Ironic that you just posted this now. I just went to the grocery store - probably only about the 3rd or 4th time since Rich passed. In the first couple months I didn't cook one meal at home and, I, like others here used to love to cook! I think a big part of it was I loved cooking for him. Ever since Rich passed I have been battling high blood pressure and now my latest blood tests showed my cholesterol jumped about 50 points since I last had it done! I'm sure all the eating out hasn't helped. So I have all these good intentions - last night I packaged up single chicken breasts, bought some stuff to make salad and even bought some brussel sprouts. Since I knew I was going to get home late after work and shopping etc, I bought one of those rotisserie chickens - so when I got home - I just cooked up a potato and microwaved some corn to have with it. Now I have chicken for lunch too. I always start out with good intentions - but somehow they fall to the wayside. I have wasted more food than I care to admit - what a sin!

I say do what you can when you can, don't beat yourself up for what you can't. It's a long road and hopefully eventually we will figure it out. I made a big pot of spaghetti sauce last week - enough to feed an army like I always did and packaged up a bunch of small containers for the freezer. I'll see if I get to it again :) I guess our freezer is our new best friend. Good Luck!

I cook then freeze the leftovers. I buy packages of lunch meat and freeze what I don't use for the week. No problems doing that.
I make chicken & dumplings in the crock pot and only use 1 small boneless breast. Just cut your recipes in half. You can always buy the frozen dinners if you don't feel like cooking.
Look up recipes for one on pinterest or google. Hope that helps.

Yes, absolutely. I loved to cook for my hubby also, but standing in the kitchen after work and cooking a meal for me? Not.

I just sold our gas grill and replaced it with a George Foreman indoor/outdoor. Too much of a pain to haul the grill out, fire it up, cook a piece of meat, turn it off, clean the grates, wait for the grill to cool, put the cover back on, and wheel it back to its original position.

You will become accustomed to cooking for yourself. If you want to make those delicious dishes, break the dish down into dinner portions and freeze in individual containers. You don't know what a lifesaver it is to thaw one and pop it in the microwave. Presto. Dinner.

My staples are mainly cereal, English muffins, Cliff Bars, Greek yogurt. I get a meal in here and there during the week, but am so active that I don't have time to make something before I walk out the door again. It works and that's all that matters.

Like others here have stated, when I do cook, I cook a lot and divide it up and put it in my freezer. I also buy potato salad and our local grocery store sells freshly cooked chicken tenders so I purchase those and divide them up also and put in the freezer. I also keep a few tv dinners on hand but I seldom have them now. Other times, I go out and eat.

My difficulty is that I don't cook - my husband was the cook for most of our marriage. If it was my "turn" to cook everyone waited for the pizza delivery guy. I don't want to cook. But I don't want to eat so that I gain weight after working hard to take some off. So cooking for anyone is tough and I'm tired of throwing away ingredients - I buy things and think I might try it, but....I do love eating out and have never minded eating alone, so maybe I'll try that for a while. Thank goodness for cheese and crackers!

Share with others! Friends? Church? Neighbors?

Hi Janie, for the last 4 weeks since John was in a coma and passed away I haven;t cooked anything. I couldn;t eat at all, sight of food made me only nauseated. A couple od days ago I decided to start eating a liitle.. I was a;ways a cook.. John love stuffed cabbage so today I made some and barely ae one roll, have a pan full of it and I doubt I will eat it all, will freeze most of it. I did shopping 10 days ago and most of the food is still in a fridge starting to wilt.I had good intention... so for a while I will not cook anymore... just try to finish some veggies I have and that cabbage, food doesn;t thrill me anymore the way it did when we were together, we like nice meals and good wines... eating such meals alone is just not going to be fun anymore, without sharing and hearing "you are such good cook". When you cook larger quantity of something just put small portions into containers and freeze them. Hugs..

Several of you mentioned cheese & crackers. One of my favorite standby's. The thing I love most about it is there are no dishes to wash. Good ole paper towels work fine!!

Toilet paper for one!!!!!! It's been 17 months and I'm just learning how to shop. Morey loved to do the grocery shopping and he loved to cook. I can cook but he loved taking over the kitchen and doing his own thing. I didn't mind since his meals were amazing.

It's the shopping and buying the right amounts that I'm just learning how to do. No more children, no husband.....just me and my amazing dog!

At first I wasted more than I should have and then I learned how to freeze in zip lock bags. And, then I learned about the great and healthy meals that you can buy in the frozen section. I stir-fry veggies and chicken and then I freeze. I have meals for the whole week.

I find myself buying the foods that he liked and then they wilt, get moldy and can't be put in the freezer.....life has changed, our habits of 40+ years need to change too!

Warmly,
Roz

I had the same problem, it just wasn't as much fun to cook just for me. I do cook for my kids and grandson but thats not everyday. In the beginning I couldn't eat, then I started eating comfort food and that was a bad idea to, started packing on the pounds. I tried watching the cooking shows on TV and those were ok but I was not inspired even with that. I would eat microwave popcorn to watch them so I guess that idea didnt work! I cook more now and freeze portions in bags or plastic containers and that is helping me stop so much of the comfort food. I like Nessy's idea about buying something different or new each time, I may try that. Hugs, Jo

I loved to cook and Martin loved my cooking. Now, most often I can't be bothered so go for the easy options. Tomato soup and toast is good. A sandwich or toasted sandwich. Cook for two and have the second portion the next day. Buy lunch at work and have it for dinner. Prepared meals from the deli or supermarket. Salad. Fruit salad and yoghurt. Baked beans on a microwaved potato. Cheese and crackers (anything and crackers). BBQ chicken (good for several meals). Stir fry is easy to cook but hard as it was M's favourite. For the same reason I avoid fish and also broccoli and rice. Pasta and store-bought pasta sauce is easy. Roast veges are tasty and easy or a small meat roast with veg and then eat it for several meals with different sides or different recipes. Mashed potatoes. Sausages. Omelet. Leftovers or wilting veg make good soup.
And my dogs have been eating well!

I cooked for Jim our whole married life. After every meal I asked him how it was. He said I guess I'll keep you. That memory alone kept me from cooking for 6 months. Then I ate Stouffer's frozen Mac and Cheese and McDonalds. Boy did I get sick of that routine. So now I cook meals and if I have leftovers and I usually do I put them in the fridge to eat the next day or the day after. I do have a stash of frozen things I can depend on when I don't feel like cooking after work. The one thing about cooking for one is you never make anything you dislike.

I finally figured how to eat and cook for one. Was doing a great job, then my son had to move back in with me. Now I have forgotten how to cook for us. He eats 3 times more than I do. And doesn't like what I like. So, here we go again.....lol

I was never one for the kitchen. Might spend a vacation there as I like to go to places I visit seldom....More seriously, I get in a lot of fruit and veg and do smoothies.

My son lives here too but like some of you he's out with the g/f alot. I was eating alot of junk...frozen meals and all that garbage. Then the dr told me my triglycerides were way up & I had to be careful. So not I make smoothies for 1 or 2 meals a day and have a reg dinner...and trying not to eat processed frozen stuff.
He just got a good paying job so hopefully soon he will be back out on his own & I can eat as I like.