Healthy Meals for One

[pussinboots61]

I am confused about what to eat as in what's healthy and what isn't.

I live alone and work full time. I try to eat healthy but I hardly succeed. I get in from work and end up having something quick, like breaded chicken in the air fryer and microwave steamed veg or I'll even just have a tin of soup or some toast. I do have fresh salmon and chicken breasts sometimes with microwave veg but feel hungry afterwards.

For late breakfast/lunch I take overnight oats to work and they keep me full throughout the day and in my afternoon break I have a banana and some nuts.

When I am in an organised mood, which isn't very often, I will batch cook things like bolognaise, lasagne, cottage pie, pasta bake etc and I do enjoy those meals. However I have now read and heard things like you should cut down on carbs and red meat. The only red meat I like and eat is beef mince, other than that it's chicken or fish. I love pasta and another quick meal for me is tortollini with a tomato sauce. I also like jacket potaoes but they are carbs.

I am not overweight and don't need to diet as such but I know people who do Slimming World and say their view is that they can eat as much pasta and potatoes are want and they lose weight, so it can't be that unhealthy.

Anyone got any ideas - any single people who are in the same boat as me. I have got an oven, microwave, slow cooker and air fryer with one drawer.

Would a service like fielddoctor appeal, for the convenience factor? Ready Meals For Heart Health | Field Doctor

Thank you for this but I don't want to pay anything, just get some healthy meal ideas.

That's fair enough! The NHS live well website has lots of very quick meals. My DD halves the recipe's ingredients (each tends to feed 4 so she cooks it for 2) and then freezes one portion, or puts it in the fridge and has it for lunch the next day. They're all healthy according to NHS guidelines Easy dinner ideas - Healthier Families - NHS

Excuse me, but there are articles and entire books on eating healthily, and cookbooks, including for solo cooking. I don't know how it's possible for an adult not to have heard that there are negative aspects to carbs and red meat. However, the chicken and salmon sound excellent.
Keep in mind that often there is a relationship between thin/fat and health - but it's not absolute.

I can understand why you are confused. There are so many contradicting theories out there and health messages change over time. Low carb, low fat, high protein, intermittent fasting etc etc.
And there is no one size fits all answer. Everyone is different, different needs, different preferences, different metabolisms, budgets, etc etc.

I think the notion of eating produce not products is a good one. Plenty of fruit and veg and plenty of water. I know cooking from scratch can be time consuming but there are plenty of quick options too. You say you might have a chicken breast or piece of fish, do you flavour them at all? It makes them a lot more interesting!

Whole grains and healthy fats tend to keep you fuller longer so make sure you include those too.

Also, going back to the produce not products, don't be afraid to use ready chopped veg for a soup base, or quick stir fry. It's still the raw product, just with the labour done for you.

I would batch cook and freeze as you've done before so you always have something you can take out the freezer in the morning or defrost in the microwave.

I make the following in a slow cooker then batch freeze:

*Chicken, lamb, beef curry - serve with microwave rice and tomatoes, onion, cucumber salad
*Chilli - in a jacket potato
*Chicken or beef casserole
*Whole chicken then slice, add gravy and freeze in individual containers - just add veg and potatoes when you get in and yorkshire puds...instant roast dinner
*Shepherds pie - serve with veg
*Morrocan chicken - just add couscous
*Fish pie - lots of chunky fish, prawns

There is so much tosh out there. Red meat is certainly not a good idea, but not all carbs are bad. Balanced quantities of wholegrain carbs and many fruits and vegetables are good for you. See: https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/low_carb_diet and/or https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/nutrition/ask-the-expert/carbs-and-weight-gain

Most important, as previous posters have said, eat real food not unhealthy factory-produced stuff.

This is the latest no-axes-to-grind scientific stuff:
https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/healthy-eating.html?

re portion size per person/daily intake:
https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/food-facts-portion-sizes.html

By all means cut out sugar, white bread, cakes, sweets, ready meals, crisps, biscuits, sugary drinks etc etc etc but don't go too low carb. Restricted carb eating can indeed bring about weight loss in the short term and - on medical advice - help manage Type 2 diabetes but, if you are not overweight, cutting out ALL carbs can lead to insulin resistance which is a precursor to pre-diabetes and maybe even diabetes Type 2. See https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10061153/ A moderate intake of complex ('wholegrain') carbs can actually help to stabilise blood glucose to healthy levels: <a class="break-all" href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/carbohydrates/art-20045705" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/carbohydrates/art-20045705

Thank you for all your messages and links to interesting articles.

I am going to start batch cooking again but mince will be involved for things like spaghetti bolognaise, lasagne and cottage pie. On the days I don't eat these meals it will be chicken and fish, jacket potatoes, omelettes etc.

Is frozen veg just as good as fresh? I like those Birds Eye steam veg packs.

Maintaining a healthy diet while managing a busy schedule can indeed be challenging. It's important to recognize that carbohydrates are a vital energy source; opting for complex carbs like whole grains and vegetables can provide sustained energy and essential nutrients. Regarding red meat, moderation is key. Incorporating lean cuts and balancing them with other protein sources such as poultry, fish, legumes, and nuts can contribute to a well-rounded diet. Batch cooking is an excellent strategy for ensuring nutritious meals are readily available. To add variety and maintain interest, consider exploring new recipes or cuisines that align with your health goals. Remember, a balanced diet is about variety and moderation, allowing you to enjoy a range of foods while meeting your nutritional needs.

I think if youbare not worried about your weight, and you are only eating a limited amount of red meat your diet is fine from that perspective.

Where I think you could add is by making it more varied which has notable health benefits in terms of your gut health and overall ensuring you get all the nutrients you need.

Frozen veg are totally fine..the more variety the better.

Perhaps try swap out for a salad occasionally, mostly for the purposes of variety. Also consider adding additional veg and/or beans and pulses to your mince-based meals when you bulk cook. I routinely add some kind.of bean or a couple of handfuls of lentils to things like that, or extra veg like carrots, mushrooms, aubergine, peppers etc. A few handfuls of wilted spinach or mashed butternut in the cheese sauce of a lasagna is great too (and one of my favourite bulk cook meals is a ridiculously complicated veg lasagna but it has about 10 different plant based foods in it!. At least).

Frozen veg is absolutely fine and saves a lot of potential food waste when you're only cooking for one!
Everything in moderation if you're not concerned about your weight and avoid ultra processed foods where possible. Personally I'd rather eat a good quality steak than a heavily processed vegan fake meat!!

I batch cook loads of things and add in healthy extras...

So for a bolognese sauce or a chilli, I would use lean beef mince but add in chopped peppers/mushrooms/courgettes/any other random veg I have in the fridge, plus a couple of handfuls of red lentils. It also makes it go further.

In a chicken curry I'll add chickpeas, random chopped veg and lots of spinach.

For carbs go whole grain.

Thanks again for your replies. The only frozen veg I use are the Birds Eye steam bags, some people tell me they are not healthy but it is veg. I have alternate packets, one with carrots, peas and sweetcorn and another with cauliflower, carrots and brocolli. Far quicker than chopping veg and boiling it on the stove.

For bologanise I always use lean beef mince, I add mushrooms and onions and chopped tomatoes. For cottage pie I don't boil and mash potaotes I use ready made or the instant mash. It is much quicker for me and still healthier than a ready meal.

I don't like wholemeal pasta so I do use white but I only have small portions.

I like jacket potatoes with cottage cheese. I know this is carbs but the potato skins are supposed to be good for you. I really need to add salad to this as I tend to just have the potato and cheese and nothing else. However, salad soon goes to waste when you are just eating for one and the bags of salad have a very short use by date.

Batch cook meals I do when I do it is lasagne, cottage pie, bolognaise and pasta bake. In between these meals I have chicken, fish, omelettes and jacket potaotes or veggie sausages (I'm not a veggie but prefer those sausages) with beans and sometimes an egg.

All this is when I am organised which isn't very often. I want to get organised again.

You need to meal plan to avoid wasting things like salad and fresh green veg. Buy a lettuce rather than the bags of leaves, they last for ages in comparison, or a pre prepared salad bowl is cheaper than binning half of what you buy. There’s nothing unhealthy about a jacket potato, what’s giving you this crazy fear of carbs?

There seems to be a lot of talk about avoiding carbs or low carbs and how they can make you put weight on or are unhealthy in some way.

Carbs are not unhealthy. For people who are insulin resistant they should be limited but they are fine overall.

Buy ready.made salads from the supermarket if you are worried about waste. I like the santorini tomato salad from M&S. Simple but delicious.

I often grab a few Covent Garden soups when they're on offer for the fridge, really healthy, filling and quick.

Works perfectly when I'm really tired and just want to get on the sofa fast.
If you have time to get some nice crusty bread en route home you're set.

Your diet sounds pretty similar to mine except I have porridge and then a salad for lunch.

I do two jobs and am studying for an OU degree so time is pretty limited. I buy a stash of ready prepped fresh dishes (see pic), split them into portions and add prepped microwave veg and sometimes a carb if the meal needs it.

I'll make a Thai green curry sauce with lots of veg, which I can pour over a cooked chicken breast or salmon fillet - also freezes well so I'll take that or fresh pasta and sauce on the days I work late as can do that with a kettle and a microwave.

I honestly think everything in moderation is fine and it's the little additions and treats that add up.
I could make a lovely chilli with lean beef mince and have it with steamed rice, but I'd much rather have it over potato wedges with cheese and sour cream...so it's not a regular on my menu (sadly)!

You could prep your own breaded chicken

Your diet sounds fine, but you’re overwhelmed by all the messaging (nothing wrong with frozen veg) and perhaps a little bored?
I love my food & am a good weight. I cook most days and snack a lot. For interest and variety I do the 30 fruit/veg/grains. Agree with pp about adding chickpeas/ wilted spinach/ handfuls of nuts fruit etc. to dishes.

If you are looking for variety I’ve bought a rice cooker. Everything can go in one pot so less washing up. Chicken and salmon can both go in raw and cook with the rice then I add veg towards the end. Have a look on you tube or TikTok for ideas of what to add.
it stops me ordering a takeaway so had paid for itself

@pussinboots61 there’s absolutely no mention of wholefoods in your posts (apart from oats). It’s no wonder you’re sometimes left hungry after meals as you’re missing out entire food groups.

May I suggest a couple of things? Spend some time browsing this site, and click on the recipes you’ll find beneath almost every ingredient:

Hodmedods

If you’re interested in economising you will save money by buying in bulk.

Another great site is this one:

The Tinned Fish Market

Slightly more luxury products but a nice alternative to supermarket tinned fish and such an excellent, quick and easy way to get healthy protein into your diet.

You’ve mentioned salad produce going off quickly? I get a weekly veg box with just what I think I can eat in a week - and once in the fridge I don’t find anything going off too quickly. It may be the quality of the stuff you’re buying? If it’s already been stored for ages it won’t keep for long. So although my order probably costs more than the equivalent from a supermarket, I get better value for money as I eat it all. (I also order bread, eggs, muesli, honey, yoghurt along with the fruit and veg so it’s very convenient.

I generally cook for one and really enjoy the freedom to experiment and to tailor my meals exactly to my liking.

By the way, you don’t mention possessing a hob - presumably you do have one in your kitchen?

Thank you for all this information. I do have a oven and a hob. I also have a microwave, air fryer and a small and medium slow cooker.