Whether you know how to cook or not, preparing meals just for one can be more of a challenge than you may have realized. Most recipes online are for serving multiple people, and getting the right measurements for one can lead to disaster if you get it wrong. Besides, just trying to understand how much is too much and how little is too little for one person is already difficult enough!

So if you're a single person living alone and you feel like you're struggling to come up with good meal ideas, we've compiled this article just for you. To make sure you're eating well while making the right amount of food so nothing goes to waste, here are five amazing dishes to cook that are perfect for singles. They'll become reliable recipes to toss in your meal rotation whenever you don't know what to make!

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Baked Potatoes

A filling and delicious meal that's great for either lunch or dinner, baked potatoes can come in clutch for single individuals who don't like cooking. It's a versatile dish that you can customize to your liking, whether you want to go crazy with fancy toppings like chili and caramelized onions, or just use up your fridge leftovers like mushrooms and onions. 

Whatever you choose to decorate your potato with, it's so easy to make just one serving - it's just one potato! And for those who lack cooking skills or simply prioritize convenience, you just have to pop it in the microwave, oven, or air fryer and let it bake on its own. No other cooking steps are needed, and yet you're able to enjoy this tasty meal in no time. 

Fancy Ramen

For those extra lazy or tiring days when you have no energy left to cook, a simple and quick meal is relying on your stash of instant ramen in the pantry - we know all you singles have got them in stock! But instead of eating it plain as is, you can easily level up this dish by adding in extra ingredients that make it healthier, more filling, and more satisfying to eat.

Some of the most popular additions include adding in slices of meat for protein, a soft-boiled egg for heartiness, and vegetables like bok choy, mushrooms, or napa cabbage for health. Leafy greens work the best for ramen because they're able to soak up all that flavor, making even these vegetables taste super delicious. 

Pasta

One of the simplest lunch or dinners you can make when living alone, all you need to make pasta is some noodles and a jar of sauce from the grocery store. Of course, you can make your own if you've got the skills to prepare it, but for those looking for hassle-free meal ideas for one, jarred pasta sauce works great.

It's incredibly easy to portion too - just cook however many noodles you're hungry for, heat up a matching amount of sauce, mix them together, and you've got dinner ready within a few minutes. If you do want to add a little something more to the dish, consider mixing into the sauce some ground beef or sausage for richness, and/or spinach and carrots for texture and health.

Fried Rice/Noodles

Have a lot of ingredients in the fridge that you're afraid is starting to go bad? Living alone also comes with the struggle of making sure none of the groceries you buy goes bad before you use them. So if you're someone who's having a hard time getting rid of leftovers, no dish is more perfect for individuals than fried rice or noodles. 

Toss in whatever vegetables and meat you have left in the fridge with a soy sauce mixture and you've got a meal ready for eating. Regardless of what you add in, it somehow always tastes delicious! That's the magic of fried rice and noodles - it's the ultimate foundation for whatever other ingredients you add to it. It can never taste bad!

Omelettes

We can't forget about breakfast now can we? Besides, if you're living alone and want breakfast for dinner, no one's there to judge anyway. But just like fried rice and noodles, omelettes are another wonderful option if you're looking for an easy way to use up fridge ingredients. It's perfect for making one portion of too!

Customize it however you'd like, just don't forget to add in some cheese if you have any! It adds that perfect rich and gooey consistency that really completes an omelette. If you're looking to get some extra protein, this is the dish to make.