Eating Out...

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-02-2003
Eating Out...
9
Thu, 05-05-2005 - 1:30am
Okay I have seriously cut down my budget lately to make larger payments on my credit card but the one area where I my money just seems to disappear is eating out. I am single and live by myself and sometimes I find it so incredibly difficult to go home and make myself dinner instead of just running through the drive-thru. I often justify it to myself b/c I have a coupon or I don't get a coke b/c I have drinks at home but I really need to stop spending the extra money. I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions or meal ideas that are easy for one person. (I get so tired of sandwiches!) This is my goal for the month of May - I can have one meal outside my house each week and that's it. So far this week is going well and it's Wednesday but we'll see how long it lasts...
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
In reply to: suzyq1981
Thu, 05-05-2005 - 8:35am

Quesadillas--grate a little cheese, toss in some refried beans, leftover cooked veggies, chopped onions, canned beans, leftover cooked meat, or whatever sounds good. Fry an open tortilla in a frying pan, top with toppings, add another tortilla. When the first is brown, turn it over, fry until brown, and you're done. Dip in salsa, sour cream, or whatever youve got around--or not. They're good plain too. Very easy, and perfect for just one person.

Burritos--fill tortillas with leftovers from last night plus some cheese. Roll into burritos and fry. Trust me, even the oddest things often come out delicious in a burrito when cheese is added--chinese stir-fried veggies, roast beef, leftover steamed vegetables, chili, you name it.

Freeze leftovers. When you cook something larger--soup, or a casserole, say--freeze in meal-size portions for days when you just don't want to cook. Be sure to date and label your concoctions, to avoid the "nothing in the house syndrome" just because you don't know what's in the house (besides, frozen meals in see-through containers never look particularly appetizing, even if once warmed they are delicious--a label helps overcome the initial hesitation I always face when considering warming something that doesn't look so great).

Omelets--mix up a batch of whatever toppings you like, break a couple or three eggs, and fry together. I call my concoctions omelets, but they're really just glorified scrambled eggs, because I can never manage to turn the omelet over at just the right time to avoid it getting broken to bits. Still tasty though.

Nachos--Over a bed of corn chips, grate cheese and add other toppings such as refried beans (we buy cans of refried beans at the Aldi for about 33 cents and stock up--we use them all the time), lettuce, onion, leftover cooked veggies, etc. (same things as for quesadillas), stick in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds. If you're looking for just a snack, try it with just the cheese and microwave for only about 15 seconds. You can also do this as a salad by heating everything ahead of time and then serving on a large bed of lettuce.

Ramen noodles with extras. Not exactly healthy, but quick and CHEAP. We buy the walmart brand noodles (10 cents a package), soy sauce, and frozen vegetables. For frozen peas or corn, we cook the noodles first and then add the vegetables right at the end, return to a boil, and then strain. For stir-fry vegetables, broccoli, and other thicker vegetables, we add the veggies to the water before it begins to boil, so it has longer to cook through. Add soy sauce and you're done. Can't be worse for you than drive-through french fries!

Topped oven fries. Slice a potato thinly, lay potatoes on a baking sheet and put in the oven at 450. Cook until soft in the middle and, if you prefer, crispy around the edges. Put on a plate and top with whatever appeals to you (cheese, broccoli, leftover veggies, leftover meat, chili, etc).

Beans and rice. Can of red beans, pot of rice, toss in some sausage if you feel like it. Quick, yummy, nutritious, more satisfying than it sounds.

I also, if I have time, like to pop a sweet potato in the oven (or a regular potato) for an hour, and just eat it plain. Yummy. Then I'll snack on fruit or whatever as my "side dishes." Can't beat it nutrition-wise. Popcorn is another good side dish for this meal.

I know it's hard to cook just for one person. I have the same issue when my husband's out of town, even though I have two small children (somehow, cooking for very small children just isn't that satisfying to me). But these are things that I don't mind cooking just for myself, and they're nutritious and delicious. Good luck!

Heather

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-19-2004
In reply to: suzyq1981
Thu, 05-05-2005 - 1:07pm
Salads are a good break from sandwiches (I usually eat cereal for dinner when dd is with her dad, so I'm not much better at creativity than you are). But I will get one bag of salad and a couple vegies, and try to eat that a few times during the week. Also, you can get whatever you would get at the drive through at the grocery store and eat that.... some buns and a pack of frozen patties, lettuce and a tomato is going to be much healther than a fast food fried version. I have a few nights that I go straight from work to something else, and sometimes I will stop at a convenience store and get a banana and a drink (or bring a granola bar from home) and that tides me over until later (when I'll probably be eating that bowl of cereal. I allow myself $20 per week and that has to include any meals on the run. Sometimes I'll get a bagel in the morning, but if I spend my money elsewhere then I had better bring breakfast from home, that kind of forces you to keep your word to yourself if you set a dollar limit.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 07-24-1997
In reply to: suzyq1981
Thu, 05-05-2005 - 4:32pm

I never ate sandwiches when I was single! I used to cook enough for 2-3 meals at a time and eat the same dinner for 2-3 nights. I ended up cooking only 3-4 times a week.

Heather gave you lots of good ideas. I skimmed her post, so she may have already suggested this, but in case she didn't - you could also make 4 days' worth of salad at a time. And don't forget keeping frozen veggies around!

Also, check out Leanne Ely's menu mailer, http://savingdinner.com/.

I really think that once you start cooking for yourself, you will become quite dissatisfied with eating takeout. When you eat healthy foods, takeout starts to just not be worth it anymore.

Kelly

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-07-2003
In reply to: suzyq1981
Fri, 05-06-2005 - 12:31am

Hi there.

Pumpkin

&nbs

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-24-2004
In reply to: suzyq1981
Fri, 05-06-2005 - 12:38am
Hi, like heather, I get really creative with the Ramen noodles. I also buy brown rice or pasta and make a bag of those green giant medleys that come with sauce in the package. The whole meal takes 10-15 minutes. I eat a lot of Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice and Smart Ones meals, because I am always on a diet and those meals are really good. They fill me up too, because I really don't have a big appy. If I get hungry later, I have a piece of fruit or some cereal or yogurt. I love eating this way. Before my roomie moved in, I ate this way every night. My grocery bill was lower and I was thinner LOL!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-02-2003
In reply to: suzyq1981
Tue, 05-10-2005 - 12:19pm
Thanks guys - you have given me enough ideas for at least a couple of weeks worth of meals! One thing that a friend told me to do that I hadn't even thought of before was to split up my meats into single serving bags before I freeze them. Now I can take out just enough meat for one hamburger or tacos without having to defrost the entire package - that was another excuse of mine (I don't want to defrost that whole package b/c it'll go to waste.) So far this week has been really good - No eating out so far! A friend of mine even called and asked if I wanted to go to dinner later this week and I offered to cook! wow - I am proud of myself :-)
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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
In reply to: suzyq1981
Tue, 05-10-2005 - 4:03pm

I just made a huge pan of baked ziti last night.

All my best,
Danni

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-23-2003
In reply to: suzyq1981
Tue, 05-10-2005 - 11:40pm

I'm single but I love to cook (do I have to clean up too?)


I make complete meals - my salad is usally 1/2 to 2/3 of a bag (no carrots, no nuts, no fruit,)

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HAVE A GREAT DAY!  (OR EVENING!)

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-11-2005
In reply to: suzyq1981
Wed, 05-11-2005 - 8:59am
When I was single, I used to fix a lot of stirfries... they are simple, quick and very versatile. You could also cook Spaghetti, or whatever, and fix enough so you have left over to either eat the next day or to freeze and then take out when needed.