Cooking for 1 - the advantage

Alright all you solo diners, let's be honest for a moment. We all know there has to be a better option than take-out, the late night drive-thrus, and tv dinners. Yes, it may seem simple and avoids having to deal with a messy kitchen and a fridge full of leftovers but for most of us this is not college anymore and we feel there must be better, healthier, and even cheaper options out there. For those of us with additional restrictions placed on what we can eat the task seems even more daunting. Maybe you have an allergy or intolerance to a certain food, maybe it's counting calories to lose weight, maybe it's diabetes or iron deficiency, perhaps you are vegetarian or vegan. Whatever other "limitations" are placed on your diet (voluntarily or otherwise) does not mean that you, solo diner, are left without choices. It is simply time to get more creative.

Cooking for yourself is actually perfect for experimenting with what works for you. You don't have to worry about anyone else eating what you're making. You can try things out, play around with combinations, invent new recipes, sample new dishes or make the same favorite six times in a row! Go ahead, make breakfast for dinner and for once don't worry about what foods go together just enjoy the freedoms that cooking for yourself affords you.

Why write a blog?

I've recently been introduced to the concept of documenting the process and not just outcome. You know how they (whoever they is...) say that it's not about the destination, it's about the journey? Well, I agree. The more examples I see of how life turned out better when things didn't go as planned the more I can appreciate how I got to where I am today. A couple months ago, when I was feeling a little down, a good friend suggested that I write a list of all the amazing things I have accomplished that I never expected to. This way when I feel like I should have somehow been further along in life, I can take a step back and appreciate how much I really have done. I took her advice and started jotting down trips I've taken, skills I've learned, and small adventures I've had that had you told the younger me about such events I would have never believed it possible. So these two revelations have brought me to the conclusion that instead of stressing over where I wish I could be at any certain point in my life, I will instead be grateful for the lessons learned and detours taken along the way. This blog is now one way I am tracking my progress and sharing my story. I figure maybe if I keep a record of the process someday I can look back and realize just how interesting and unexpected the journey can be.

While I've never been a super un-healthy eater, the concept of what I eat seriously affecting my body is fairly new to me. I've never had to worry about restrictions being placed on what I can or can't eat. I was never really into working out, and didn't really feel a need to. Up until about a year ago I never considered myself allergic to anything. I ate pretty much whatever I wanted, whenever I was hungry, stopped when I was full, and lived with the mind-set that anything was fine in moderation. This served me fairly well through my teens and most of my 20's. Several friends even told me they found my dietary habits inspirational and used my judgement as an example. More recently I have discovered that what I put into my body has a greater impact than I could have imagined. I will go into greater detail about this later, but for now let's just say this last year I have been making a lot of changes and that is the inspiration for this blog.

Welcome!

Hey everyone, I've been thinking about starting this blog for a little while now and finally just decided to go for it. This will be a collection of recipes, nutrition tips, and pointers for individuals cooking for themselves while tying to maintain a healthful lifestyle. The majority of my posts will be directed specifically towards people with dietary restrictions, food allergies and the like. Just so you get a general idea of where I am coming from, my diet is basically that of a pescatarian (occasionally I eat poultry, but haven't eaten red meat in at least 8 years). I am also working on being strictly gluten-free and low dairy. I will share more details of my personal journey in future posts, but for now I would like to welcome you to Run with the Spoon - sensible solutions for the solo diner.