Healthy Cooking for One or Two

Tips and kitchen equipment that make meal prep quicker

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All too often, singles and couples turn to packaged foods and takeout because cooking doesn’t seem worth the effort, and who wants to eat leftovers for days?

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But a diet of restaurant meals and processed food isn’t so great for your health or your weight. When you make your own meals, you can control what goes into them. Below we have tips for taking advantage of small appliances and streamlining meal prep to make cooking at home more manageable.

To view each tip, click or hover over the black dots on the illustration below (or tap if you’re using a mobile device).

Click dots to learn more.

Illustration: Chris Philpot

Products That Can Help

Find more info here on the appliances we recommend when cooking for one or two:

Editor’s Note: A version of this article also appeared in the May 2021 issue of Consumer Reports On Health.

Headshot of Perry Santanachote, editor with the Home editorial team at Consumer Reports

Perry Santanachote

I cover the intersection of people, products, and sustainability, and try to provide humorous but useful advice for everyday living. I love to dive deep into how things work, and debunking myths might be my favorite pastime. But what I aim to be above all else is a guiding voice while you're shopping, telling you what's a value, what's a ripoff, and what's just right for you and your family.

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