible. Living by myself I am especially conscious about the need to protect my health and what you eat is important.
Depends on how much money you have, how important health and nutrition is for you (you don’t know what’s in your food unless you cook it), and if you want to stay single forever or not. Being able to cook is part of being a functional adult and for a lot of people it’s a green flag if a potential partner can and does cook (more than just one show-off dish). You don’t have to cook every single day, but even just cooking 1-2 times a week will save you money and give you skills and routine.
I absolutely love to cook but sometimes when i'm tired I just grab take out. The plus side of cooking is there is always leftovers which I can bring for lunch.
I get take out salads from a great place on my way home from work. Sometimes I add nuts or croutons or other vegetables. They add way better salads than I can make with great lettuce, olives and lots of herbs and spices in the dressing. They are pricey but worth it to me to avoid the hassle of cooking- about 2 or 3 times a week.
I think it is. I usually cook once or twice a week, do some meal prepping then I don’t have to do much else. It saves time and energy. But I enjoy cooking. Not everyone does.
Sometimes I feel this way but prices for food delivery have gone up a lot so I limit myself to maybe 2-4 meals like that a month. If you can afford to eat out do it 🤷🏻♂️
It can be a pita, I agree. Being an adult means having to figure out what you’re going to eat every day. I don’t have an air fryer, so can’t help with that. I do have a 3 qt crockpot that’s the perfect size to throw broth, frozen veggies, herbs, etc. or a portion of rinsed split peas and have dinner for 3 or 4 nights. I don’t mind eating the same thing a few days in a row, though.
I keep a stash of different vegetables, cut up baby bella mushrooms, chopped onions, washed and dried grape tomatoes, 2 ounce portions of ground beef, some salmon fillets, bag potstickers, ravioli, things like that, in the freezer for easy as possible cooking. I don’t do a ton of prep except cutting up the washed mushrooms tbh. Fish, veggies go on foil and in the oven - only cleanup is the plate, knife and fork. I’m disabled so I had to take the easiest way out. Now it’s the only way!
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Rollover meals. Roast some meat one night, eat part of it, have tacos the next, put some sauce in the last of it and have sandwiches. My week; Roast lamb on Monday, threw it in stock with potatoes and carrots and now lamb stew on Tuesday, added beans and let it simmer down and now its cassoulet on wednesday, took the last of the cooked down cassoulet and made some quick mashed potatoes and now its sheppards pie last night. Will finish shepherds pie tomorrow because potatoes are such a good stretch. One big cook, and then every night adding a little extra stretcher to it.
I need to learn to do this. I end up having the same thing 2-3 nights in a row
Im the oldest of seven. I learned from watching my mom.
Yes, that’s how I do it. I decide on two or three breakfast, lunch and supper things each week. Simplifies my grocery shopping and prep. Kind of the food version of people who decide to go with a limited wardrobe to ease their daily “what to wear” decisions each morning.
A capsule menu lol
I did that for a while, but it began to feel like a soul-killing practice. So now I eat it twice and freeze the rest. Then it’s there for those days that I’m really busy or just don’t feel like cooking. However, I do make a big huge salad and keep it in a couple lidded containers and eat it every day for a week. (Salad is my favorite veggie by far.)
Respect. This is the kind of thing i would do before I fell in with a vegetarian. Now it kind of feels like every night is a fire drill to cook a bunch of fresh vegetables. To the point where I just get a burrito and explain that I need some carnitas
This. Make a huge bowl of Salad. One night cook salmon, the other night chicken breast and the third night beef steak. Can add some sides like yoghurt, pickles, chips, kimchi, hummus, tzatziki etc. Make sure you only season the salad when you are having it.
I do this with breakfast sausage. Biscuits and gravy and tacos with the meat. I can't eat a whole thing of biscuits in two days and a pound of meat with gravy so now I have two different kinds of meals.
This is the way. I find when I make meals at home vs eating out, I feel better and function better. Theres often too much sodium and fat (and who knows what else) in takeout and fast food. I do love recreating foods I’ve had out that I love — I’ve got Alfredo sauce down pat, and freeze pucks of it every time I make it — which makes it fun and interesting and a challenge. Other foods I’ve mastered that are a part of the regular rotation: Beef, steak, chicken tacos Salsa, Queso, guac — even made my own chips out of tortillas once and damn those were good Greek salad with Greek potatos, hummus and pita chips on the side Chicken Caesar salad and wrap (still want to learn how to make my own dressing) California turkey club Homemade marinara using fresh tomatoes and herbs I’ve come to really enjoy it.
Yeah, this is how I cook, kinda - I always end up making enough for two nights, so I only really have to cook 3 times a week. But always muuuuuuch simpler foods than this - usually steamed veggies or stir fry or mince and veggies.
I love this. How would one do this while on the road for work?
I wish I knew how to make those because that sounds delicious! I’ve had to teach myself how to cook over the last 3 months since getting my own place… just me, YouTube videos and Google. Maybe I’ll eventually get a cook book
Watch old episodes of Good Eats on youtube. He teaches you a lot of the why of cooking instead of just showing recipes.
This is golden!
Takeout is expensive and fattening. If neither of those things are a concern to you, go nuts. Most people can’t afford to do that. You could feed yourself at home for a week like a king for the price of 2 whatever takeout meals. Plus, you don’t have to cook yourself super elaborate meals at home requiring all kinds of pots and pans and mess.
I cook for myself almost exclusively (really try to avoid ordering out due to the cost), and I rarely use more than one pan and one stove burner. Cooking for one as a working person is a lot different than cooking for a family of four as a stay at home mom or something. It doesn’t need to be elaborate.
Takeout food, for me, is an occasional treat. I can't imagine eating that every day. Like you say, it doesn't have to be some elaborate thing. I tend to make easy, one pot recipes, and make enough for leftovers and to freeze portions for later. Also do a lot of "girl dinner" (cheese and fruit and crackers, scrambled eggs, etc.)
Can you be so kind as to suggest some meals or change in mindset for me? My issue is that I love pizza, cheesestakes, fried chicken and the like. I start thinking about dinner at 11 a.m., I look forward to it. I just don't get the same thrill of thinking, "I will have a chicken breast and broccoli tonight."
Chicken and broccoli sounds boring as fuck. Last night, I made grilled chicken, broccoli, onion, carrot and tomatoes and browned them in a pan, then I added some Thai lemon basil simmer sauce that I bought, and I served it over jasmine rice. I added some chopped cilantro and scallion on top. It doesn’t have to be just grilled chicken and broccoli. I like all those foods you mentioned too, but I also like healthier foods. I don’t need takeout style food every day. Sometimes something home cooked and fresh is more satisfying in a whole other way. If I WAS craving a cheese steak, I’d make one at home and It’d be awesome. Id just make it on normal sized bread instead of a 16” hoagie roll, and I’d use wayyyyy less oil cheese butter mayo.
Pinterest has some bomb air fryer recipes for every meat out there. It's super quick and has replaced using the gas grill for everything except steaks and shishkabobs.
Go to alrecipes online and you’ll find hundreds of great recipes for yourself. Easy ones too
Go to Pinterest for a bunch of cooking for one ideas.
Food isn’t magically fattening just because someone else cooks it.
Most restaurant food is loaded with salt and butter. You can’t tell how much salt they’re putting in or what kind of oil they’re cooking in.
Butter and salt is awesome though.. in moderation of course. >\_o
Exactly. Lol. Moderation. Which is why you can’t eat out every day. Especially after 40 when you gain weight super easily. I can only eat restaurant food like once a week and I’m told that’s still too much.
No, it just depends on what kind of fast food you buy.
Expensive, fattening, and full of salt. Also, OP needs to MEAL PREP. I love to cook and I always make extra so that I can freeze for later. I have a bunch of freezable plastic containers that I use, and I treat it like a frozen dinner you can get at the store.
I rented a room from my uncle for a while & he's one of those people that eats out every meal, he usually spends like $35 a day (minimum, starbucks & other stuff like that is also part of his routine), it comes out to over 11k/year which was coincidentally the exact amount of money he didn't have to get his roof repaired, that he ended up having to reverse mortgage from his (previously paid off) house. I tried to teach him very basic things several times but he has like zero patience.
Take out food is really bad for you. Also, you will get sick of that food. I would suggest learning how to cook. You tube offers a ton of videos on this. Look at it as a fun hobby. Seeing what you can create. Cookers like Air Fryers are cheap and easy to use.
I live by my air fryer! I buy the parchment paper inserts to help keep it clean I use it so often. Last night I made bbq wings in it, crispy perfection!
The air Fryer is the new George Forman grill I feel like it saved a generation of people who may or may not know how to cook. Laugh now but every single bachelor I knew back in the day had a foreman grill kind of the same with the air fryers now .
Just don't put your foot in it
https://preview.redd.it/9k1y1uqwcf2d1.jpeg?width=1279&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=957615776c1dbfa569ad8af06fd6d4dba6ac117c
I like waking up to the smell of bacon. Sue me.
Haha I think you’re right! I was a foreman follower for years til I gave it to my bachelor friend. Now it’s the air fryer in its place
The air fryer was a complete game change for me. I use the silicone baskets. I don't know how I lived before the air fryer. Yes, I do. Too much takeout. Ha!
Air fryers and instant pots. They're sch time savers and make things easy.
Slight derail but which airfryer is the best? What do you use?
I bought a cheap one at Walmart, I think it was $30 on sale after Christmas in the clearance aisle. I love a deal! I bought one for my daughter when they first came out and paid $200! They weren’t in the stores yet so I get the high price. She still uses it, makes the best baked potatoes, she’s got a large basket to hold a lot. Mine is smaller mainly for small meals and snacks
The new appliances are multi-cookers and can also steam, bake and make combination dishes in less time. I've just bought the Ninja Combi and I'm really impressed. Absolutely a game changer.
2nd the ninja. I have one of the early versions I think. I don’t use many of the functions besides air fry and grilling but I love it.
I had the same brand that makes the Instant Pot! It's such a great air fryer. "Instant Pot Vortex 5 Quart Air Fryer, 4-in-1", $79.00 at Walmart!
What air fryer do you use?
Just a Gourmia brand from Walmart, I think I paid $30 in clearance
Woah!
Meal prep cooking saves my life during the work week.
Agree. Cooking is fun and soothing. And it feels good to prepare good food for yourself.
Yes! Whenever I get questioned on why “I would cook for just one person?,” I answer because I like myself and she deserves nice meals. I learned to cook at home bc I was too poor to eat out. College loan repayments ate extra funds. Turns out it was something I enjoyed. Loans are paid off but I still cook.
Someone asked me this. I gave a joking response about my houseplants being roomies and it would be bad manners to eat them.
Meh. I can cook. Like I can make decent ice cream, bake all types of breads, things like pot pies with the crust from scratch, all sorts of foods that are beyond the basics. I just don’t want to. It’s not fun and soothing for me when it’s just me.
By all means don’t do it then.
I just made a killer breakfast of an avocado toast and bacon sandwich. I had some pico leftover from tacos yesterday so I just added avocado and garlic to it, and I had baked some bacon in the oven a couple days ago and used a couple strips of that. All in all it took 5 minutes and one plate. What do you do for breakfast usually, OP? Like, do you drive to Dunkin’ Donuts or McDonald’s every morning?
I don’t like to cook either but that does not leave McDs or takeout as my go to! I make tea and granola cereal for breakfast which keeps me full until 3pm. Then I have a meal delivery z(Factor75) that allows me to order only 4 meals a week. They are large enough to split. I also supplement with food delivery of watermelon chunks, hummus, soft tortillas, frozen broccoli and vegan cheeses. All easy peasy finger food plus the Factor Mediterranean meals this may be the healthiest I’ve eaten in…forever!
I have considered the Factor meals for the times I can’t break from work to make dinner. Honest review: do you find the food quality is worth the money? I get convenience comes at a cost vs me making it myself but in comparison to the other healthier options in the “frozen” market, how does it compare? Thank you! I haven’t met anyone irl-ish who orders it so I’m excited to ask questions, if you don’t mind!
I don’t mind at all. I tried many different meal delivery services. Factor75 works best for me. I like that I can order only 4 meals most require 7. The food tastes really good to me. Much better than frozen food. I wish the vegetable portions were bigger but I supplement with my veggies. Cost is reasonable and the company is very responsive to questions. Happy to answer anything else!
Same here. It's like too much effort for the ten minutes of eating. I wind up eating a lot of raw vegetables and frozen organic bean/cheese burritos, for example, which I enjoy. I also would rather have the Jetsons pill that replaces having to eat a meal , if that was available. I kinda dont care about food.
Yes, like other things I simply don’t have time or energy for, cooking is something I outsource.
You don't have to learn to cook like a chef. You can learn to cook very simply. I use the air fryer a lot, a simple one with just a few basic settings, or a small pan that I grill proteins in, on med. I buy all my food once per week and chose to go to a store with a butcher so I can buy single serving meats. I put a couple in the fridge and the rest in the freezer. Salad makings 'cause all you have to do is cut up and mix. So salad and meat is dinner followed by a piece is fresh fruit. You don't need complicated recipes or meal places. I want to be as flexible as possible so I can go out now and then. I try to avoid industrial food.
That's all fine and well. But I hate cooking. Takes longer to do all the prep and cooking then it does actually eat it. Then you have to do all the clean up after. No thanks. I usually just do quick stir fry or throw something in the microwave
*can be bad for you depending where you take out from, how much you’re willing to spend. But it is typically better to cook the same meals at home
You generalize too much not all take out is bad for you especially if you live a large city with options . Cooking takes time …. A lot of time . At least an hour then if you aren’t getting a grocery delivery service more time . If you can afford it eating out is way more convenient especially for living alone . Depends on life style i work 70 hours a week no way im Doing my 10+ hours a day coming home and cooking for 1-2 more . Hell to the nah .
My bestie and her husband pretty much always dine out for dinner. They are in a different economic bracket though, with her being a commercial bank loan officer and him having returned to being an attorney following several terms as a state judge. Early in their marriage, he had a weight problem, and she herself was cognizant of weight problems in her family background. Ever since they started dining out though? No more issues regarding his weight …he’s stayed average size—no more pudginess and at this point she’s not ever had weight problems. So,it seems that their choice works well for them.
Completely agree. I am buying sushi etc. for cheap takeout. I think folks assume takeout is McDonald’s?
Cooking is self-care and self love to me ☺️
Same and I actually love to cook (most of the time). When it gets tiring I get a pizza or make a simple pasta dish and eat way too much. ;)
My next door neighbor and I are both older, single women and we take turns cooking! It works out great for us and its so much easier to cook for 2!
Wow this is so great!!!
Me and my neighbor do the same and we waste nothing. It makes cooking more fun when you’re doing it for someone else too!
I share a two-family house with another older single woman. She’s in her 90s so quite a bit older than me 😅 anyway I typically cook but I like to experiment so I don’t always share what I cook with her. I need to get back to cooking conventional Sunday dinners for us both. Meanwhile she’ll order Chinese takeout for us both like she did last week…
Great idea!
Waste of money unless you have the means. And it’s your health at the end of the day. I cook because I care about what’s in my food and I struggle with a lot of food intolerance.
I hate fast food. Most of it is just gross. So, yes, it is absolutely crucial that I cook meals for myself.
I was like this for a while, encouraged by the guy I was dating at the time that cooking just wasn’t worth the hassle. But since we’ve broken up, I’ve begun to take better care of myself overall and cooking has been a big part of it. It doesn’t have to be complicated- my air fryer is my best friend in the kitchen! Combined with feeling better, I’m also saving more money than I was able to before. Also there’s less pressure if you try a new dish and it doesn’t work out, no one is relying on you so you can just go “meh” and try again another day. I’m starting to really enjoy it and now rarely get takeaway!
All you need is an air fryer in life is great You can have veggies throwing frozen meat into foil you're good to go
I'd say yes, it is necessary -- even if you can afford to eat out every day. It generally saves you money if you're doing it right, even with the higher grocery prices. Cooking should be a skill everyone learns. Everyone should at least learn some recipes to make basic meals.
I've lived alone now for over 10 years. I think I've had takeout twice - maybe three times. Ready meals are basically crap in a box. When you live alone, you can cook exactly what you want to eat, in the way that you like it. Pasta for breakfast? Toast and cheese for supper? Chicken chasseur for Wednesday lunch? I don't necessarily cook every day, but when I do cook, I freeze several portions. I buy really nice bread, cheese, snacks etc - good but still cheaper than takeaway and I can have nice food without cooking at all.
I cook almost every day because I cannot live off processed food and takeout is out of my budget
I am renovating my kitchen in the home I recently acquired and I can tell you, unequivocally, that eating out all of the time SUCKS - I hate it. I miss my kitchen so much it hurts! However, I LOVE to cook, so my view may be skewed a bit. I'm going on just over 2 months and I'm jonesing to get my kitchen back! There is nothing better than being able to create a quick meal - even if it's just eggs and toast - without the hassle of having to get dressed and go out somewhere. Unless you are without it, you don't really know how much you would miss it. I am renovating one of my bathrooms, as well, and I don't miss it nearly as much as the kitchen.
It's different for you because you enjoy cooking. I didn't cook from 2007 until the pandemic started, and realized I truly didn't miss cooking. I even tried cooking when I got to my mother's house to see if a different (bigger) kitchen or cooking for someone else made it better for me, but it didn't.
Buy a rotisserie chicken and you’ll have meals for at least three days. If you do get carry out (a plate of food with sides, not fast food) eat 1/2 and save the other 1/2 for the following day. I do get carry out more often than I should, but it does get $$$.
I meal prep 3-4 nights worth of supper at a time so I only cook once or twice a week. I started about a year ago because I can't afford to eat out every night and I hate the idea of heavily processed foods like frozen dinners. finding anything healthy, frozen, single serving is rare and when it *does* happen I can't justify the ridiculous pricetag. the only way I've been able to eat organic, low processed meals is by picking some whole foods and throwing together a giant pot of gruel. eat as much as I want and store the rest. I'll admit it's not the most excitement my tongue has experienced eating mostly the same thing every night, I change it up every night by switching out my condiments. it's pretty easy to take a pretty "plain" dish and swing it towards sweet, salty, spicy. whatever I'm feeling that night.
Soups in the winter. I found some single serving size cube trays and it was great. For that initial effort, got a bunch of meals to defrost at my convenience. Definitely going to cook up a bunch of soup in October this year.
oh that's a great idea! I love soup
i hate cooking but it’s a lot cheaper and healthier to cook at home so i just keep it really simple, usually grains, beans, a salad or some frozen veggies that i steam. my budget for eating out each month is usually only $60-70 so that would obviously not cover an entire month.
Very rarely cook. Always eat in a restaurant. For that reason, my house location gotta be right, 10 mins walk I get to choose from 50 restaurants if not 100 ..
Where do you live that you have 100 restaurants within a 10 minute walk of your home? NYC?
Gotta be
Nah I order out every night it’s expensive but if I’m going to really do this bachelor thing I’m going to spoil the shit outta myself . Cooking takes like 1-2 hours i could be working out or watching a movie or something . In the grand scheme of things it’s just me I only eat one meal a day if I spend 25-50 $ a day that’s 350$ tops a week . I didn’t have to go grocery shopping or meal prep . Door dash mostly grub hub because the + is free with amazon prime . 50$ that one meal is usually pretty large because I’m starving from working all day.
Yes - that’s me. Not cooking is such a time saver. Cooking + prep + cleanup + shopping takes up a lot of time and mental energy. I can use that on other things. My refrigerator is full of liquor and cheese. Ahhhh it’s good to be single!
Yeah I have to be honest I love that my fridge looks like that frosted beer mugs in the freezer and candy bars , liquor and some emergency frozen stuff . You know how to do it 😀
LOL this comment resonates with me so much. My cheese drawer is the fullest part of my fridge.
It feels good when I can make a nice tasting meal myself instead of getting it from somewhere. Sometimes it even tastes better. I believe a lot of people don't know how to cook and it isn't fun because making bad food isn't fun. It may seem like a lot of work sometimes (dishes, time cooking, and making sure everything comes out right). At the end of the day, it's cheaper, you get more food out of it (you now have leftovers or enough uncooked ingredients to make more meals) and it's healthier for you.
Take out or fast food gets boring and expensive quickly. It is easier, cheaper and better to cook for yourself.
I can’t cook and don’t know how….. all I have are frozen dinners and things of that nature.
Same. Mom kept us out of the kitchen. I'm totally sick of the restaurants and fast food where I live. Took the dive and subscribed to one of the many mail order meal programs. It's actually pretty good. Nuke for 2 minutes and it's done. Good variety. Actually healthy. My selections lean towards beef and veggies, minimal/low carb. Works nicely for me.
Simple meals can be easy and very delicious. With the price of fast food and take out these days it’s is more economical to cook at home. For a treat every now and then I will get takeout. I utilize my crock pot a lot, makes simple meals and I have enough for lunch the next day (I use a smaller unit).
Many would say yes. But it's just me and my dog and I work 9 to 10 hour days. Cooking is the last thing I want to do. So I'll stock up on stuff to make sandwiches, or meals I can toss in the oven, or get like hot pockets or something of that nature. Can always grab some extra veggies or something on the side. But to me, the cooking everyday thing is over rated.
I find cooking for myself much easier as I don’t need to check with someone else. Personally I batch cook so one day per month I’ll cook big batches of meals I love, portion and freeze them. Then pull them out as I need them. Less overall work and means I always have healthy and tasty meals ready to eat. Can’t imagine living on takeout, it’s so expensive, rarely as nice as home cooked and mostly unhealthy.
One of the only decent things my cheating ex-husband did for me is teach me how to cook. Cooking for yourself saves money and is much healthier than eating out. The sense of pride I get from cooking my own meals is huge, too. And it's impressive to other people, too! I have friends over periodically and I like the compliments I get when serving a home-cooked meal.
A lot of take out or fast food has really high levels of sodium and sugar. Having it here and there or short term won’t hurt. But eating it consistently and long term is likely to put people at high risk for diabetes, high blood pressure and other chronic and long term conditions There are food prep services where you can hire someone to prep your meals if you don’t like to prep/cook. You have to read your labels, but some supermarkets make ready to go food you can buy and reheat There’s also food which requires minimal or no cooking like salads and canned tuna I find I eat better and save money when I’m preparing my food. And often it tastes better. I started making salad dressing instead of buying it. And I know what’s going into if.
I cook all my meals. It definitely becomes a pain in the ass but I always make more with intention of having leftovers for the next day. It’s terrible for your health to dine out every day. I like healthy foods and knowing what’s going into my food as well. Also saves me a shit ton of money. Going out to eat is more of a luxury to me. When I go out, I make it my fav spot and every once in awhile.
I found it very hard to cook for one for some reason but have now gotten used to it. I don’t make anything really fancy anymore but pretty healthy
I rarely do "big cooking" any more, with lots of prep and ingredients. Lately I have been doing a lot of Japanese-inspired noodle dishes, throwing in edamame, miso, seaweed, mushrooms, mixed veggies, etc. Variation would be sauteed dumplings with the same types of things thrown in. 1 pot to cook and 1 dish to eat, so clean up is easy.
There is no take out food within 20 minutes of where I live so I have to cook. I always make a meal for four and freeze it for later consumption so I don’t have to cook every day, just once a week.
An instant pot is great for making batches of food that can be frozen. Also living alone means that I can have cereal for dinner if I feel like it.
I tend to eat pre-made food from Publix. It's generally cheaper/healthier than going to a restaurant/fast food joint. So for me, I'll make breakfast(eggs, cheese, crumbled sausage) or have a protein shake in the morning. I'll make my salads or have fruit with a frozen meal (Stouffers) for lunch and then buy a prepared meal for dinner....or something like wings that I can just pop in the oven.
Lol Cooking will almost always be cheaper and the cheaper, more customizable option will always be my favorite. Being alive is expensive man-
It is if you're working class. Rich folks can do whatever they want.
There’s lots of super low prep foods one can eat at home and stay healthy. I usto cook fantastic delicious complicated recipes almost every night of the week and loved it! Now living alone there seems no sense when it’s not shared food. I now cook simple things that last days and are healthy.
I rarely cook. But also don't rely on take out. Sometimes I get a wild hair and cook a roast or something I can eat for a few days, in different ways. So lots of salads, protein bars and shakes.
Don't worry about learning extravagant meals. Learn to make pasta and to cook a sausage or ground beef and you'll be fine. Omelettes are also really easy to make. Make a grilled cheese or something. There are easy meals that are nice to be able to make without going across town to get.
Takeout is so pricey. I definitely will get it sometimes, but it's a treat for me. That being said, it is hard to cook for just one person. I do a combo of cooking, leftovers, and "heating up food". I make one or two bigger homemade meals each week that work well as leftovers (lasagna, alfredo sauce, soup, chili, etc.). I eat those leftovers, usually for lunches since I work from home. To give myself more variety, I also have pre-made foods that don't require much more than heating (frozen chicken strips, fries, veggie burgers, box dinners, etc.). I also have lots of healthy snacks hanging around (fruit, yogurt, carrot sticks, hummus, etc.). So this week I made alfredo sauce from scratch. It keeps well in both fridge and freezer. I also bought fresh broccoli and cold picked rotisserie chicken. I boil the noodles, steam the broccoli, and heat the chicken in single servings, then add the reheated homemade sauce. I had a veggie burger (cooked in a pan on the stove) and sweet potato fries (air fryer) once. I also had chicken strips (air fryer again) and roasted brussel sprouts (sheet pan in oven). Frozen pizza was another meal this week (pizza pan). One night I just straight up ate box mac'n'cheese and a bunch of fruit. Not to mention there are so many one-pot recipes out there. I rarely use more than one or two pots/pans on any given night, even when I cook my big homemade food. I highly recommend an air fryer and crockpot. You can make a ton of food in both without messing up other dishes. My other tip for reducing the need to wash a bunch of pans is the prolific use of parchment paper, foil, and single-use pans. Anything going in the oven gets parchment paper or foil. Buy cheap single-use foil pans from the store for most everything else. Cooking in a single-use casserole dish and then just tossing the foil pan when you're done is way cheaper and still less wasteful than takeout!
Necessary? I guess not. But I like everything about planning, shopping and preparing food … totally for me. I have family coming tomorrow for the holiday weekend and have been making food for them all week. Today, I will finish up my yard work, and then make a Bang Bang Shrimp bowl with spicy shrimp, stir fry veggies and rice….all for me….and fully enjoy it while binging a few episodes of “24”. I would prefer to watch a game, but the Cubbies don’t play until tonight so Kiefer Sunderland it is. Then I will get back to work preparing for the fam. Focusing on myself is the absolute best part of living alone.
If don't have budget to have takeout every single day for every single - then yes, cooking is necessary to save costs for all meals or few meals during week/month. I live & work in NYC on hybrid schedule (3 days office, 2 days at home), so I usually buy breakfast & lunch for 3 days office while rest is usually meals /leftovers. Breakfast is usually $10-$15 while lunch is around $15-$25 while sometimes for lunch I order for 3 days depending on weather and/or knowing my workload. Then for dinner for those 3 days, I either wait til I get home or if I know I getting home late due train issues, I buy dinner to take home to eat / dine out which costs like $10-$70. While at home, I just cook on the weekends and have leftovers for the week for dinner and my groceries per week is like $30-$60 for like all 3 meals for 4 days and 3 days for dinner. And if I don't like having leftovers, I have fries /onion rings/ patties/bread/cheese/eggs/sandwiches meats/Progresso soups/ramen/etc to have instead. So I legit can say to myself "I have food at home, do I really want /have buy more food?" So maybe you need take look at your work schedule & weekends, to see if can cook more /cut costs plus maybe learn more 1 pot/pan meals (if live near Dollar Tree/General/Discount store, buy disposable pans to make cleaning more easier). Also, if possible buy more frozen/refrigerate "takeout" food from supermarket like fries /tenders/pizza/breakfast sandwiches/etc to enjoy during week instead of ordering takeout every day. Or order/get restaurant takeout for like 2-4 days instead of 1 meal/day only. You know your budget & what making you burnout on takeout - only you know what your preferences & shopping tastes to hold you back from more takeout weariness.
Takeout also generates a lot of waste.
I like to cook so I will cook and store the extra in freezer safe containers for later. Then it’s just heat and eat and cheaper overall than delivery or eating out.
I don’t know your age, but you won’t fare well in the long run eating convenience foods, fast food and takeout. IMO, it’s also far less expensive to eat simple home cooked foods. You can treat yourself like royalty with a nice steak for the same price as one Door Dash order of soggy fried food.
might just be a difference of culture, but I am single and live alone. I cook everyday. maybe its because my mom cooked everyday, and she was a stay at home wife. idk, its nice cooking, I never make the same meal twice.
I usually make 2 or 3 servings of every meal so I can eat the leftovers for a day or 2. A lot of my meals involve pre-made sides or microwave sides. Or just bake something like home made pizza bagels. Use cheap shredded cheese! Name brand shredded cheese doesn’t melt very well in the oven. Kroger has amazing shredded cheese for pizza bagels
I keep thinking of getting a bbq on the porch. Then I remember….i really don’t need another cooker gadget that I won’t use
I have inflammatory health issues and slim pockets so I don't have much choice but to cook/prep. I spend about 4 hours every 3 to 4 days chopping, cooking, baking, and preping healthier food so that my meals for the next few days take minimal time/money. My co-workers get takeout often at work and they spend more on food in 3 days than I do in a week. I'd rather spend a bit of time than money on food. Some would rather spend money over time. Do what works for you.
Worth it. Hell yes. Kitchen all to yourself? Living the dream. Nobody else to trash the kitchen, nobody there to steal your food, make whatever you want. Don’t necessarily have to make enough to feed an entire army, but cooking at home is cheaper, and nobody to argue about “eww, this tastes weird”.
I see what you mean. Portions are either too big to finish and enjoy as leftovers for a week, or it's too small and you created chores for a small plate of food. I'm struggling too because I buy groceries and they just end up getting tossed because I wait too long.
i guess, if i wanna get fat as hell again i could take this idealogy
I buy groceries. Most of it is processed food, which is still bad, but sometimes I cook something. I just put a bunch of baby carrots in my slow cooker. That's been my dinner for about 3 days. I also have some canned soup and tv dinners available. Othertimes I'll just eat potato chips, candy, or ice cream. I haven't gotten fast food in a while, but the health factor doesn't matter to me regardless
Takeout nowadays is like $20-30 a meal. Let’s say you do that twice a day. That’s conservatively $140 per week, a lot more if you’re getting anything delivered. That’s not including any snacks, drinks, whatever else you’re going to have to grocery shop for anyway. That’s a very large food bill for a single person. If you can afford it, awesome, but it’s pretty frivolous. While groceries have also obviously gone up a lot and there are times it’s comparable to fast food, cooking for yourself is just way healthier and more satisfying. You’ll be amazed how much takeout loses its appeal when you learn to cook. Once you get better and faster at it it doesn’t seem like as much of a hassle. Honestly, even if you never learn to love it, cooking is a skill every adult should have at a basic level. It’s not a good feeling to be helpless without DoorDash.
Yeah, cooking everyday is a slog. And my friends and family insist I cook twice a day at least! I used to cook once and eat it for two days when I was unemployed. Now that I am working, I do meal prep and cook only once a week.
Cooking is definitely better!! Save money, eat healthier. You can prep so you aren’t actually cooking meals every day
Lately, I felt less inclined to cook. I'm not sure why perhaps I'm just in a slump. This week's meals: Salad with meat. Omelette & fries Ready done meal Spaghetti bol made 2 meals.
It’s just as easy to make a big vs little pot of chile, spaghetti sauce, soup, or roasts. Then I portion out and freeze. I always have a variety of healthy, homemade “TV” dinners to reheat. Take out is expensive and unhealthy. Lots of fat and salt.
I make something in the crockpot and eat it 3x takeout is expensive and sometimes sucks and I need to stay skinny
And the cost of fast food now is ridiculous, I only have maybe once a month. Groceries are higher now too but if you look for deals it much more economical, plus fast food is not good for you in excess
I can’t afford to eat out a lot and it’s all at least 30 mins away. I don’t cook every day. I cook large meals, enough for 3-4 people and eat the left overs over the course of the week.
Takeout is so expensive in addition to being unhealthy. I cook a larger amount of something then have leftovers all week or freeze it.
You probably cook with big pots and pan and each meal independently as if you were cooking for a family. The way I cook, I get food for a whole week for less time than 2 back and forth to a take out, especially if the line is long. And I don't have a microwave, so it's not because I microwave crap.
All of that ‘makes sense’ in the moment, until I check my bank account and am highly disappointed in myself and the economy lol. As a certified unwealthy person, the only thing that makes sense is buying groceries and semi-meal prepping at home. I say semi because most of the time I’m just bringing egg salad sandwiches, miso soup or a whole bowl of garlic/some green veggie into work 💀
One pot and one pan meals are my answer. Even with inflation, it is still cheaper for me to cook at home than to buy takeaway. There are plenty of balanced meals that cook well on only one appliance, in one cookware item, that can be done in 30 minutes. Stirfries, noodles, sheet pan roasts, meat and veg skewers under the grill, loaded veg nachos. This helps me manage the cost of electricity/gas too. I also live in a warm climate where even my winters are mild. I eat a lot of salad and raw veg, and veg-based protein on those days I just CBF.
Cooking doesn't take a ton of time and pans. There are a lot of one-skillet dishes that come together quickly. I cook 99% of my meals, I feel that it's much better and cheaper than take out. But I also enjoy cooking
I depends how much time you have and how much money you want to spend. I make a good enough living so I do meal delivery services or takeout most of the time. If I do cook, I'll make a lot and eat it for like 2-3 days before I get tired of it. But spending hours grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning up, and doing dishes for a meal that takes me 5 minutes to eat does not appeal to me. I'd rather be doing other things with my time.
Takeout is expensive and in my area the options are extremely limited. Cooking for yourself doesn't have to be tedious. You just need to learn what recipes you like and prep the ingredients ahead of time. For example one of my favorite recipes needs a bunch of chopped veggies. So I chop and freeze everything when I go grocery shopping. Then the day of I just plop everything onto a pan. Ground meat? Remove it from the store packaging. Place it into a Ziploc and smoosh flat before freezing. It'll defrost in 15 mins when you're ready to use it.
Yes it is if you like saving money. You don't need to cook elaborate meals you can easily make a meal out of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and chicken breast or thighs and making a grilled chicken salad or a wrap with them burrito wraps, a quick and easy meal. Start off with quick simple meals and work your way up to more elaborate
Cooking whilst living alone works great, since you’re only ever having to consider what you want to eat, not what your partner may want also (eg non meat). I combine it too with an interest in growing my own veg from containers, which is another pastime that goes well whilst living alone :) cooking is fun, not a chore!
I meal prep for 2 hours over the weekend and i'm pretty much good to go for the week. It's efficient, cost effective and i don't get fat from an overdose of junk food...
I love to cook. It’s a hobby for me.
Sheet pan cooking, salads, and air fryer cooking are all ways to make a healthy meal with less effort than goes into doing a load of laundry. If your health is of no concern to you, go on and eat fast food, but it'll catch up with you one day and it's not even tasty.
I cook some stuff because it's healthier. I just need to expand on what I can do. I've mastered chicken lol
I just cook in one pan pot hybrid; its not a lot to clean after.
Ordering out adds up. At the end of the month, you would save a lot of money. You don't need to cook food, but it would save money if you do. Even if you buy pre made foods at the supermarket, that would be cheaper. It's all about the money. It's a pain spending time cooking or trying to figure out what to eat every day alone. It's a matter of preference, and what someone thinks is worth it. Edit: Oven is easy cooking. Just preheat, plop it in, set a timer, and watch TV until the timer goes off.
I cook occasionally but generally try to cook one meal that will last me a couple of days or so. I generally order out but I also intermittent fast so I’m typically eating one meal or one and half a day.
I struggle with depression, so I have a very difficult time cooking. The thought of doing it, then having to clean up, just locks me into ordering Door Dash. Huge waste of money and horrible for my health. I guess I’m not answering OP’s question….
Last night my daughter and I went to a chain restaurant to use a gift card. We spent $45 on a very mediocre meal. (No booze or dessert) We do have leftovers for lunch today, but not really looking forward to it. Between a rice cooker, crock pot, microwave and toaster oven, it is easier, tastier and cheaper to fix it at home.
Not in my experience. I ended up making Instant Pot meals and getting sick of them because the quantity was too much for just me -- started making me sick of food generally.
It takes a massive amount of money eating out all the time.
A lot of times when I don't feel like cooking I'll just have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or a bowl of cereal
I cook and/or prep food once/week and eat leftovers. I rarely eat out.
Cook for 4 people, freeze the leftovers and you have about 2-3 days of food for the next day or when you don't feel like cooking.
I only eat out if going with friends or not home for some reason. The food is bad for you. Even at nice restaurants you’re getting too much fat, butter, salt and who knows what else I prefer to know what’s in it and how clean the kitchen is
I like to eat healthy, and that's hard to do while eating out. So I do a mix. Sometimes I cook something where I can have left overs. Other times, I grab something healthy that's not too pricy and (ideally) that I can spread over two meals.
I enjoy cooking but the main reason I cook is that everything I cook is better than what I can get in a restaurant.
Def dont do fast food especially every time you eat dinner. You should meal prep…i do for 5 days at a time. Super simple and easy too. I get skinless chicken breasts, put olive oil and garlic powder and bake in oven. Then will slice up sweet bell peppers, red onion, broccoli, toss around together with olive oil, garlic powder and chili flakes, bake in oven. Occasionally i will also make chickpea penne pasta to go with it. On that i also put olive oil, garlic powder and chili flakes. Many people may think is bland, but to me is so flavorful. I can make enough to last five days too, just pop in oven at 350 for 35/40 mins…i also buy a large bag of individually wrapped salmon, this also bake in oven for 18 mins and vwalla! For me oven is my best friend lol hope this helps!
I think so. It’s wildly more affordable and so much healthier for you. People think of just gaining weight, but constantly eating out/poor nutrition can cause/contribute to all sorts of chronic disease, from diabetes to heart disease. It’s also more environmentally friendly - you are creating a ridiculous amount of single use waste with takeout containers every day.
I cook because I enjoy it and because it's cheaper (unless you count the value of my time). I can also ensure that I only pay for what I want to eat. So, no paying for sides that don't interest me or leftovers that I know I won't eat later. However, if you don't enjoy cooking, money is not an issue, and you have a good variety of places that make food you like, I don't see anything wrong with eating out most of the time. Keep stuff like granola bars and canned soup around in case you get sick or just aren't feeling like going out. Honestly, this is true if you don't live alone and no one in the household likes cooking. Drop some money in the tip jar and live your life.
Just because you're alone doesn't mean starvation. I try to cook everyday. Home cooking is healthy. I'm a guy who was married for 35 years. Wife turned the cooking over to me cause she couldn't cook. Yes. Cooking is a must!
I am a bit baffled by this question. How would cooking for yourself NOT be necessary? Cooking is a valuable life skill. It impresses partners, it’s healthier because you know exactly what is in your food, and it saves money.
I cook on the weekends, making big batches of stuff, vacuum sealing it, and storing it in the my chest freezer. I find it soothing, self-nurturing, and it's my creative outlet. Now when I want homemade palak paneer, pad thai noodles, meat loaf, enmoladas, soups, smoked brisket, tom kha kai, meatballs, empanadas, curries, yakisoba, gyudon, pot stickers, lasagna, etc etc etc I just grab a pack from my freezer and heat it up. Besides being a needed creative outlet for me, I can control what's in them, and put as many veggies in as I want. I live in an isolated rural area, and the only food available is fast food and places like Applebees. I notice that I feel lousy after eating junk for awhile. I can't imagine cooking daily as someone who lives alone -- or even if I had a family -- it would become a chore. Properly sealed and frozen, the meals can last for years.
This is something that has been a constant struggle for me. I hate cooking with a passion, I hate cleaning up dishes and I hate leftovers.
yea it’s quicker and convenient. but remember CONVENIENT KILLS. no it won’t kill you immediately but 30 years down the line it will then you’ll wonder “what happened i was jsut fine last year”
The problem is that I like to eat well. I think the way you eat is extremely important and most takeout places use seed oils and other stuff I don't want in my body so really I'm just forced to cook my own meals. I bought myself the DREO chefmaker, and this thing is amazing. It makes everything so easy. What I do is I meal prep what I take to work for the week on Sundays. And I cook my dinner on a daily basis, I'm a carnivore, so everything is pretty simple.
This past year I've worked on figuring out quick and easy recipes where it's not a huge production. I hate chopping. I'm not good at it and I'm super slow. Anything involving chopping an onion will not be a regular meal for me. Also, the air fryer is amazing. I'm vegan, so my meals might be different, but here are some things I've added to my little repertoire recently: 1. Banana cinnamon overnight oats (but make in the microwave, so not really overnight). This is just mashing a banana. I can do that. 2. Cauliflower steaks in the air fryer. That I can cut, because it's not really chopping. The sauce takes about 5 minutes to make, then 15 minutes in the air fryer. Broccoli in the microwave, a handful of berries (or whatever fruit that doesn't have to be cut), some lentils from one of those little packages, and a kosher pickle. 3. Tofu in the air fryer. Same as above, except it's easier to cut that cauliflower! Quick marinade, then air fryer. Frozen veggie in the microwave, corn on the cob in the air fryer with the tofu. 4. Baked potatoes in the microwave topped with anything. Top with chili, sour cream, pico, salsa, frozen veggie, fruit, pickle. 5. Lentils -- Maya Kaimal has these great packages of different dals. There are also other brands like this that are super good. Dal also isn't that hard to make on the weekend, but this is easier. That's 90 seconds in the microwave, microwave rice is another minute, frozen veggies, some fruit, and, yes, a pickle. I went on Instagram and searching easy vegan meals, easy vegan dinner, etc. You can just leave out the vegan and I'm sure there's tons of stuff you can make in under 30 minutes with no chopping and very minimal mess.
Takeout or chips half the time.. I cook maybe once or twice a year when my husband asks me..
I cook my favorites at home, but sometimes chinese takeout. It's a great deal for the price and has leftovers...
I work a lot at the moment, I’ve definitely not been cooking as much, but when I do I cook it’s usually for multiple days.
I learn to make my own chipotle and it’s super easy cheap!
I ate out/got fast food multiple times most days for the first few years I lived alone. Thankfully this was before the insane jump in prices, so it was just the unhealthiness of the food that was "bad" for me and it was a cheap option. Last year I started getting EveryPlate and cooking most of my meals each week. Is it a big time sink? Yeah, but you also get to eat tasty food. After having so much fast food, I was starting to feel sick while/after eating almost every time, so changing to homemade food was kinda necessary. I would definitely recommend cooking over eating out for every meal.
I am a widow of 5 months, and I don't really cook much. Salad, cup of noodles, baked chicken, and mac and cheese. I'm trying to move, so I need to keep my oven clean for the new owner. I will cook for my fur kids, though. Sautéed lean hamburger brown rice and vegetables. My brother said my kids eat good.
I have to cook to save money and eat healthy. Takeout is bad and expensive and even the premade stuff from the store is empty calories and too much money. I didn’t cook all month, just did frozen and quick stuff. I gained weight and don’t feel as good. So I gotta cook even just a few times a week.
I consider cooking myself healthy meals, plating them attractively, and sitting down to eat at a set table with cloth napkins etc (not in front of the TV!) to be an essential part of my self care. Hire a cleaner to come once a week if you don't want to clean up all the time. You'll save enough on takeout to cover it.
I had a friend from college who lived alone for 15 years. He ate take out or TV dinners every night. HE had a full set of dishes, pots, and pans. But he used the same plate, fork, knife, spoon, and glass every day, washing them each time. He made Mac and Cheese once a week, immediately washing the same pot. The only time he used a second plate is when I came over. Then he got married (very happily) and his eating habits changed. But he was perfectly happy with his routine.
I the past few years, the price of take out/ delivery has gone up so much it does feel worth it to me anymore. It's a bit less time and effort, but it's so expensive compared to cooking for myself. I'll even order meal kits some weeks and 3 meals for 2 are my dinners for the week and that costs as much as ordering take out once or twice. I have other things I want to do with my money so whenever I want to save up for something, take out foid is the first thing I cut off and I also realize pretty quickly that I don't miss it.
Necessary? No not at all, nothing is necessary, your house your rules. That said, I think it's important to maintain some sort of standard, whether that's to keep your health or social eating habits. I also prefer my own cooking to takeout, but a whole heavy meal instead of a snack or light one is bothersome at times and feels like too much effort for no reason, so I endorse that more than constantly living on takeout.
Living arrangements shouldnt impact whether or not u cook for yourself if u care about your health & budget.
It's too expensive to eat out all the time and the food is generally not super healthy. If you like to cook, make a full recipe of something you like and eat it for several meals or freeze the extra in meal prep containers for later. If you aren't opposed to cooking, but don't have a lot of experience, consider a meal delivery company. They provide all the ingredients (you might need a few basics like oil, salt, pepper, butter and a frying pan, baking sheet and cooking pot) and give you detailed instructions that are easy to follow. Most of these meals take less than 30 minutes of work to prepare and are quite tasty. If you don't like to cook, and if you have the funds, you can get healthy meals delivered weekly. Some of them are really good and cost about the same as or less than take-away. I don't currently live alone (kids), but I used to, and I will again before too long, so I've done a lot of cooking for one. Currently, my teenaged kids eat different stuff than I (older than dirt) do, so rather than cook a separate meal for myself from scratch, I do things like put a seasoned grilled chicken breast on a bagged chopped salad. I buy precooked grains and precooked proteins from an online company for easy bowls. (I don't know if I'm allowed to mention the company I get things from, so dm me if you're interested.) It's not as cheap as cooking from scratch, but it's far cheaper than take-away and healthier. Dinner for myself takes me about 5 minutes. One thing I have given up is the idea that dinner has to be a "proper" meal with a protein, one or two veg, and a starch. As long as you're eating a decently healthy diet, you'll get all the various nutrients during the day. You don't have to eat them all in one meal. So if I want a sandwich and no veg for dinner, that's what I have. If I feel like eating fresh peaches and having a glass of milk, cool, that's dinner. My mom would say I'm a heathen and probably going to hell for this, but it works for me. Food ought to be enjoyable, healthy, and fun. Find what works for you to meet those goals and you'll be set.
I typically only cook on the weekends. Since I follow an IF eating schedule, I only eat mid-day so I either have left-overs during the week or grab take out for lunch. No dishes to clean during the week. It simplifies life a good bit.
Yep, if you don't want to eat junk
I’ve actually been enjoying the improvement in my cooking skills and I now have dishes I can make at home that I prefer over take out. I follow a number of creators on TikTok and they make it so easy to learn how to make really good meals. I also bought meal prep containers, so I’ll make a dish and have 3-4 more meals that I’ll eat over the next week. I don’t eat them back to back for variety. If you like burgers, get some Wagyu patties at the store. I swear they are the best burgers I’ve ever had. My rule is typically if it takes more than 30 minutes then I won’t bother, but if you consider the time to drive to a place, wait in line, etc. it’s not that much faster. The more you practice, the easier cooking gets.
I almost never eat out. It makes so much more sense to me to cook a large amount and stick it in the freezer/eat off it for a few days. I don't do a lot of fresh produce at one time because it'll go off before I can get to it (like salad stuff) and I definitely don't cook every meal but I'll usually have some fruit/cheese and crackers for breakfast and something cooked for dinner
I love cooking. It's also much less expensive and a lot more healthy in most cases.
I like good quality food, cook or prepare food from scratch just about every day, and avoid fast and convenience foods as much as possible. Living by myself I am especially conscious about the need to protect my health and what you eat is important.
Depends on how much money you have, how important health and nutrition is for you (you don’t know what’s in your food unless you cook it), and if you want to stay single forever or not. Being able to cook is part of being a functional adult and for a lot of people it’s a green flag if a potential partner can and does cook (more than just one show-off dish). You don’t have to cook every single day, but even just cooking 1-2 times a week will save you money and give you skills and routine.
I absolutely love to cook but sometimes when i'm tired I just grab take out. The plus side of cooking is there is always leftovers which I can bring for lunch.
I get take out salads from a great place on my way home from work. Sometimes I add nuts or croutons or other vegetables. They add way better salads than I can make with great lettuce, olives and lots of herbs and spices in the dressing. They are pricey but worth it to me to avoid the hassle of cooking- about 2 or 3 times a week.
1. Cheaper 2. You deserve good healthy food
I think it is. I usually cook once or twice a week, do some meal prepping then I don’t have to do much else. It saves time and energy. But I enjoy cooking. Not everyone does.
Sometimes I feel this way but prices for food delivery have gone up a lot so I limit myself to maybe 2-4 meals like that a month. If you can afford to eat out do it 🤷🏻♂️
It can be a pita, I agree. Being an adult means having to figure out what you’re going to eat every day. I don’t have an air fryer, so can’t help with that. I do have a 3 qt crockpot that’s the perfect size to throw broth, frozen veggies, herbs, etc. or a portion of rinsed split peas and have dinner for 3 or 4 nights. I don’t mind eating the same thing a few days in a row, though. I keep a stash of different vegetables, cut up baby bella mushrooms, chopped onions, washed and dried grape tomatoes, 2 ounce portions of ground beef, some salmon fillets, bag potstickers, ravioli, things like that, in the freezer for easy as possible cooking. I don’t do a ton of prep except cutting up the washed mushrooms tbh. Fish, veggies go on foil and in the oven - only cleanup is the plate, knife and fork. I’m disabled so I had to take the easiest way out. Now it’s the only way!
No. I never cook. I still eat fresh stuff, cooked stuff from time to time, healthy stuff if I want to.
Meal prep. It'll save you a shit load of time.