Some foods are better cooked in bigger quantities because cooking smaller meals will consume more energy every time one lights the gas cooker or electric stove. To bring food to the required temperatue at each time of cooking is more expensive than to cook a big amount and then pause for a few days. The only requirement is to heat. However, this doesn't work with food that spoils quickly.
The only reason I worry about quantity is to make sure that I have enough food to feed everyone. I don't think about how much energy it uses, i only make enough for everyone I'm feeding.
If I intend to cook for the whole family or an army of relatives who'll be visiting our home, then of course quantity would matter. However, such occasions are few and far between. When I cook for my family I just make sure to cover at least 6 or so servings. My mom's diabetes and my dad has high blood pressure so there are times they'd rather not eat what I prepare unless it doesn't conflict with their respective illnesses.
I think food is the one thing that I do not worry about energy for. You have to eat. I refuse to not cook something I want because it will increase my energy bill by a little bit. I can understand maybe this is different if you are cooking for a large amount of people. But for my small family, quantity is never a concern when cooking.
If meaning cooking in bulk rather than preparing individual meals each day - then yes - having always cooked from scratch and cooking more than one meal at a time is something I've been doing for as long as I can remember - no two ways about it - it very definitely saves money and not just in terms of the amount of energy/fuel used either. As apart from being way less time consuming and much, much more economical all round - especially as it ensures that nothing ever goes to waste and is healthier too - as all the ingredients are fresh and at their prime - with a plentiful supply of ready made meals available that are both quick and easy to prepare straight from the freezer - not only does it avoid having to spend too much time in the kitchen - but more importantly – it eliminates the possibility of having to spend extra money on eating out or ordering a take out - on those days when you don't have time to cook or when unexpected visitors arrive.
You could save more money cooking in bulk. I've heard of people who cook only once a week. They freeze whatever it is they cook and heat it when they want a meal. This would not only slash some money of your energy bills but it also discourages people from buying fast food because they'd rather not prepare a meal from scratch. Win, win. That's how I see it.
I always cook for more than one meal. I do take energy into the equation, but it's usually my own energy, which is often lacking, so I cook when I have energy, and freeze the leftovers for when I don't. I will usually freeze one portion individually, then the rest of the leftovers in one larger container. That way I have a current meal, leftovers for the next few days, one to pull out if I'm under the weather or just want something different for dinner that evening, and a larger portion for one meal plus leftovers. I cycle the frozen portions out, so nothing sits in there for an inordinate amount of time, and I do the same with desserts, so I have a variety of meals in the freezer.
I have recently thought about this and it occurred to me that cooking a larger quantity than what is needed for one day would save on gas. If I cook a meal to last for 2 days then I would not have to use the gas to cook the next day. I have no problem with eating the same meal 2 days in a row, but I would prefer not to cook the same meal for 3 days in a row. Also, I would have to say that cooking a meal to serve for 2 days affords me time to relax the next day or to do something else apart from being in the kitchen cooking. So, yes, it is good to consider quantity when cooking. Warming up the food would not use as much energy.
This food volume is an issue that always comes up when I am the one going to the market. My husband is the chef general and there are times he would reprimand me for buying so much. For beef, not more than 1.2 kilo for more than that would entail a problem with the pot or the pan. Likewise with chicken drumstick, 8 pieces only that would fit the pan in one cooking otherwise we will have a second batch of frying. To emphasize, if I buy 10 pieces, the 8 would fill the pan for the first batch and the second batch would only have 2 pieces. What a waste of fuel and effort and also time. There are only 4 people in the house at present so we have estimates of the quantity of food to buy. And I am greatly relieved during weekdays when our housemaid would do the marketing chores... she gets the reprimand from my husband.
Unless I have a plan on how to store the food I just do whatever I feel is practical at the time. I pile up mostly when it comes to stews because they take very long to tenderize the meat and it's more efficient to just do it all at once and maybe just freeze a portion of it for reheating later on. Otherwise I pretty much just cook what is needed but I have to admit that with a bit more planning I think I can be more efficient with my gas usage. Although I sometimes wonder if when I cook more and end up storing the food if I will end up just spending the money I saved on gas on storage and reheating.
I do consider saving on energy costs so when cooking I usually consider cooking in a manner to satisfy as much as I can, enough for more than one meal. I have found that this is an effective action for reducing the electricity cost because I have seen positive results.
Another way you can save is to cook more than one meal. This way you can freeze one of your meals....make sure you have about three servings in a meal. This way you will also save on electricity, and see more positive results.
