Staying away from home due to work or studies can be a challenge. This is when eating healthy takes a beating. A change of place, new work shifts, hectic schedules and travel time can drive professionals to take shortcuts and replace healthy food with quicker and easier alternatives. Eating out or relying on the office cafeteria/ PG is very common. An unhealthy diet along with a sedentary lifestyle can lead to diseases such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension and heart related diseases.

A good alternative is cooking meals for yourself (provided you have the facilities to do so). This can help you eat healthy and give you some time to yourself. Home cooked meals may not be like your mothers cooking but it can help you feel accomplished and energized.

While cooking for one, the following tips may prove useful:

Be a smart shopper

Plan your grocery shopping on a weekend and after you have had a meal (like after breakfast or lunch). This prevents you from picking up anything unhealthy due to hunger pangs. Prepare a list of items you need, going with a list helps you save time. Load up on fresh fruit, vegetables and staples like rice, wheat, dalia, ragi, dals and pulses. This will give you more variety in your diet. If you have a fridge, keep it stocked with milk, curd and eggs. Pick up the essentials and do not get tempted to wander through the snack and fast food isle. Instead pick up nuts (unsalted) for a healthy snack.

If you do not have a fridge, you can still stock up on dry ingredients like cereals and pulses. Store these in air tight containers to keep them fresh for longer. You can pick fresh fruit and vegetables from a vendor close by 2-3 times a week. Keep them in netted bags instead of polythene bags which make them ‘sweat' and spoil faster.

If you like to go a step further and get creative, try growing herbs, mint, coriander, tomatoes etc.

Cook more

Cooking for one does not mean you need to cook less. You can save time and energy by cooking for 2 meals. Prepare extra chapattis and sabji for lunch and dinner. Poha can be eaten for breakfast and a portion packed to take to office for a healthy evening snack. This way you can be sure you get the most out of your efforts. You could also put leftovers in the fridge for later. If you have chopped extra vegetables, combine them to make a healthy salad.

One dish meals

If you don't like the idea of washing up later, try one dish meals. These are easy to prepare and combine 2-3 food groups in a single serve. They also save on cooking time. You could try a brown rice vegetable pulao, khichadi, dal and green leafy paranthas, porridge with oats, milk, fresh fruit and nuts etc. You can look up cooking sites on the internet which can give you more ideas.

Plan Balanced Meals

Plan in advance and you will not go wrong.

• Focus on whole grains (brown rice, dalia, oats, ragi, jowar). You could get ragi / jowar rotis from a smaller restaurant close by if you are unable to prepare these at home. These will give you good nutrition.

• Balance the carbs with healthy protein like pulses and dals. You could also prepare chicken and fish in a healthy way with minimal oil.

• Vegetables should be part of a complete meal, use them in sabjis or raw in salads. Add green leafy vegetables to dal and paranthas. Squeeze lime over your salads and sabjis for a healthy boost of Vitamin C.

• Fill up on fruits. You could carry a fruit with you to work or prepare a fruit salad for a healthy snack.

Control for Salt and Oil

The added advantage of cooking by yourself is that you can control the amount of salt and oil being added. Invest in a few good quality non stick cooking dishes, this helps reduce the oil being used. Keep salt to a minimum and get creative with other alternatives like lime juice, garlic, ginger, mint, coriander etc.

Leftovers

If you are cooking extra, keep leftovers safe by packing in airtight containers. This will help seal in the freshness and keep them hygienic. If you have a fridge do not stuff food into it. Leave space in between as cold air needs to circulate to keep food safe. Make sure containers are clean and do not contain any traces of old foods leading to cross-contamination.

Learn new things and Have Fun

Cooking alone does not have to be boring. Try something new or different (it should be healthy of course!)
• Buy some cookbooks
• Ask your friends at work for new recipes and ideas
• Learn about a new cuisine
• Download recipes from the internet
• Cut out recipes from magazines and newspapers (the weekend editions may carry some interesting options).

Be proud of yourself and enjoy your food

When you eat alone, take a moment to think of the positive efforts you have put in to make a healthy meal, you have shopped wisely and saved on the money you would have otherwise spent on eating outside.

Enjoy the colours, flavours and texture of your home cooked meal. If you are not too pleased with the end result, do not worry. Cooking is a skill that develops over time. You should be proud and commend your creative ability to cook healthy, even if it is just for you!