The practice of gathering together to share a meal receives a lot of attention in the food press. Chefs waxing poetic about the ability of their trade to unite others as a great equalizer, something we can all enjoy, serves as the inspiration and justification for many a career. And while yes, the obligation to eat and the fact that some have more food and skill with it than others makes it a necessity to congregate, this essay speaks to the incomparable joy of cooking for one and dining solo.

Like many antisocial practices, eating alone suffers from stigmas, from the suspicion that the lone diner has been ostracized for some reason to outright selfishness. The latter comes into play in family dynamics where the pressure to congregate at mealtimes weighs the risk of not interacting at all, so everyone shrugs towards the obligation and if this situation is truly forced, evacuates as soon as possible.

Forcing food congeniality has downsides, from so many angles, but this article is not to examine those as to celebrate the freedom of feeding oneself…alone. Here are 5 reasons to enjoy cooking for oneself.

Eat when you want it

No waiting for the right time for that right meal, eggs at 3pm are acceptable. Fans of fasting know the middle of the day presents the most productive work opportunity, why spoil it with lunch and pay too much for a rushed mediocre meal when you could have used that hour to knock off work early and enjoy more daylight. Why wait in line to eat whenever everybody else does?

Avoid food critics

Everyone has an opinion on what and how you should eat, and often will let you know if you’re eating too fast or too slow, too little or much or examine what you left or did not leave on your plate. Take your time munching solo. Read a book…let it linger for hours with another ladle of soup.

Presentation-shmesintation

Food that tastes good doesn’t always look good, and only the cook really knows what to trust. Cooking for others requires an eye for design, incorporating ingredients based on color or texture rather than flavor and carefully flipping that creation so it doesn’t crack. Dining on a pile of disheveled deliciousness is one of life’s pleasures.

Experimental combinations

If you enjoy them, combine them, the food version of love the one you’re with, without rules or cultural criticism. Cooking for one allows more experimentation, because we all have that condiment that solves it.

Waste reduction

Cooking for others increases food waste. Its a fact with no way around it. Those presented with food they did not choose will usually waste some of it, as not their taste or just too much, the value lost in the easy access.

If given a choice, I cook for one, and prefer that option over others to the point that I would rather make two meals, one for others and one for myself, letting everyone else go first just to preserve that time alone later, tucked into elements of what they left behind made my own.