I have been fighting a battle with food spoilage for a few years now.
My appetite has greatly diminished from age and medicines to the point that there are a lot of foods I do like but go bad before I can finish them.

I bought a small freezer, a bunch of plastic storage containers and use the fridge to preserve as much as possible and still face spoilage and expiration dates before I can use up the food.

I've eaten so many microwave meals I can't bear to taste another.

While I do buy single portions of soups, veggies and side dishes I find that I can't buy certain products that I like.

For instance, I bought a small package of bacon. I cut it in half then split those halves so there is 4 or 5 pieces in each bag, then I freeze them, only taking out one bag to thaw at a time.
I buy a single tomato and a head of lettuce, then a loaf of bread.
I get maybe 1 to 2 BLT sammiches before the bread goes bad and the lettuce rots.

It would be nice to be able to buy 1/2 head of lettuce and a 1/2 loaf of bread but no store carries 1/2 sizes.

I buy half-dozen eggs, pints of milk and single potatoes an onions. I have thrown out many of them because they go bad before I use them up. I have had margarine go bad on me.

I could forego buying groceries and just go out to eat but I like to cook. I just have no appetite most of the time.

I was thinking someone should open a grocery store chain that offers just single portions of all common groceries. Where you can buy a 1/4 head of lettuce, a half loaf of bread, micro sizes of condiments...stuff like that.

Lol I come from a family that cooks for an army (generations)

I am learning to shorten it.

Been buying grocery's for one for a long time.. From time to time I have to throw out some things but that is very seldom...

Get a vacuum seal machine... in order to put things in portions and they will not freezer burn......

Bacon I cut it in half and freeze the other half due to I fix breakfast every weekend what I have in the fridge I have never lost bacon.. I buy eggs 2 - 18 packs at a time.. it takes eggs a bit before they spoil have never had any go bad..

All meats I separate into individual freezer bags.

When I cook I eat what I want of it then freeze what I know I will not eat that day or the next..

As far as lettuce best way to keep it is get you a large plastic container with a lid you can seal. Put about 3-4 paper towels folded up in the bottom. Take your lettuce hit the core against the counter and pull it out put the lettuce in the container the paper towels will keep it from going bad and will last approx 2 weeks. I do the same with onions once they have been cut... And the same with raw veggies broccoli, cauliflower & carrots. Main thing is get these things out of the plastic and absorb the moister that they create.... Change out paper towels when they become soaked from the moister.

The only thing I have found that ruins before I can use it all is milk.. So when I eat fast food I have them give me milk instead since I do not drink soda's unless it is with a mixed drink... or I buy almond milk due to the expiration on it is like 2 months away...

As far as bread there is no way I can go through a full loaf by myself. So since I very seldom eat sandwiches I started buying just the smallest cheapest hamburger buns..... Less waste that way put them in the fridge as well helps the bread to last a little longer. Before I use one I stick the bun in the microwave for like a couple secs just to soften them up again. They can be keep in the freezer as well and just take out what you need...

I freeze a lot of things.. things like bread and wherever else I can. But growing up we did not have a lot to eat so in my adult life I always buy more then I really need. I like the fridge and cupboards full. So I suppose it is more psychological then practical.

And when my sons come over which is often, then wipe me out anyway.

Buy yes, I too throw some stuff out.

tom my mom has started shopping at the salad counter lol just enough for what she wants at the time enough lettuce and tomato for you blts or what ever.
set your freezer to deep freeze and cook every thing at (least to rare) before you portion and vacuum bag it into single servings
freeze your bread the same way.
single servings and as little air in the container as possible.
they claim you can freeze milk as well. i go through it fast enough i never had to try it. and there is always powdered milk for cooking with at least.

When buying fruit I never buy the bundles or bags of fruit that have large quantity in them..

Banana's 3-4 at the most

Grapes I take half of the grapes out of the bag and put them in another since they sell those by the pound normally...

Don't buy bags of lettuce it is cheaper to buy a head of lettuce and cut it yourself..

All fresh stuff like onions, tomatoes, peppers ect never in packages way too many just get what you think you can eat in two days.. never fails what we think will last only two days will last us a week... less waste..

But have lately with things that can be stored like all cleaning products started buying them in larger containers end up cheaper that way... Just have to have a place to store things... And most of these things you can now order online with Walmart no shipping talking about nice only have to tug on them once to put them up... Not the 4 times when you have to go get them..

Same with coffee, powder creamer, sugar...

Great advice everyone! thanx.

I bought a box of powdered milk (gosh that stuff seems expensive) and I still buy my pints of milk (the come in cute little gallon jug type containers, lol).

I tried buying that precut lettuce, the bags of shredded lettuce but all went bad in the fridge, gotta try that trick with destemming and papertowels.

I've had steaks, ribs, roasts and even hamburger go bad in the freezer. You can't tell till you cook it up and taste it. It has a gamey yukky taste. Kinda sucks cause when I'm hankering for nice big juicy rib eye steak and I thaw it out in the fridge, cook it up and one taste throw it away its enough to send some into a fit of anger.
I started dating my freezer stuff but even still I get some stuff deep down that is 6 or 12 months old.
Down in the very bottom I think I have a rabbit that is 3 or 4 years old. I'm afraid to chip it out.
I've even had those microwave meal taste rotten because I have had them in the freezer too long.

I've got a cheap dehydrator and I dehydrate a lot of produce. The most difficult part of the process is the blanching. I'm doing peppers and melba toast right now.
I had some Pepperage Farms onion Hamburger Buns that were just starting to get stale. I figured what the heck, I cut them up and put them in the dehydrator.
I'll be upgrading my dehydrator to one with a fan and timer so I can start doing jerky and fruit strips. Down here you can buy alligator meat and I want to make some cajun gator jerky. I also love deer jerky and turkey jerky but I don't really hunt anymore.

I am a 'just in case' buyer.
I usually buy two of the things I buy. Just in case.
I love to cook but I have trouble eating (its a health thing from my meds).
If or when I have a woman in my life, there will be plenty of food, thing is, I don't want to serve her rotten or stale food.
Much of my life was a bare cupboards situation. Family of 6 and all that. Raising three boys that became teenagers who were always hungry inflated my grocery bills and kept the cupboards bare.

The adjustment from multiple mouths to a single mouth is difficult.
There are many custom stores out there that specialize in nearly anything but where are the "Groceries for One" stores?
nyone interested in a business opportunity for a grocery store chain? LOL

Locally We have street markets where we can buy fresh vegetables and fruits, also organic
We can buy bread and anything you can imagine buy piece, and egg
One the worst thing to do it’s to freeze foods and then putting to de freezes on the microwave
Some food turns like poison
I’ll will explain later much things
On the iPhone it’s very difficult, my fingers are too big

But Imagine, I’m not an athlete doing exercise o special diet, I’m 51 and in general terms healthy, y take and aspirin maybe once or twice a year

Everyone knows me always said I look like 4 something

I always thaw my meats in the fridge.
Usually overnight and much of the day.

hey tom here's 2 more for you

use your dehydrator to make powdered eggs for the cooking and such

try a bread maker. you can shirk the loaf size to match your requirements. and a friend said a bit of powdered potato helps keep it fresher longer

I love potato bread.
I can get potato bread in 1/2 loaf? from pepperage farms.
Not sure if the loaves are actually 1/2 but they seem smaller and they stay fresh longer?

I just checked my 3/4 loaf of local bread and it is getting moldy.
Threw it out. Now my grocery list has bread on it again.
Last night I forced myself to drink up my lil chug of milk, it was just about to expire and never been opened.

I bought a box of coconut butterfly shrimp and 10 breaded fish fillets. Last night I had shrimp and fish and was able to get it all in me. I ate 5 shrimp and 2 fillets. I bought this stuff at the beginning of January.

I buy a half dozen eggs at a time. That seems to be working. Thing is, I had two eggs left and went and picked up another 1/2 dozen because I was just about out...3 weeks ago. I still have the 8 eggs.
Eggs are easy for me to eat but I'm just not hungry anymore?

i was looking for powdered eggs online an found a forum and one of the posters made the comment about the potato helping her home made bread last longer. but the all pretty much a greed that for baking all the powdered ingredients lasted longer on shelf and sometimes even worked better

i like pancakes but the smallest batch from scratch or a mix is one egg and is too much for me. so i was trying to find a source for the powdered eggs that mom use to keep in the cupboard

I can see the truth in that.

I do have a baking cabinet. Its above the fridge. There's all kinds of stuff in there unopened but ready. Bisquick, Jiffy Mix, baking soda, dried fruits (storebought), different nuts, flavorings, almond barks and craft chocolates, icings, frosting mixes and a bunch more.
Hadn't even thought of that cabinet in a while? Puts it on my list of stuff to do.

I also have a cabinet of sauces. BBQ, Hot pepper, Simmer, unique condiments (fire mustard), marinades and injection brews.

I have a shelf full of mixed drink flavorings and slushie mixes.

I'm not having a problem with that stuff.
I'm having a problem with the stuff normal people run out of, going bad before I can run out of it. The kind of stuff you usually want on-hand.

These two pics were taken at the end of last summer



That shelf is now at the point of being over-loaded.



The fridge looks pretty much the same

hence the thought to powder your eggs and bake your own bread the rest was how i got to there

I buy 3 loaves of that pre-made bread dough.
That's how I make my own bread, too easy.
Thing is, its not the same.
While I love baking a loaf to go with a meal, I don't really want to mix and bake bread as a staple. I just want to be able to buy and 1/2 loaf from the store that is fresh.
I'm not a recipe baker. I started buying those 1/2 rolls of oven fresh biscuits. But even at a 5 count, I eat 2 and the rest go bad before I eat them.

What I need is one more mouth to feed.

i won't argue the extra mouth at all.
the cool thing about the bread machine is it's basically set it and forget it and you can tailor size to match your consumption and if you do the dry mixes they will last even longer than the pre made dough.

i have a decent appetite so i don't have as much trouble as you do but we are on the same learning curve as you with mom now being alone. i think the strangest and coolest thing she does is get most of her produce off the salad bar at the store. then it's just enough of the fresh veggies she needs for what ever she is planning on for the next few days.

I live in a small town, there isn't much selection at the saladbars unless I go to Gulfport or Slidell. Since it can get difficult for me to drive, I do most of my shopping locally.
The saladbars idea is good but doesn't fit my local store availability.

I think what I need to do is stop buying "just in case" food.
Thing is I go days, sometimes a week or two with out going anywhere.
It all depends on how my health is.

I figure it takes about the same time to cook for 4 as for 1, so that's what I often do. I freeze the other 3 meals separately. I can throw one in the fridge the day before I want it again the following week. It's like homemade tv dinners without all the preservatives.

I love doing this with chicken breast. Grill a few at once, then chop them up into individual servings for the fridge and freezer for easy use in chicken caesar salads, sandwich wraps, burritos, chicken and rice soups, chicken and broccoli casseroles, or chicken, spinach and tomato omelettes.

Now I'm hungry.

I've done something similar in the past.
Lately it stopped working for me because I forget I have it in the freezer and by the time I get a hankering for it again, a half a year has gone by. Then it gets "that taste" and I throw it out anyway.