Women’s Health - The Women’s Health Healthy Meals for One (or Two) Cookbook

This book is intended as a reference volume only, not as a medical manual. The information given here is designed to help you make informed decisions about your health. It is not intended as a substitute for any treatment that may have been prescribed by your doctor. If you suspect that you have a medical problem, we urge you to seek competent medical help.

The information in this book is meant to supplement, not replace, proper exercise training. All forms of exercise pose some inherent risks. The editors and publisher advise readers to take full responsibility for their safety and know their limits. Before practicing the exercises in this book, be sure that your equipment is well-maintained, and do not take risks beyond your level of experience, aptitude, training, and fitness. The exercise and dietary programs in this book are not intended as a substitute for any exercise routine or dietary regimen that may have been prescribed by your doctor. As with all exercise and dietary programs, you should get your doctors approval before beginning.

Mention of specific companies, organizations, or authorities in this book does not imply endorsement by the author or publisher, nor does mention of specific companies, organizations, or authorities imply that they endorse this book, its author, or the publisher.

Internet addresses and phone numbers given in this book were accurate at the time it went to press.

2017 by Rodale Inc.

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Womens Health is a registered trademark of Rodale Inc.

Photographs by Mitch Mandel/Rodale Images

Book design by Carol Angstadt and Jan Derevjanik

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the publisher.

ISBN 978-1-63565-085-3 paperback
ISBN 978-1-63565-086-0 e-book

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who were never in doubt.

First and moremost, I want to thank my fantastic editor, Allison Janice. Without you, this book wouldnt exist, and your guidance and vision are an invaluable resource. Thank you to the staff of Womens Health magazine and the incredible Rodale Test Kitchen.

To my wonderful parents, Sally and Todd Whitchurch and Norman and Lynn Walker, I owe you absolutely everything. My grandparents and my siblings, Chris, Tyler, Haley, Leslie, and Jenny, have always been my cheerleaders, and my nieces, Claire, Amelia, and Addison, and my cousins, Judith, Elle, and Sylvia, are my constant inspiration. This book is also for my aunt Deborah and my cousin Savannah, whose strength inspires me every day even though theyre no longer with me.

Thank you to my friends who contributed to, critiqued, and supported me through the process of writing this book: Bethy, Stephanie, Becca, Melissa, Mimi, Amy, Deb, Jen, Mary, and Peter. Your faith in my ability to do this work allowed me to think it was possible. And much appreciation to the Fishtown cafs, coffee shops, and bakeries that let me sit and drink coffee and soak up ideas from their amazing food.

Finally, thank you to you, dear reader, for picking up this book and taking the first step toward creating a healthier, happier life for yourself. This book exists to help you treat yourself the way you deserve to be treatedwith care, love, and respect. I hope it does just that.

Kate Walker, 2017

When was the last time you cooked for yourself? We dont mean the last time you heated up a microwaveable meal, or even the last time you threw together a stir-fry. When was the last time you really cooked for yourselfwhen you thought about what you wanted to eat, went out and bought the ingredients to make it, and put together a simple and complete meal for one?

Its a scary idea, making a meal for one. For many people, its as daunting as eating out alone at a restaurant. And for women, its particularly daunting. Its not because were not capable of planning, shopping, and cookingof course we are! And its not because of moneycooking at home is cheaper and often faster than takeout. Its because were just not used to putting that much energy into something that is just for us. Most of us will happily (if not skillfully) cook a fun meal for friends or roommates, but were constantly putting ourselves on the back burner (so to speak!).

It doesnt help that most recipes out there in cookbooks and online serve four to six, or eight, or even ten! Its not uncommon to find a delicious smoothie recipe that serves four. Four! Who makes smoothies for early-morning parties of four (and if you are, we are going to need an invite!)? That means that when you find a great recipe to try, you either have to remember how to use fractions to work the recipe down to two servings, or you get to eat the same meal six times in one week. Would you ever serve someone else the same boring dinner six nights in a row? Of course not. So why would you do that to yourself?

All of these multi-serving recipes are particularly out of touch because more Americans

A recent study found that people who live on their own have low diversity in the food they eat; consume fewer fruits, vegetables and fish than people in multi-person households; and are more likely to have an unhealthy dietpopcorn for dinner, anyone? Since fresh fruits and veggies are the foods that go bad the fastest, and are harder to finish as one person, its not a surprise they get passed over at the grocery store. And it doesnt help that getting dinner (or lunch, or snacks, or bagels) delivered is easier than ever. Well get into the details of nutrition and cost of cooking for yourself later, but whats becoming obvious is that we really are treating ourselves worse than we treat others. Much worse.

This book is here to help. Whether youre a first time cook or a recipe addict who just needs to master cooking for one, we have 175 fabulous recipes to get you started on the path to better health, more money in the bank, and tastier food. This is a book about radical self-care, about focusing on what your body needs, what you want to eat, and how to support everything else you have going on by adapting and prepping for your week in advance.

So pull the sweaters out of your oven, Carrie Bradshaw, and embrace your inner Monica. Youre going to get cooking and, after a few weeks of planning, prepping, and preparing food for yourself, much of it will become second nature. Like anything else, cooking for yourself is about establishing good habits. And were not suggesting that you should spend hours in the kitchen slaving over a 5 course meal for yourselfin fact, this books recipe section is broken up into dishes that can be prepped ahead of time, recipes that can be thrown together in a few minutes, and recipes that are slower and indulgent so you can adjust based on your schedule.