Top 10 Meals for One
No matter if you live alone or simply like to do your own thing at mealtimes, there’s no need for solo dining to be any less special than the food you eat with friends and family. We’re here to prove that slimming-friendly meals for one person can be quick, easy and (most importantly) mouth-wateringly delicious.
Who doesn’t love a top 10? In no particular order, here’s our rundown of Pinch of Nom’s favourite things to cook for one person…
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Adjusting the serving size
Before we get started, did you know that there’s a handy feature on our website that can automatically adjust the recipe quantities to suit the number of people you’re serving?
Forget about reaching for a calculator, a simple tap of the arrow will work out how much more or less of each ingredient you’ll be needing:
Breakfast Bakes
We’re starting strong with a minimal-effort breakfast dish that’s easy to adapt (you can add in whatever you like!) and seriously tasty. Best of all, who says it has to be for breakfast? Brunch, lunch or dinner, we love this cheesy-topped, oven baked delight.
That’s right, our Breakfast Bakes are perfect for single servings. Bear in mind that our recipe serves 2, so just tap the little arrow on the website to halve the ingredients.
Feel free to make this completely your own; throw in some spinach, add a chicken chipolata, leave out the mushrooms – everything tastes amazing when it’s topped with cheese!
An individual, single serving-sized roasting dish makes all the difference when it comes to this recipe. If you don’t have one, you can pick up a set really easily from Amazon.
Cinnamon Roll Baked Oats
If you prefer a sweet breakfast, rather than a savoury option, you’re bound to be a big fan of this dessert-inspired recipe. Our Cinnamon Roll Baked Oats is a one-person brekkie that you’ll be glad you don’t have to share.
Cosy, comforting and perfectly portioned for a single serving, this is a hearty morning meal that’ll keep you fuelled until lunchtime. Pop this dish in the oven while you get ready for the day ahead – the smell of the cinnamon baking away is 100% guaranteed to get your mouth watering.
Add a drizzle of the syrupy sauce right before serving – what a way to start the day!
BLT Sandwich
Ready for a quick, easy lunch that doesn’t scrimp on flavour? This BLT Sandwich is the champion of all sandwiches. It has all the elements of a classic BLT (including bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayo), but we’ve thrown in an extra slice of bread, a fried egg and some ketchup for good measure!
We’ve designed this recipe to just serve one person, so there’s no need to adjust it.
If you want to get the calories bang on for this recipe, we’d recommend weighing out your bread. It doesn’t take long but it’ll shave off a few additional calories, if you’re counting. A good set of digital kitchen scales will come in handy time and time again so they’re well worth the investment.
Chilli Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins
Leftovers for lunch? Cooking for one person isn’t always very budget-friendly, so batch cooking and storing your leftovers is the way to go. You probably won’t fancy eating the same meal on repeat for the next few days, so choose dishes that can be enjoyed with a whole host of different sides.
Chilli is up there with the best recipes for batch cooking, not only because it often tastes even better the next day, but also because you can serve it in so many different ways. Add a side of rice or chips, turn it into a pasta bake, serve it in tortilla bowls or try chilli topped cheesy nachos – you’ll never feel like you’re eating the same thing twice.
These Chilli Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins will be your new favourite way to use up leftover chilli. If you need to make a batch from scratch, we’ve included a slimming-friendly chilli in the recipe steps. This’ll serve 4, so you can either reduce the quantities of the ingredients or pop leftovers in the freezer for another day.
Corned Beef Hash
Looking for a brunch, lunch or light dinner for one? You can’t go wrong with this slimming-friendly Corned Beef Hash. Our recipe serves 3, but you can just as easily reduce the quantities or freeze your leftovers.
Crispy and golden, with a perfectly fried egg on top – it doesn’t get much better than this! It’s packed with protein and super filling, despite coming in at less than 400 calories per serving.
This is a nostalgic classic of a dish, guaranteed to remind you of hearty, home cooked meals. Reduced fat corned beef makes all the difference here, cutting out a fair few calories.
Honey and Mustard Chicken
Less washing up, more time at the table – this one-pot Honey and Mustard Chicken is our kind of recipe!
We’re talking flavourful, succulent chicken thighs, roasted together with crunchy vegetables in a sticky mustard glaze. It’s all about minimum effort and maximum flavour.
We’ve designed this recipe to make 2 portions, but it’s super easy to halve the quantities if you only want to make enough for one person. It’s well worth making extra to save some for lunch the next day though – this is perfect for packing into an airtight container for an easy meal later in the week.
Chilli and Lime Baked Salmon
If speedy, healthy and tasty are top of your list for tonight’s dinner, pick up a salmon fillet from the supermarket and try this recipe for Chilli and Lime Baked Salmon.
You can cook your salmon and veggies all on the same oven tray, so there’s no fussing around and less to clean up. Zesty lime and spicy chilli are perfect partners in this recipe, infusing the delicate fish with delicious, summery flavours.
Serve with steamed vegetables or some fluffy boiled rice and eat this outside in the garden on a sunny day!
Smoked Haddock and Cheese Gratin
If you’re trying to eat more fish, this Smoked Haddock and Cheese Gratin recipe needs to be worked into your weekly meal plan. It’s seriously comforting, and tastes way more indulgent than it really is!
For just 264 calories you get beautiful smoked haddock, creamy mashed potatoes and a rich, cheesy topping. All you need is some extra green veggies on the side for a Friday fish dinner that’ll leave you feeling all warm and cosy.
You’ll get 2 servings out of this recipe and it freezes so well! Pop the other portion in a freezer-safe container, add a label and save it for a rainy day.
Vegetable Tarts
These Vegetable Tarts will get you well on your way to your 5-a-day. Unlike similar tarts that you’ll see at the supermarket, these are light and low in calories; ideal for a vegan-friendly lunch or dinner.
A tortilla wrap is the perfect alternative to rich pastry tart cases – they get crisp and golden in the oven, holding all those tasty veggies inside. You can really make this recipe your own by using all your favourite vegetables or even adding some cheese on the top (just remember to work out the extra calories, if you’re counting!).
Each of these tarts is the perfect portion for one person. We think they’re best served with a super fresh, crunchy salad and some potato wedges.
Microwave Biscoff Lava Cakes
Ready for dessert? We’ve got you covered with an individual sized pudding that you can cook in the microwave in no time at all. These Microwave Biscoff Lava Cakes taste even better than they look (and that’s really saying something!).
Our original recipe makes 4 of these, but you can easily scale the recipe if you’re only cooking for yourself. You need half an egg per serving, so it’s probably easier to make 2 of these at once – the spare one will keep in the fridge or the freezer for the next time you have a Biscoff craving.
If you’re not in a rush to dig your spoon into that gooey, caramel-y centre, you can also make these cakes in the oven.
What are your go-to meals for one person?
We’d love to know what recipes come in handy when you’re cooking for one. Let us know over in our Facebook group, where there are almost 1 million members sharing ideas and inspiration.
Plus, don’t forget you can also share your tips, quotes and photos over in the PON gallery. There’s even SWAG up for grabs for our favourite submissions.