COOKING for one may not always feel fun.
Smaller quantities of food can also be worse value for money than bigger family buys.
And you may end up wasting more if you can’t finish fresh food before it goes off.
But here are some tasty tips for solo catering . . .
SWAP FRESH FOR FROZEN: If you find you’re not using up fresh food, swap to frozen or tinned instead.
Frozen spinach, sweetcorn and even baked potatoes will give you all the goodness without the food going off.
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Keep frozen berries, like blueberries or raspberries, for porridge toppers, tasty puddings and fruity cupcakes. They still count towards your five-a-day and can be much cheaper than buying fresh.
DO THE MEAL MATHS: When you plan your meals, make sure the ingredients overlap, so they don’t go to waste.
You could make a batch of tomato sauce for pasta one night, homemade pizza the next and add it to mince, beans and spices for chilli on day three.
BUY BIG: Single shoppers may pay more for groceries as couples and families can buy cost-effective bigger packs.
But don’t let that put you off.
Big packs of chicken can be portioned out and frozen.
A large block of cheese or a loaf of bread can be divided up to keep half fresh and put the rest in the freezer.
BATCH COOK: Spend a weekend day batch-cooking four dishes to eat during the weeks ahead.
A lasagne, curry, casserole and risotto are each easy to make.
Once they are cooked, divide up into individual portions and freeze, then you’ll have homemade ready meals stacked up for when needed.
LOVE LEFTOVERS: Instead of wasting food, find creative ways to use it up.
Bread that is past its best can be blitzed into crumbs to top pasta bakes, or for homemade chicken nuggets.
Veg that is going soft can be chopped up and used in tasty soups.
- All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability.
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