Across the globe, the individualization of societies lead to more meals than ever being eaten alone.

And when eating alone, it is often convenient to go for an unhealthy takeout and a quick and dirty meal. Don’t give in to that temptation, however. Care about how you eat alone. Here are ten tips for happy solo eating.

Tip 1

Work with recipes that are healthy and flavorful, but still easy to make. Don’t bother using every appliance you own for every meal, and you don’t have to make something requiring every burner on your stove. Greatist.com has 25 easy single serve recipes for breakfast, lunch, or dinner online.

Tip 2

Buy small. When you know you’ll be eating alone for the next couple days, make sure you can vary it up. Don’t go out and buy gallons of milk, or bulk bags of beans. Vegetables are best to buy individually, as fresh as possible.

Tip 3 

View cooking for yourself as a chance to experiment and discover. You’re the only one that’ll notice, so there’s no pressure. And if you fail today, there’s always tomorrow.

Tip 4

Start simple. Think pasta or a salad. Slowly start complicating your recipes until you’re making your very own restaurant worthy meals. YouTube tutorials are an invaluable tool. Check out Basics with Babish for some solid starting points, for example.
 


Tip 5

When looking at vegetables, pick the ones that have multiple uses. Beets or carrots, for instance, can be steamed, grilled, baked, or eaten raw. More advanced techniques such as fermentation are also an option. Try making your own kimchi!

Tip 6 

If you are putting effort into making your meal, put effort into eating it, too. Set the table, dim the lights, and play your favorite songs. If you have a bar at home, make it cozy without having to resort to alcohol.

Tip 7

Go offline and focus on the food in front of you. Turn off the tv, put away your phone, stash the tables and leave off the books, papers, or magazine. When you give the food your full attention, you’ll feel much better.

Tip 8

Convince yourself that everything you do for yourself is worth the effort. Cherish your me time in an already hectic existence.

Tip 9

If you enjoy making larger meals, make sure to freeze your leftovers for later use. Or you can list your meals online on platforms like Shareyourmeal.net and share them with your neighbours. Or turn your culinary skills into an AirBnB Experience or BonApetour.

Tip 10

If you really don’t want to make your own meals at home, go to a restaurant. In most cities, dining out alone has become a normal and accepted practice. Some restaurants offer communal tables encouraging social interactions, while others go out of their way to make a solo meal worthwhile. You can always opt for restaurants with smaller portion sizes or tasting menus to make sure you won’t end up overeating.