Me, myself, and I - nutritious meal ideas for one.

There are SO MANY limiting beliefs *ahem otherwise known as excuses* surrounding healthy eating. While I could spend an entire post listing every single one of them, the purpose of this particular post is to digest a common frequent flyer on the “reasons I can’t eat healthy” express.

I call this one the “single gal’s struggle bus!” Although, you can totally be a dude and have these problems…but for the most part, the single dudes I’ve always known (aka Bryan in college) tend to be content with their canned green beans and Totino's frozen pizzas every day.

I think a couple of huge struggles that many people who either live by themselves or only cook for themselves share when it comes to eating healthy is:

1. Cooking smaller portions and not having to eat the same leftovers 700 times. AND...

2. Simplicity. “Recipes” that can be easily thrown together in a pinch without needing strange spices or ingredients that you’ll never use again.

Because truly, not many people want to waste time or money on complicated meals when the only person you are trying to impress is yourself. I found these to be personal struggles for me while trying to eat healthy in college, and I know so many people are in similar boats with this dilemma! Cooking for one is a bit of a challenge because most recipes are far too large and require too many random ingredients that you don’t feel like spending money on. But that’s no excuse to binge-eat cheetos or cereal for dinner every day!

My precious college roommate Meagan, who was a nutrition major and was supposed to help me eat healthy but in reality we just made cookies and baked brownies all the time :) Miss you Meagan!

SO, for anyone who needs some meal ideas that don’t produce 700 days worth of leftovers, or are shooting for some easy-to-throw-together meals that are actually nutritious and simple with very few ingredients, this post is for you!

Easy Burrito Bowls

I survived off of these in college. Seriously. While everyone else was stuffing their faces with pizza rolls and hot pockets, I was whipping up a delicious and nutritious dinner in the same amount of time. And for less money. Win win win! It’s also super versatile so you can customize to your liking!

Ingredients:

• Protein

  • I always kept frozen pre-cooked fajita chicken on hand in college, but you could use anything like shredded chicken breast, rotisserie chicken, ground beef, ground turkey, etc.

• Brown Rice

  • Keep the packs of 90 second microwavable rice on hand for extra convenience, or boil some up as needed

• Black beans

  • canned things last forever in your pantry (but not in your fridge. Throw these babies away after about 5 days because they stanky)

• Veggies

  • In college, I kept bags of the frozen bell pepper and onion blends in my freezer at all times. I would just warm em up in a skillet with my frozen chicken and add em to my bowl! Nowadays, I will usually cut up and saute fresh ones. Still easy, still delicious.

• Cheese

  • (duh)

• Salsa

  • necessary in my opinion to get all the flavor and spice that I crave! I pour Herdez salsa verde right on top and mix it all in together. It’s a no-guilt accessory that packs a huge punch of flavor!

Add the ingredients that you like to a bowl and enjoy! Seriously SO EASY, DELICIOUS, AND NUTRITIOUS.

Roasted Sausage + Veggies

A staple in our household now, but would also be incredibly easy to make for one person too! I wish I had this in my arsenal back in my college days.

Ingredients:

• Turkey smoked sausage

  • Or alternative of your choosing

• Variety of vegetables

  • We usually do a mixture of veggies like asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, squash, zucchini, red potatoes, and bell peppers. You choose whatever you like!

Drizzle chopped and diced veggies with olive oil, season with whatever you like, and roast in the oven at 400 for 10-15 minutes. When the veggies are almost done, add the sausage to the top and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes.

Breakfast Hash

Another easy and nutritious option, and come on, who doesn’t love breakfast for dinner??

Ingredients:

• Potatoes

  • I prefer red or sweet potatoes, but any variety will be delicious. You could also keep frozen hash browns on hand to have as an emergency dinner (aka, you have no other plans and it’s already 7 p.m.) option!

• Peppers and Onions

  • Again, the bags of pre-sliced frozen peppers and onions are a lifesaver here!

• Eggs

  • Add them fried or scrambled, both are delicious!

• Cheese

  • Again, duh.

This option is also super customizable and with frozen potatoes and frozen veggies, it can save the day if you have no idea what else you are going to eat! Bonus points that the main ingredients will last in the fridge and freezer for like…ever.

Turkey (or black bean) Burgers

Again, you can’t go wrong with keeping some convenient and healthy options in your freezer to use in a pinch. On days that my classes ended early, I would return to my apartment and whip up a turkey burger for lunch. It’s so good, and it feels like a full-on meal (you know, the kind you get when your parents cook for you), yet it only takes a few minutes of prep.

Ingredients:

• Frozen turkey or black bean burger patties

  • Find them in the frozen section of any grocery store

• Whole Grain thin sandwich rounds

  • These are a better option than a full on hamburger bun, but if you do opt for a traditional bun, try using only half and eating your burger open-faced

• Toppings

  • I always keep toppings like cheese, ketchup, mustard, and pickles on hand

Pair your burger with a side of baby carrots (cheap and last a long time in the fridge) or a side salad for a balanced and delicious meal that is ready in minutes!

Taco Soup

I know, I know. This one might be a bitttttt of a stretch, but hear me out! Making taco soup is seriously SO EASY and most of the ingredients are canned goods, so they are easy and cheap to stock up on, and will last forever in your pantry. The only “fresh” items you really need are an onion and your protein. Besides, ground beef or ground turkey can be frozen for several months and pulled out when you need! So no worries about it spoiling in your fridge! And if ya wanna be real fancy and spice it up, go ahead and throw some cilantro and cheese on there too ;)

• Find a super easy recipe here: https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a54971/easy-taco-soup-recipe/

Now, I know what you are thinking. This one will definitely produce some leftovers. But I see this as a great opportunity to freeze individual servings of your leftover soup to have on a rainy day! When you need a bowl of hot, delicious soup, but don’t have the time or energy to cook, just pull a serving out of the freezer and reheat! Bada bing, bada boom. Dinner is served.

SO, there you have it! Five recipes to keep in your balling-on-a-budget-and-cooking-for-one arsenal! Betcha never knew you would have one of those ;) The next time you’re coming up with excuses as to why you can’t eat healthy and list the single gal struggle as a reason, I DON’T WANNA HEAR IT! Okay?

Have any other great ideas that I didn’t mention in this list? Share the love! We could all use some extra inspiration!