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Cooking For One? You’ll love the easy weekly meal plans found in our Meal Planning For One series. This is the first post of the meal planning for one series. You will find a week’s worth of recipes which will serve one (maybe two) people including grocery lists and cooking tips. Perfect for anyone cooking for one, caregivers, and empty nesters.
Welcome to the first week of our new Meal Planning For One – Cooking For One Meal Plan!
Weekly meal planning and meal prep answers “what am I going to have for dinner?” a week at a time. A meal plan for the week saves you money and no leftovers! Our series of meal plans includes single serving recipes, a grocery list and cooking tips.These meal plans are ideal for anyone cooking for one or two people.
Weekly meal planning and meal prepping helps so much with keeping on a budget as well as eating healthy.
I try to plan my week of meals either over the weekend or early in the week. This way, I know exactly what foods to buy and I don’t run the risk of buying items I won’t use and overspending.
Meal planning helps me stay on track when I am focused on making meals that are good for me. If I don’t have an idea of what I’m going to make for dinner and I’m starving, chances are that I will grab something unhealthy or I’ll order sodium-filled, calorie-filled takeout instead.
Other Single Serving Meal Plans
Meal Planning
Today, I’m sharing with you our new Meal Planning For One – Cooking For One Meal Plan. It’s something new we’ve been working on here at One Dish Kitchen and we would love to have your feedback.
A person cooking meals for themselves may often find that it isn’t always easy to reduce a recipe. The thought of doing that every day or deciding what to cook each evening for dinner, without repetition can be a daunting task. We hope to take some of the pressure off with our “Cooking For One Meal Plans”.
Along with the meal plan, you will also find a grocery list (see link at the bottom of this page to download the grocery list – pdf document) which will include all of the ingredients you will need to make the 5 or more recipes each week.
If you choose not to make all of the recipes on the meal plan, no worries. Just cross those items off of your grocery list.
These meals for one plans are designed for people who live on their own, a parent who wants to indulge themselves while their kids have their favorites, couples that can’t agree on what they want for dinner or caregivers providing meals to a parent or friend.
Weekly meal plans will feature a recipe for Monday through Friday, a detailed grocery list and a bonus recipe and cooking tips.
We get asked all the time for weekly meal planning ideas and I hope this new series fills that need. Have a look and please let us know what you think.
Crustless Quiche Lorraine For One
Small Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf
Curried Carrot Soup For One
Shrimp And Prosciutto Pasta For One
Stuffed Peppers For One
Bonus Recipe
Vanilla Pudding For One
Weekly Meal Planning Tips
- The recipes are best using the ingredients recommended, however it can also be quite tasty with the substitutions.
- Cheese can be expensive. Feel free to purchase just one type of cheese to use in the three recipes that call for cheese as an ingredient.
- Often, in the deli sections of some grocery stores, you can find very small quantities of pre-cut cheese. If not, don’t feel the need to purchase several different types of cheeses for the recipes.
- In the Carrot Soup recipe, using fresh ginger is suggested. You can find fresh ginger in the produce section of your supermarket. Cut off the amount you need for this recipe, then freeze the rest to use in later recipes. When you want to use the ginger again, no need to thaw it. Just cut or scrape off the amount you need and use frozen.
- For the Shrimp and Prosciutto Pasta recipe, feel free to substitute bacon for the prosciutto. You will already be using bacon in two of the other recipes. Also, I find it helpful to keep a bag of frozen shrimp in my freezer. It’s nice to have on hand for quick recipes like this one.
- Feel free to substitute ground turkey for ground beef (or the other way around) for both the Stuffed Pepper recipe and the Meatloaf recipe.
For more information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.
I have followed you for a couple years. I also have your cookbook. I think this is a great new idea you have. I am going to enjoy this.
Is there a way to print just the meals without picture and discription? I can read thru it once and print. If i have a question for the recipe i can go back to the website.
Thanks
Yes! To print just the meals without the pictures and descriptions, go to the Recipe Box and click Print. Then, at the top of the page, uncheck the boxes for Recipe Image, Equipment, Notes, and Nutrition Label—this will give you a clean printout with just the recipes. I hope this helps! 😊
Your Meal Plan for One is awesome! I had been used to cooking for so many others, scaling down was really needed because left overs do not fly in my family. The recipes are tasty and fun to make. I love experimenting with different herbs, oils and vinegar. My only problem is the weekly meal plans and accessing through Pintrest – which burned me a number of years ago. Is there a more direct route?
Thank you, Helen. Here is a link to all of our meal plans so you don’t have to deal with Pinterest: https://onedishkitchen.com/cooking-for-one-meal-plan/
Hello does cooking fo 1 helps with 2 adults or is there a meal plan for two
Hi, great question! Yes, you can absolutely double the recipes to serve two adults. Many people have done this with fantastic results. Additionally, these single serving recipes can easily serve two when paired with a side or a salad. My husband and I often make a meal this way!
Hello do you have for 2 easy dinner ideas or does this work out for 2 adults
Of course! Most of our single serving recipes double well and within the recipe posts we include tips for doubling so you can easily make enough for two adults.
I’m going to give this website a try. I printed the week one recipe list along with the grocery list. I hope this works.
Thank you so much for this website!! I live alone and it’s so hard to cook for just 1 person. I have a meal delivery service, but it’s so expensive. I’m going to put my meal service on hold and try out your recipes and learn how to cook for just one person.
I’m so glad there is a website that can give recipes for someone who lives by themselves. I like living alone and I like doing things on my own. I don’t have any children or a husband. And I like it that way! Thank you for your website! 🙂
I’m so glad you are finding our recipes helpful, Julie. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know.
Hi Joanie- I’ve looked at all 4 weeks of meal plans and can’t seem to locate the actual meal plans themselves. I see pictures, recipes and a downloadable grocery list…but where is the link for the actual meal plan?
Hi Carolyn, The recipes for the meal plans are in each of the meal plan posts towards the bottom of the page.
I cant find on your site where to order week one meal plan
Hi Evie, we don’t have a subscription service for our meal plans. All of the information; recipes, grocery list, etc. can be found for free on our meal plan posts.
Hi,
I’m recently single and love your page. I’m one of those adventurous guys in the kitchen. I’m not scared to try new foods or techniques in a kitchen. I’m enjoying your meal plan, I find I’m not cooking the same 10 or 12 dishes.
But I can’t find a place to subscribe to get notified when each week menu comes out. Do I need to keep an eye on the website each week? What day is it published?
Hi James,
Thank you so much, I’m so glad you are enjoying the recipes.
Here is a link to our subscription page. We send out a newsletter once a week, usually on a Friday – https://onedishkitchen.com/cooking-for-one-subscription-full/
At this time, we only have 4 weeks of meal plans. The newsletter will contain new single serving recipes.
Best,
Joanie
Are there plans on doing more plans?
That’s one of my hardest things. Planning my meals.
James,
We haven’t made other meal plans because we weren’t seeing that much interest in them. We will reach out to our readers to see what their thoughts are on continuing with new meal plans. I enjoyed creating them, perhaps we’ll start them up again.
Joanie
Please do! It introduces me to new tastes and ideas. The grocery list helps save in the kitchen and the store. The benefits are many. Thank you for all you do.
I recently lost my job due to a disability I have. Looking for ways to limit the little money i now get each month. Searching the web i found your site. I think I can save alot of money with your meal plans.
Cheese can be shredded or cut to needed size/weight and then frozen for upto 8 months. I always shred and freeze cheese. That way you can buy in bulk or on sale. When frozen in a zipped bag just drop on the floor or bang gently on the counter and the cheese will separate into the cut strands or bits and you can take out what you need and put the rest back. My Aunt V is a master chef and this was her tip to me when I moved out on my own. Works great and you can have many variety of cheese on hand to use when you need them. No throwing away expensive cheese.
So I’m new to the meal planning world but also just took on a much higher rent so I’m trying to be budget conscious. Your site has everything I’ve been looking for except I’m concerned many of these recipes are not budget friendly. Do you do any meal plans that take that into account? I tell you it’s kind of a downer when searching the internet and Pinterest for “budget-friendly weekly meal plans for one” and you can’t really find anything. You can find a lot with tips which is great once the person has been doing meal planning for a bit of time already. I found one other post that shared how much they spent but the list didn’t show how much of each item to get. Definitely key when shopping for one. Anyway that is my suggestion and hope from some future meal plans…offering how much the plan cost you. Thanks for doing these plans in general though! 🙂
Hi Heather,
Thank you for your note, I’m glad you found our site and hope you enjoy the recipes. Have you had the chance to browse through all of the meal plans we offer here at One Dish Kitchen? Here are a few of them…
Week 2 – https://onedishkitchen.com/cooking-for-one-meal-plan-week-2/
Week 3 – https://onedishkitchen.com/cooking-for-one-meal-plan-week-3/
Week 4 – https://onedishkitchen.com/cooking-for-one-meal-plan-week-4/
In addition, on our other site ZagLeft, we have a small series of meal plans you might be interested in. Those recipes and meal plans can be found here…
https://zagleft.com/college-student-meals-mini-pizzas-stir-fry-week/
https://zagleft.com/college-student-meals-easy-minestrone-spinach-quesadillas-week/
https://zagleft.com/college-student-meals-cashew-chicken-quesadillas-week/
Hope this helps.
Joanie
I live in the UK and was recently widowed. I am 83 and find I have to really push myself to eat anything. Your lovely recipes give me the push I need. So thank you. I just need a temperature conversion chart now. I already have a set of U S measuring cups and spoons.
Hi Kate, I am so happy you found our site and hope you find many new recipes to enjoy.
I’m 83, too, living in Florida. I know what you mean about pushing yourself but I still get hungry, so I do it. This morning I made Joanie’s maple walnut muffin recipe for breakfast. As usual, I failed to check for ingredients first so made substitutions. I used full fat yogurt for sour cream and light cream for milk (it’s called half and half here), pastry flour for regular. The result was a golden, fragrant, tender delight. I’ve been cooking and baking for 70 years so I had confidence in the results. So good! Happy to see younger people interested in the art of cooking.
Thank you for your reply, I do hope you find one. Would also be good for Weight Watchers to have the nutritional information.
I wish you would give the calorie count for each dish. I am a widow and like to have these recipes but I count calories and it would be helpful.
Thank you for your note, Judy. We have been searching for a nutrition guide to post on our site but haven’t found one that we love yet and one that is perfect for our readers. Hopefully we find one very soon. Have a wonderful weekend.
Thank you, thank you! As a widow living alone this is so handy!
You’re welcome, Jenice. I’m so glad you find the recipes helpful.
Great ideas! Cooking for one can be tough!
This looks great! I really need to start meal planning soon.
I cant wait to try the quiche lorraine recipe! Im also hoping this will get me back in the habit of meal planning – I’ve been so lax on it lately!
I love this new format. I really like the shopping list with the tips. I am 79 years old and live alone. I recently purchased a toaster oven along with small cooking pots and pans ect. Now that I have found you and a couple of other extremely talented people to give me recipes I am one happy old woman. It really is very difficult to change the amounts and have the dish taste like it is supposed to.
I just want to say Thank You!
Thank you so much Fran! I am so happy you are enjoying the recipes, if you have any favorite recipes that you would like to see made into single-serving versions, please let us know and we will try to recreate them.
Printable? I am using an iPad. Saving it as a picture makes it too small to read on the phone.
Hi Joanie… I have subscribed to your email single serving recipes since August and have enjoyed your recipes a lot. I like the single serving idea because I don’t have to do the math to reduce a recipe. 😉 not that I don’t mind the math thing, but when you get up there in your “golden years” it’s a little more mind boggling to figure a reduced recipe out. You do a great job on describing your recipes and I also like the grocery list, (Not my favorite shopping thing to do). Have a great holiday and stay safe…Betty
Thank you so much, Betty. I am so happy you are enjoying the recipes!
I think this is a great idea. I am a recent widow and having a hard time trying to plan a meal for just myself. Subsequently, I eat instant oatmeal,eggs or dry cereal. Easy and fast. I’ve been following you for a while. Great recipes – but I don’t have the energy to make a decision. This meal plan has made the decisions for me, whether or not I use all 5 meals. Thanks again.
Thank you, JoAnn. I am so happy we can be a resource for you.
This is fabulous! I have friends who don’t understand why I love cooking for myself. Your recipes make it so easy, and besides that, I am totally worth it. Thank you!
I totally agree! Thank you, Connie.
I’m thrilled to see meal planning as this is an area that is beyond my teeny, tiny brain. Thanks for doing this for the planning impaired!
Putting day of use on the menu is *such* a good idea!
I mean grocery list, not menu.