Meal plan for one person: 7 days of real dinners, next-day lunches and a grocery list that doesn't go to waste

Most recipes serve four, most packs of chicken hold six thighs, and a bunch of spinach is a lot of spinach for one person. That's the real problem with cooking for yourself: not the cooking, but the half-used ingredients that go soft in the fridge before you get to them. This plan is built for one adult with a normal kitchen. Almost every dinner is cooked as two portions, so tonight's dinner is tomorrow's lunch. The Bolognese and the lentil soup are cooked as bigger batches on purpose, and the extra portions go straight to the freezer, so next week starts with meals already made. Every fresh ingredient on the grocery list shows up in at least two meals, and the things that come in packs too big for one (bread, tortillas, ground beef) have a plan too. There are no calorie counts here because portions differ from person to person; the point is a week of food you'll actually finish.

For: One adult cooking for themselves who wants real dinners, easy next-day lunches and a grocery list sized for one, with nothing left to spoil at the end of the week

Cooking for one is where a fixed meal plan breaks down fastest: the recipes serve four and the packs are too big. Tell Cado you're cooking for yourself, what you like and what's already in your fridge, and it scales every recipe to one or two portions, plans the week so leftovers and half-used ingredients get eaten, and turns it into one grocery list sorted by aisle that you can send to Instacart. When you're cooking, say "Hey Cado" for the next step or a timer without touching your phone.

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The plan

Day 1 (Sunday)

BreakfastScrambled eggs with a handful of spinach on toast
LunchTuna salad sandwich with Greek yogurt, lemon and black pepper
DinnerSheet-pan chicken thighs with potatoes, carrots and red onion (roast all 4 thighs; 2 are for later in the week)

Day 2 (Monday)

BreakfastGreek yogurt with frozen berries and a drizzle of honey
LunchLeftover chicken thigh sliced over spinach with the roast potatoes and a lemon-yogurt dressing
DinnerPan-seared salmon with rice and garlicky broccoli (cook extra rice for Thursday)

Day 3 (Tuesday)

BreakfastOats cooked in milk with sliced banana and a spoon of peanut butter
LunchChicken wrap: the last chicken thigh, shredded carrot, spinach and lemon-yogurt sauce in a tortilla
DinnerSpaghetti Bolognese (the sauce makes 4 portions: one tonight, one for tomorrow's lunch, two into the freezer)

Day 4 (Wednesday)

BreakfastTwo fried eggs on toast
LunchLeftover spaghetti Bolognese
DinnerBlack bean and cheddar quesadillas with salsa and a spinach side salad (use half the can of beans)

Day 5 (Thursday)

BreakfastGreek yogurt with frozen berries and honey
LunchBlack bean rice bowl with the rest of the beans, salsa and cheddar, using Monday's rice
DinnerEgg fried rice with frozen peas and the leftover broccoli, using the rest of Monday's rice

Day 6 (Friday)

BreakfastOats cooked in milk with sliced banana and peanut butter
LunchTuna melt on toast with cheddar
DinnerRed lentil, tomato and spinach soup with toast (makes about 4 bowls: one tonight, one tomorrow, two into the freezer)

Day 7 (Saturday)

BreakfastSpinach and cheddar omelette with toast
LunchLeftover red lentil soup
DinnerBolognese from the freezer (thawed overnight in the fridge) over fresh spaghetti

Grocery list

Produce

Baby spinach, 1 (10-oz) container
Broccoli, 1 crown
Carrots, 1 (1-lb) bag
Yukon Gold potatoes, 3 medium
Yellow onions, 2
Red onion, 1
Garlic, 1 head
Lemon, 1
Bananas, 2

Meat and fish

Chicken thighs, 4 (about 1¼ lb; ask the meat counter if the packs are bigger)
Salmon fillet, 1 (5 to 6 oz, from the fish counter)
Ground beef, 1 lb

Dairy and eggs

Eggs, 1 dozen
Plain Greek yogurt, 1 (16-oz) tub
Cheddar, 1 (8-oz) block or bag
Milk, 1 pint

Bread and tortillas

Sandwich bread, 1 loaf (freeze half when you get home)
Flour tortillas, 1 small pack (freeze what you don't use)

Pantry

Spaghetti, 1 lb
Long-grain white rice, 1 small bag
Rolled oats, 1 canister
Red lentils, 1 (1-lb) bag
Crushed tomatoes, 1 (28-oz) can
Diced tomatoes, 1 (14.5-oz) can
Black beans, 1 (15-oz) can
Tuna, 2 (5-oz) cans
Salsa, 1 small jar
Peanut butter, honey, olive oil, soy sauce, dried oregano, ground cumin, salt and pepper (skip what you already have)

Frozen

Mixed berries, 1 bag
Peas, 1 small bag

Prep tips

Shop for one on purpose: buy the salmon and chicken at the counter so you get exactly what you need, buy loose potatoes, onions and bananas instead of bags, and pick the smallest tub of yogurt. Frozen berries and peas are the single cook's best friend because you only take out what you'll eat.
Freeze the awkward packs the day you shop. Put half the loaf of bread and the tortillas you won't need this week in the freezer; toast bread straight from frozen. If your chicken only comes in a 6-pack, freeze the 2 extra thighs flat in a bag for next week.
Sunday's sheet pan: heat the oven to 425°F, toss the 4 chicken thighs, the potatoes cut in chunks, 2 carrots and the red onion in wedges with olive oil, salt, pepper and oregano, and roast until the chicken reads 165°F inside, usually 25 to 35 minutes depending on bone-in or boneless. Eat two pieces of everything tonight and pack the rest.
Make the lemon-yogurt sauce once and use it three times: stir about ½ cup Greek yogurt with the juice of half the lemon, a small grated garlic clove and salt. It keeps 3 to 4 days in a jar and dresses Monday's salad, Tuesday's wrap and Sunday's tuna.
Cook 1 cup of dry rice on Monday night; it makes about 3 cups cooked, enough for the salmon dinner plus Thursday's rice bowl and fried rice. Spread the extra on a plate to cool, then refrigerate it within an hour or two. Cold rice is what makes fried rice crisp instead of mushy.
Tuesday's Bolognese: brown the pound of ground beef with a chopped onion, a grated carrot and 3 garlic cloves, stir in the crushed tomatoes and a teaspoon of oregano, and simmer 25 to 30 minutes. Split it into 4 portions: dinner, tomorrow's lunch and two for the freezer. Cook only about 2 ounces of dry spaghetti per portion each time instead of the whole box.
Friday's lentil soup: soften the second onion, a chopped carrot and 2 garlic cloves in olive oil, add 1 cup red lentils, the diced tomatoes, a teaspoon of cumin and about 4 cups of water or stock, and simmer 20 to 25 minutes until the lentils fall apart. Stir in what's left of the spinach at the end. Freeze two bowls.
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and eat them within 3 to 4 days; that's why every dinner here is eaten twice, not five times. Label freezer portions with the date. Soups and sauces keep their best quality for about 2 to 3 months in the freezer, and you'll start next week with one Bolognese and two lentil soups ready.
Use-it-up check on Thursday night: look at what's left (usually a carrot or two, some spinach, a little cheddar) and work it into Friday's soup or Saturday's omelette before you shop again.

Questions

How do I meal plan for one person?

Plan dinners as two portions so each one also covers the next day's lunch, and pick two batch recipes a week (a sauce, a soup or a chili) that freeze well. Then choose your fresh ingredients so each one is used in at least two meals, write one grocery list grouped by store section, and check what's left midweek so you can use it before it spoils.

How do you meal prep for one person without getting bored?

Don't cook one big batch and eat it for five days. Cook smaller batches, eat each meal twice at most, and freeze the rest so it comes back a week later instead of the next day. Changing the format also helps: the same roast chicken works as a dinner, a salad and a wrap, and the same rice becomes a bowl one day and fried rice the next.

How do I stop wasting food when cooking for one?

Buy loose produce and counter-cut meat and fish so you get the amount you need, choose frozen fruit and vegetables for anything you eat in small amounts, and freeze bread, tortillas and extra meat the day you shop. Plan your week so perishable items like spinach and fresh herbs appear in several meals, and do a quick fridge check before your next shop.

Can I just halve regular recipes when cooking for one?

For most savory cooking, yes: sauces, stir-fries, soups and sheet-pan dinners halve easily, though cooking times may be a little shorter in a smaller pan. Some dishes are better made at full size and frozen in portions, like Bolognese, chili and soup. Baking is less forgiving, so look for recipes written for a small batch instead.

How long do leftovers last in the fridge and freezer?

Most cooked leftovers are best eaten within 3 to 4 days if they were refrigerated within 2 hours of cooking. Frozen food stays safe as long as it stays frozen, but soups, stews and sauces taste best within about 2 to 3 months. Thaw frozen portions overnight in the fridge and reheat them until steaming hot.

Get this plan, adjusted to you

Cado tailors the plan to your goals and tastes, builds the grocery list, and talks you through every recipe while you cook.

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