Are you single, busy and tired of takeout?  Would you like to enjoy the benefits of cooking from scratch but wonder if it's worth the time and money?  It is! 

Whether you are overspending or settling for lousy food to save time, you can do much better.  It's all about efficient weekly meal planning for one.

Cooking from scratch means using high quality ingredients, not shortcuts with over processed food products, but who has time to stand over a stove and stir, bake bread from scratch or constantly shop for fresh produce?

Relax! 

Whoever said cooking for one was a waste of time must not have owned a good planner.  In fact, seasoned-homemaker level kitchen time management comes naturally from practicing the Oven for One meal planning method.  

Cooking for one is less work and more fun!  

When it comes to weekly meal planning for one, less is more...

• Less cooking, more leftovers:  Lengthy, labor intensive kitchen sessions aren't necessary, but short sessions can add up fast!  Single serving freezer meals, sides, sauces and recipe preps can add flexibility and lighten weekly routines.   
• Less time-crunch, more multitasking:  Ready-to-go meals and snacks buy time, so meal prep tasks can be logged here and there throughout each week when it's most convenient.  
• Less scheduling, more flexibility:  Trackers for prep and dining replace or double as schedules.  
• Less shopping, more time:  One weekly shop is all it takes.
• Less waste, more economy:  Fresh ingredients are spread across recipes each week to coordinate with a modest rotation of frozen preps, so scraps are conserved.
• Less compromise, more creative cooking:  Cook whatever you want without planning around others.  Sound selfish?  On the contrary, trying fun new recipes helps prepare you for cooking for others when the time is right. 
  
• Less dietary guesswork, more planning and tracking options for personal goals:  Fill optional macro fields for easy calculations. 
• Less cluttered, crowded cooking space, more freedom and comfort for you:  Kitchen workspace is your domain and kitchen entertainment is your call.  Enjoy!
  

When it's time for cooking for two, you'll know just what to do!

A routine of well planned cooking for one naturally enhances the ability to cook well for others.  It's easy to expand on the plan with the handy serving counter.

What's the plan?

Mix and match, cook from scratch, then freeze each leftover batch following a flexible recipe-based meal plan template designed for busy singles.  Weekly planning, shopping and impromptu mini-task tackling form an easy-to-follow routine that once habituated, becomes second nature.    

There is no need for grueling kitchen marathons or rigid, regimented meal scheduling.  This is about making your food-lifestyle better and easier.  So, why haven't you done that yet?

What's the problem?

It's likely lack of organization, not time or skill holding you back.  When you're busy building a life, cooking from scratch may seem like a leisure activity best saved for another day.  But when you do feel inspired to cook, are you prepared?

Don't be that girl...

Aside from the prospect of having to find a recipe, shop, cook and clean up, lacking basic ingredients and kitchen tools can make cooking a single meal seem far too expensive and time consuming, especially if leftovers may end up going to waste.

Get it together.

Start by taking time to get organized where needed, then you can begin to cook and bake when it suits you, steadily stocking your kitchen with amazing homemade food.

Follow the Oven for One guided weekly meal planner to coordinate recipes, create shopping lists, manage home food inventory, track monthly food spending and more. 

See what you can do!

You don't have to study to become a french chef in order to eat incredibly well.  The truth is, if you can read you can cook, so don't be intimidated!  Your own homemade food can and will put common restaurant food to shame.  How?  Higher quality ingredients, a carefully cultivated personal recipe collection, and good affordable kitchen tools.

Get creative!

Discover methods and tools to make cooking for one easier and more practical, like using a bread machine for much more than just bread, pressure cooking frozen meats without thawing or dry beans without soaking, sheet pan veggie roasting, mix-and-match produce planning, single serving freezer preps, surprisingly quick breakfasts, portable lunches for work and more!

Create flexible weekly meal plans and much, much more with O.f.O.'s free Seven Day Solo Meal Planner.

Balance freezable recipes with non freezer-bound whip ups for a delicious variety of freshly prepared food supplemented with homemade single serving freezer meals.

Build your personal recipe collection along the way!

Tips and tutorials on flexible weekly meal planning, prep planning, grocery shopping and grocery budgeting are here to help.