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These Light and Satisfying Meals are perfect when you are trying to eat nutritious or just want an alternative to eating out. Each of these easy recipes are ideal for lunch or dinner when you are cooking for one. These recipes are big in flavor and best of all, no leftovers!
If you are already on a light eating track (or thinking about it), I think you’ll love these light and delicious single serving meals I’ve gathered for you.
They’re all single serving recipes so you won’t have too many leftovers to deal with.
No fancy ingredients are needed.
Each of these recipes are easy to make.
Nutritious Single Serving Meals
Baked Catfish For One
4.84 from 6 votes
This baked catfish recipe is definitely a winner! The fish cooks along with vegetables all in the same pan. An easy recipe that's filled with flavor and ready in minutes!
This slow cooker Italian chicken is a simple, flavorful dish that’s been a family favorite for years. Tender chicken simmers in a rich tomato sauce, perfect over pasta, rice, or potatoes. If you need an easy slow cooker chicken thigh recipe, this is a great choice.
This Shrimp Creole recipe features tender shrimp simmered in a flavorful tomato sauce with the classic Cajun trinity of onions, bell peppers, and celery. Served over rice, it’s a classic Louisiana dish with bold seasoning and a touch of heat.
This single serving lo mein is a quick and flavorful noodle dish made with fresh vegetables and a savory homemade sauce. Ready in minutes, it's an easy way to enjoy a takeout-style meal at home.
This crustless spinach quiche is a flavorful, protein-packed dish made with eggs, cream, spinach, ham, and cheese. It's easy to make and perfect for one!
Broiled chicken with Pineapples is a quick and easy meal option. A chicken breast is marinated in a simple yet flavorful marinade, topped with pineapple slices and cooked under your broiler until golden.
This single serving Kung Pao Chicken is ready in 15 minutes and full of flavor. Tender chicken, crisp bell peppers, crunchy peanuts, and a bold spicy-sweet sauce make it a quick, satisfying meal.
This baked shrimp recipe features juicy shrimp tossed in a lemon butter sauce and baked to perfection in just 10 minutes. Perfect for a quick, flavorful single serving meal.
This fresh and flavorful lentil salad is made with tender lentils tossed in a tangy Dijon vinaigrette, then layered over crisp greens with juicy tomatoes and creamy avocado.
Chicken Cacciatore is an easy to make, low carb, rustic skillet dinner recipe made with one chicken thigh simmering in a rich and hearty tomato based sauce.
This single serving turkey chili is a hearty, flavorful dish made with ground turkey, beans, vegetables, and spices. Quick to prepare in one skillet, it’s a satisfying and customizable meal perfect for one.
One-skillet Mediterranean Chicken made with artichokes, Kalamata olives, red onions, and feta cheese. Incredible flavors, easy to make, and ready in just 20 minutes!
Use quality ingredients. Start with the best ingredients you can afford.
Cook seasonally. Look for in-season produce and add them to your meals.
Stock up on nutritious convenience items like unsalted canned beans and tomatoes, brown rice, and low salt chicken broth. When you have nutritious ingredients on hand, it is easier to put together a nutritious meal.
I use extra virgin olive oil in many of these recipes. Extra virgin olive oil is the least processed form of olive oil. It is an unrefined oil and the highest-quality olive oil you can buy. Because of the way extra virgin olive oil is made, it retains more true olive taste. It also contains more of the vitamins and minerals found in olives. It’s my favorite type of olive oil to use but you may use a lighter olive oil instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Start Cooking Light?
* First of all, since you’re on the One Dish Kitchen website, you’re on your way to cooking light meals for yourself. * Choose whole foods and avoid processed foods as much as possible. * Flavor your foods with spices. Experiment with different spices so that you know and use the ones you love most. * Make time to cook and prep. Cooking for yourself is worth the time, and you are worth it too.
Is It Cheaper To Cook Or Eat Out?
It is definitely much cheaper to cook for yourself than eat out. Keep the eating out for a treat every now and then.
For more information on the baking dishes I use in our single serving meals, please visit our FAQ page.
For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.
If you’ve tried any of these nutritious single serving meals or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
If you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see!
Welcome!
I’m Joanie, chef, author of The Ultimate Cooking for One Cookbook, and creator of One Dish Kitchen. With 10+ years of experience developing single serving and small batch recipes, I’m passionate about making cooking for one simple and enjoyable. So glad you’re here!
I love your small batch recipes.
I make them for my husband and I all the time.
Really like seeing these healthy options. Keep the lighter and healthy ones coming.
Happy New year and thank you for all you do.
Hi Joanie
Loving the recipes, keep them coming.
I can’t get Cat Fish can I substitute another white fish eg. Barrumndi in Lieu?
Regards
Don
Yes, you can.
Your recipes are the best,ever. I can’t decide what to make next. Yesterday I made the baked ziti and it was fabulous. Thank you for all that you do.
Thank you so much, Jeanette! I’m so happy you are enjoying the recipes.
I love your small batch recipes.
I make them for my husband and I all the time.
Really like seeing these healthy options. Keep the lighter and healthy ones coming.
Happy New year and thank you for all you do.
Thank you so much Sherri! I’m so happy you are enjoying the recipes. Thank you so much for letting me know.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Joanie