As a single mom myself I know what it’s like to try (and I use the term try loosely – I’m the first to admit I’m not the greatest cook) and prepare a dinner for just my son and I.
For the purpose of this post I wanted to call on some other single moms and get their input. I jumped on Twitter and collected some responses to this question:
As a single mom what are the challenges you face in the kitchen?
Here are the replies I received via Twitter:
singlewahm
Cooking too much and being stuck with leftovers. And affordable eating on one income without eating the same thing all the time.
cassiegermsheid
My challenge: I get used to doin things myself so when some1 ends up in my kitchen w/me I freak on them cuz it isn’t done MY way
Another challenge: making right amt of food for a single person or a single mom with kids. Stuff doesn’t come packaged for it
shannoncherry
Although not a single mom per se, I am sometimes like tonight. My issue: wanting to cook something without taking too much time.
Those were all great responses and I couldn’t have said it better myself. I face each of those challenges myself and it can definitely get frustrating. I know that I feel guilty when I throw leftovers away but honestly there is only so much of a leftover you can eat before being bored with it!
If you are a single mom please share you challenges in the comment section! I would love to hear from you.
I used to put more effort into cooking ‘real meals’ when Sean was younger – but lately I’m all about heating something up in the microwave. He doesn’t complain fortunately
It is hard when I do want to make something really yummy, like a roast – they are sold in packages perfect for a family of four or so – and we end up with leftovers.
I guess that isn’t all bad LOL!
Haha, I’m the freak that has to have everything done MY way or it’s the highway!
Another challenge I have in the kitchen is trying to make healthy food. My kids are pretty good but they still give me a tough time with lots of the foods I want to eat. They’d rather eat Kraft Dinner than a spinach salad with salmon.
It’s also sad when you’re single and you prepare an amazing meal and have no one to share it with.
ok I’m the oddball here, cuz it’s me, 13 yo DD and occasionally 19 yo DS and all of us eat differently. I”m vegan…DD doesnt eat red meat and DS eats anything and everything. I cook dinner usually 5 nights a week and from scratch. Don’t use a microwave. The majority of meals are organic as well. I prepare different meals every night since I don’t eat what DD or DS eats. It’s really not that time consuming to make a small decent meal…plus if you involve the kids in the preparation they learn how to prepare food and you’re spending time bonding. I’ve been happily single the majority of the last 19 yrs and haven’t had any issues w/cooking for 2-3 and doing it healthy and from scratch.
We eat ‘menu style’ at my house “what do you want?” “What do YOU want?” “Ok, I guess I’ll have xxx.” I like to have balanced, decent meals but it’s challenging to fix just small portions of it. I”m not into making ahead, portioning and freezing. So I end up eating the same thing 3 meals a day for 2 days to finish it all. I’m rather sick of that by the time it’s done, and then don’t want to make it again for 6 months, which also limits variety.
I would have to say that the cooking is one of the easier things for me to deal with as a single mom. I love to cook and think up new things. When I was married there were only three of us and now that I am a single mom there are only three of us so the quantities are not really different, just the age of kids.
I have been blessed with very good eaters and if I see that something is going to become to much for us to eat I will stick part of it into the freezer for an easier meal later. This is easiest with soup and beans. I also save larger meals for when my parents come over for a meal that helps with the left overs. So to answer the original question, my biggest challenge is the dishes. I have the hardest time keeping up with them and I have a very tiny kitchen with little countertops and no dish washer, and one of my least favorite jobs. 
Finding great vegetarian meals is also some times a challenge.
Portion sizes. I would cook more (as I love cooking) but watching the food go bad in my fridge and the cost of the waste is a concern. People have suggested finding another family to ‘share purchases with’, but as a single working mom I don’t have the time to sit and repackage food to divvy it up.
I have a real issue with using the oven. I feel guilty if I use it for only one thing.
Say I want to take it easy and throw in a frozen pizza for a quick meal… my quick meal becomes something that has me in the kitchen for another 2 hours. I’ll think about how much electricity is wasted for one pizza, so I’ll grab a cake mix and bake a cake, too. Then I decide that making a casserole for the next couple of nights is a great idea too (leftover buffet, ya know?). Before I realize it, I’ve nearly recreated Thanksgiving.
If that isn’t enough, when I turn the oven off, I leave the door open to maximize the heat by warming the room (if it’s cold… if it’s hot, you can’t pay me to turn it on). I just really feel the need to justify the fact that I used the oven. LOL
Adjusting to just cooking for me and 2 girls and an occasional teen boy is harder than I thought. I cook too much and have lots of leftovers or I don’t make enough and then they are raiding the fridge in 30 min. I looked at a couple of menu planning and there didn’t seem to be one that fit in with our style. I’m sure I’ll get the hang of it.. probably when the kids all move out and have kids of their own!
Well, I already told you on Twitter my biggest cooking challenges, but wanted to comment anyway.
I do often have a hard time with the leftover issue. We are actually pretty good about eating leftovers, but a lot of time it depends on what it is. The other thing I’ve tried to get better about where leftovers is concerned is trying to remember to freeze them instead of throwing them in the fridge. That way, they make a quick meal if I don’t feel like cooking or something, plus there’s the added bonus of not having to eat the same thing so close together.