Easy healthy meal plans for one person
I am often asked how it is possible to eat healthily if you do not want to feed your family the same food, or they don’t want to eat it. Many meal plans are for the family so here I have meal plans for one.
Additionally, there are many of my readers who live alone or who have partners who work away during the week. I do hope these two meal plans help you out.
How can I adapt recipes to be suitable for one person?
All the recipes I use in this meal plan are easily adapted to one or two portions making them perfect for someone who lives alone or cooks only for themself. Some of the meals on the plan appear twice as they are easy to make for 2 portions and keep well in the fridge or freezer for a few days.
Alternatively, when cooking for one you could still make a 4 portion meal and freeze the other portions so some days you do not have to cook for yourself at all? A great way of stopping yourself from having takeaways due to lack of planning or time as there is always something in the freezer.
Just because you are cooking for one doesn’t mean you have to live off salads and jacket potatoes. There are some tasty meals that are easily adapted to make one or two portions. I hope these meal plans show you that and fill you with inspiration.
Healthy meal plan for one suitable for meat-eaters
This meal plan is set out to be low syn and some days completely syn free so you can add desserts, snacks or whatever sauces you enjoy.
Monday
- Breakfast: Strawberries and yoghurt. Ideally choose fat-free natural yoghurt or fat-free Greek-style yoghurt.
- Lunch: Tomato soup and 60g wholemeal bread. This recipe makes 6 portions of soup but it is so easy to freeze so save a portion for Thursday and freeze the rest.
- Dinner: Sticky chicken salad. Make a full recipe as you have some for lunch tomorrow unless you are able to make that fresh tomorrow.
Tuesday
- Breakfast: Cherry Bakewell overnight oats with some extra cherries.
- Lunch: Sticky chicken salad. (made yesterday)
- Dinner: Sausage traybake. Make half the recipe and freeze a portion or keep in the fridge until Saturday evening. Alternatively, adapt the recipe slightly to make an individual portion and make it again on Saturday. Use low fat sausages.
Wednesday
- Breakfast: Chocolate orange overnight oats with a satsuma.
- Lunch: Hearty vegetable pasta soup. Make half the recipe for two portions and save the rest for Sunday. If possible this is better frozen and keeps better than in the fridge for so long.
- Dinner: Chicken and mushroom curry with boiled rice. Make half the recipe and save a portion of the curry in the freezer for Sunday.
Thursday
- Breakfast: Bounty overnight oats with an apple..
- Lunch: Rosemary and caramelised onion mini quiches (make half the recipe and enjoy the rest as snacks).
- Dinner: Roast plum, sweet potato and quinoa salad. Make half the recipe and keep a portion in the fridge for your lunch on Saturday. While the oven is on cook a chicken breast for tomorrows lunch
Friday
- Breakfast: Apple and yoghurt with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
- Lunch: Cooked chicken and salad.
- Dinner: Turkey chilli with boiled rice. Make the two-portion recipe of this and freeze one portion for another day to have on a jacket potato or with rice.
Saturday
- Breakfast: Gingerbread overnight oats with an apple.
- Lunch: Roast plum, sweet potato and quinoa salad. You should have made this on Thursday and is easy to enjoy cold.
- Dinner: Sausage traybake. This is the one you cooked on Tuesday.
Sunday
- Breakfast: 2 sausages, egg, baked beans and mushrooms. Choose the lowest fat sausages you can.
- Lunch: Hearty vegetable pasta soup. This should have been made on Wednesday.
- Dinner: Chicken and mushroom curry with boiled rice. Made on Wednesday.
Healthy meal plan for one for a vegetarian
This meal plan is set out to be low syn and some days completely syn free so you can add desserts, snacks or whatever sauces you enjoy.
If you want to make this meal plan vegan you should be able to substitute the cheese and cheese products for vegan alternatives and use an egg replacer of your choice in the leek macaroni and omit the egg from the Spanish chickpeas and Sunday’s breakfast. You could make scrambled tofu as an alternative. Vegan yoghurts are readily available for breakfasts.
Monday
- Breakfast: Bounty overnight oats with an apple.
- Lunch: Tomato soup and Curry loaf. The recipe makes 6 portions of soup but it is so easy to freeze so save a portion for Thursday and freeze the rest. The curry loaf makes enough for today and Wednesday, any leftovers are great for snacks.
- Dinner: Asparagus Pilaf. Make the recipe for one which is at the bottom of the recipe page.
Tuesday
- Breakfast: Cherry Bakewell overnight oats with some extra cherries.
- Lunch: Hearty vegetable pasta soup. Make half the recipe for two portions and save the rest for Friday. If possible this is better frozen and keeps better than in the fridge for so long.
- Dinner: Spanish chickpeas, spinach and egg. This is a handy one portion recipe.
Wednesday
- Breakfast: Chocolate orange overnight oats with a satsuma.
- Lunch: Curry loaf and salad. You should have some curry loaf you made on Monday.
- Dinner: Sausage traybake. Use low-fat sausages. Make half the recipe and freeze a portion or keep it in the fridge until Saturday evening. Alternatively, adapt the recipe slightly to make an individual portion and make it again on Saturday.
Thursday
- Breakfast: Strawberries and yoghurt.Choose fat-free natural yoghurt or fat-free Greek-style yoghurt.
- Lunch: Falafel with yoghurt dip, wholemeal pitta bread and salad. Make the full portion of falafel and enjoy the rest as snacks!
- Dinner: Leek macaroni cheese. Make half the recipe as you will be saving some for Saturday.
Friday
- Breakfast: Gingerbread overnight oats with an apple.
- Lunch: Hearty vegetable pasta soup. This should be saved from when you made it on Tuesday.
- Dinner: Roast plum, sweet potato and quinoa salad. Make half the recipe and keep a portion in the fridge for your lunch on Saturday.
Saturday
- Breakfast: Apple and yoghurt with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
- Lunch: Roast plum, sweet potato and quinoa salad. You should have made this on Friday and is easy to enjoy cold.
- Dinner: Leek macaroni cheese. You should still have a portion from when you made it on Thursday.
Sunday
- Breakfast: 2 low fat sausages, egg, baked beans and mushrooms.
- Lunch: Rosemary and caramelised onion mini quiches (make half the recipe and enjoy the rest as snacks).
- Dinner: Sausage traybake. This is the one you cooked on Tuesday.
Meal plans for the family
If you are looking for family meal plans then do check my meal plan directory. Meal plans include one for 4 weeks of healthy lunches, a meal plan full of vegetables, and a low-cost summer meal plan.
Remember to keep an eye on your portions and make tasty meals you will enjoy.
