Regardless of your age, cooking for one takes effort. Research shows that poor nutrition is a growing problem for Americans as they age. Why the concern? Chronic diseases like osteoporosis can be aggravated by poor eating habits. Illnesses can be prolonged by poor nutrition. The good news is that is never too late to begin a more conscientious effort to eat better.
As boomers age and become single, for a variety of reasons, a regular mealtime may be non-existent. A recent restaurant commercial cleverly mocks modern American eating habits with the quips, "Americans DO dinner, or GRAB a snack." Gone are the leisurely, family, well-balanced dinners with a careful representation of all the food groups. As these same boomers age, chronic illnesses often necessitate special diets: low-sodium, low-fat, low-cholesterol .... For many, it is simply easier to prepare fast food dinners, and not consider the long-term consequences of poor eating habits.
So, what is the solution? Studies show we must all be proactive in planning our eating strategies. Here are several tips for mealtime:
- Set the table as if you're eating a lovely meal. Turn off the television while you eat.
- Eat regularly with a friend. This could be both eating out and eating at one another's house, it doesn't matter. What is important is that when sharing a meal, you make more effort in preparation and you eat a bit more slowly, chatting in between bites or courses.
- Start a dinner club with like minded eaters. Gourmet or not, it is fun to take turns hosting a group-big or small. Many dinner clubs expand their social activities beyond dinner as they get better aquatinted.
- Consider an independent living facility where you join others just for mealtime.
- Patronize one of the new custom meal services. They buy the food, you go to their facility to choose and package your meals for a month. Most of the services offer meal programs for one or two.
Grocery shopping for one can be equally challenging. Enlist the help of your grocer in repackaging fresh items into single servings. Most butchers are happy to divide large packages of meat, and many produce manages are figuring out that there is a big market for one-half heads of lettuce. It can't hurt to ask!
Become a savvy shopper. Read and learn about the nutritional facts on the packages at the grocery store. To get you started, first notice the serving size. Those division facts from elementary school might come in handy as you determine the facts for a single serving. Look at the % of daily needs that the item supplies. They are based on the FDA current recommendations for a healthy diet. The goal, obviously, at the end of the day, is to have eaten 100% in each category. I am not suggesting that you become over zealous and write everything down, but I am suggesting that you become aware of the current recommendations and do your best to eat a balanced diet!
Extend your grocery shopping to your return home. Separate meat portions and freeze individually. If you invite a friend for dinner, thaw two. Clean your vegetables and fruits so they become your "fast food" options. Make a lettuce salad so all you need to do is add other vegetables (already cleaned, of course). It takes a little time on shopping day but pays dividends in the quality of your eating habits.
So, you are committed to eating better. You plan, shop, share meals with friends etc, but the reality is often that you just make too much food. What to do with those leftovers? With many new plastic ware designs, you can now create your own TV dinners with leftovers, mixing and matching meats, veggies and starches. Another idea is to use leftovers in a completely different dish. At our house, this has become a creative, fun, and surprisingly simple task. Our favorites:
Ask to buy half a head of broccoli or cauliflower. Cook it all. Eat one serving hot and use the rest in a casseroles, omelets or a pasta dish. Marinate a serving to later add to a salad.
Chill leftover pasta for soup, a casserole, or a pasta salad.
Leftover fruit is great in cottage cheese, sprinkled on cereal, on pancakes or waffles. Add fruit to muffins or make quick bread and remember to freeze in individual servings.
Spaghetti sauce can become the base for chili or a creative marinara sauce by adding vegetables or a variety of meats.
Chicken or tuna salad makes a great sandwich one day and be a gourmet filling for a red or green pepper the next meal.
Eating well can be a challenge; a wonderful, intellectual challenge. It comes at a time in our life where intellectual challenge can be a good thing!