Table of Content
I take out my white wine and my rice and my Parmesan, and I create a royal banquet for one. Are you someone who opts for eggs and chicken as your main protein sources? While chicken is not really cheap, you can seek sales or discounts and buy them in bulk. You can cut them to pieces and store them in freezer bags.
Simply mix your eggs and milk, put it in a pan, and add your ingredients to the mix, then enjoy. It’s safe to say that everyone has been in the same boat of being home alone and having no idea what to eat. Ordering food can be expensive and snacking isn’t always healthy.
What to Eat: Over-the-Top Sundaes
There is absolutely no shame in being comfortable eating alone at a restaurant. Even though I haven’t solo travelled since 2020, I still find some time when my husband’s at the office to go eat out alone and try something new. If you have the power to go alone in restaurants, you can do anything.
Everyone has a Pinterest board full of aesthetically pleasing, identical tupperwares full of gorgeous, healthy meal prepped food. Then, there are foods that I only buy when I’m planning a specific meal. If I want to make enchiladas, of course I’m going to need tortillas. Typically, there are foods that I nearly always purchase at the grocery store. Foods like milk, sliced cheese, sliced bread, onions, spinach, canned tomatoes, etc.
People-watching is entertaining
Don’t tuck your fresh vegetables and fruits away at the bottom of your fridge, or they will just go bad without you remembering they’re even there. For your pantry, it’s recommended to use baskets to leave the food in plain sight. It’s also important that they are at least partially prepared by me as well.
Usually, when eating alone, your interest level in what you are eating is higher than when you’re sharing a meal with others. So it gives you a chance to taste more carefully and learn more about what’s on your plate. Home is sometimes too cozy and not always exciting enough.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Overnight Oats
In her book “Serve It Forth,” the 20th century food writer M.F.K. Fisher described watching an elderly man eating alone with an almost religious reverence. He slowly consumed half an avocado sprinkled with powdered sugar and soaked in Russian kümmel liqueur. “He was at peace, and aware — aware that Lucullus dined with Lucullus for a reason,” she wrote. We do have to dock some points for presentation and lack of creativity (just cheese, man?), but, to be fair, this is exactly what we would've ordered as 8-year-olds. Lisa is an editor at Taste of Home where she gets to embrace her passion for baking.
Others will even think, “Wow, I wish I was that brave.” Regardless of what others may think, the only person that you should be concerned about is you. Personally, I’d rather dine alone than be in the company of people I can’t stand. So yes, in order to survive eating alone in a restaurant, you first must get it in your head that it is okay to eat alone. There’s no rule of thumb or advice that I can give you when it comes to eating alone.
Chicken Stroganoff
Once you have your repertoire, plan out your meals for the week. If you have access to a blender at home smoothies are the perfect thing to make. Fruits are high in nutrients and vitamins, and a smoothie provides an easy way to get the most out of a variety of different fruits and even some vegetables. Try one with banana, strawberry, apple, mango, and kale, or make whatever you desire. If you are going out alone on purpose, why not make it social?
Now that I’ve mastered the portions, though, it’s my go-to Solitude Food for a night when the only company I crave is a podcast and my oven light. It’s for the type of evening when I come home, set my bags down on the floor, and my apartment feels like a kingdom devoted to my desires. Everything on my walls is exactly at my eye level, the couch has molded to my shape, my cat knows only my voice, and my kitchen is arranged as I would have it.
Line a metal 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on each of the long edges. And to make the experience even more memorable, print out screengrabs from the movie and add the appropriate quote. Use the inspo below, and supplement with other party food that you can title according to the theme, like South Bend Shovel Slayer Salted Pretzel Bites. Like the Michael Jordan cutout, I painted a cardboard version of the poor lawn jockey that gets T-boned twice by the delivery car. Much easier and less culturally awkward than trying to buy an actual metal jockey.
Naturally, he paired his gooey mountain with a bag of Crunch Tators and a can of Pepsi. We assume his eventual sugar-crash nap was just as glorious as the feast. We have seen a nuked Kraft family dinner in the flesh, and never once has it looked as beautiful as the stuff Kevin plates right before his maiden battle with Marv and Harry.
Alternatively, you can opt for frozen vegetables and fruits that will last you longer. But if you prefer fresh ones, you can get groceries more often to get new ones every week or two. Toss what you don’t need and keep your unhealthy food or snacks out of sight. Always keep the healthiest ones in your eye line, from your veggies to your fruits.
There are a few foods which are touted as being good for brain health. The reality is that the science of nutrition is far from simple, and just eating more blueberries isn’t going to give you a better memory. But making sure you get the right amount omega 3 and 6 fatty acids is worthwhile.
The Restaurant Industry
Mix cream cheese, cheddar cheese, blue cheese, chicken, and hot sauce in a bowl. It can be eaten both cold or warm and cooks relatively quickly in the oven. Some people dine alone by choice, or because nobody else is free to join them.
