• Dinner for Oneeating picnic lunch image by Sandra Henderson from Fotolia.com
  
  For the single person living alone, cooking isn't always the high point of the day. When there is no one sitting at the table looking for you to set out dinner, its easy to simply skip the cooking and run to the closet fast food joint. But you can save money and eat healthier by learning to cook for one.
  
  

Divide and Conquer

• For the single person shopping at the local market, the packaging of the food can sometimes be discouraging. Most meats are prepared in large cuts or in packs made for families. As a single person, you may feel this is just too much food.
  The solution may be dividing up the packages into single serving sizes. When you get your package home, separate the meats into freezer bags or containers to hold only what you alone can eat. This may be two pieces of chicken or one steak per bag. If you purchase a large roast, cut the piece of meat into several equal pieces and pack each one separately. This idea also works for frozen vegetables. Divide up the large bags into single serving sizes and pop into the freezer. While you are at it, you may want to get creative by mixing your favorites together. For example, you may mix a bag of frozen broccoli with a bag of frozen snow peas and put just enough for you into bags. You can later use these to make a quick meal.
  
  

Your Own Frozen Dinners

• If cooking each night for yourself is not appealing, you can make your own frozen dinners for healthy and convenient meals. Set aside a day for cooking, and prepare your dishes. Cooked chicken and red meats keep better than fish or other seafood. Prepare your meals in several varieties. For example, bake a pan of chicken with barbecue sauce on a couple of the pieces, soy sauce on a few others and lemon pepper on the rest. You can prepare red meat similarly by pan frying a few pieces and baking or broiling the rest. Prepare several different vegetables to go with your meats. Place a single serving meal on a sturdy plastic divided plate. Slide the plate into a large freezer bag and close securely. You may wish to mark the outside of the freezer bag with the date and a description of the food before putting the meal inside. Be sure your food is cooled to at least room temperature before freezing.
  
  

Keep it Simple

• Preparing a simple dinner after work doesn't have to include cooking at all. You can choose to prepare a healthy smoothie from fruit, yogurt and protein powder in minutes. A protein shake made with your favorite berries and milk can also substitute for turning on the stove. For the vegetable lover, get out the blender and throw in a variety of frozen vegetables with a little salt and pepper for a healthy and filling drink. Be sure you are getting balanced nutrition by using protein or soy additives to your dinner drinks.