Get More for Your Meat

Cooking for one can be a hard adjustment for some graduate students. If you’re like me, and are used to helping cook for large families and crowds, you may find yourself suddenly unsure about how much food, particularly meat, to buy for just you. Here are some tips for getting more out of the grocery items so that you don’t have to sacrifice your paycheck or your love for cooking:

• Buy in bulk when you can. Stores such as Stop & Shop and Shaw’s sell chicken breasts in larger packages (approximately 3 lbs), which is idyllic for planning meals ahead of time. Divide chicken breasts individually with plastic wrap and freeze them in 1-gallon Ziploc bags. This allows you to take out one or more pieces for your meal without cooking the entire package at once.

• Plan your meal around the meat. Sorry vegetarians and vegans! If you buy extra chicken or ground beef, keep extra side dishes and sauces on hand to accommodate it. An example is fool proof meatballs and marinara sauce. Make up a large batch of meatballs and combined cans of crushed and diced tomatoes and herbs to make a delicious marinara sauce. Take what you want for dinner that night and then divide the rest into portions just for you, freeze, and look forward to enjoying it another night.

• If you over-cook a certain meal, don’t fret. Food is expensive and there is nothing worse than throwing portions of a perfectly good meal away because it sits in the refrigerator too long. Be generous with roommates if you have them, offering up the remainder of a meal if you know you will not be home to eat it within the next few days. In my experience, roommates are grateful for this and it can break the ice, especially if you have just moved in.

Cooking for one takes time to get used to, but planning ahead as much as you can really helps cut down on wasted food. Graduate student living is all about budgeting and living within your means. Consider getting more out of your groceries before you pick up that phone to call for pizza!