How to get inspired about what to cook and eat…

Are YOU in a Food Rut?

Does this sound like you?

You know you're in a food rut when…

 – You eat the same thing night after night.

 – You’re bored with what you're eating and feel uninspired.

 – Instead of cooking, you want to order Uber eats.

 – You default to a frozen meal most nights of the week.

But how is it that with millions of recipes available at your finger-tips, posts with quick easy meal ideas flooding the internet and cooking shows crowding the t.v. channels that you end up in a food rut?

What is going on?

It's likely to be one (or all) of the following...

Decision fatigue - too much choice makes it hard to narrow down what you actually want.

Too busy - when life is go, go, go, something has to give. So you just grab the same thing when shopping without giving it much thought.

Too difficult - while it says it takes 20 minutes to cook, you’re not Jamie Oliver and whenever you've tried those recipes it always takes you way longer. Or you're buying ingredients that you only use 1/4 or 1/3 of and end up having to throw out the rest.

It just doesn't "do it" for you - you have a folder full of healthy recipes that sound great on paper but just don’t excite your taste buds. Perhaps they’re a bit TOO healthy!!

So what can you do?

What’s the fix?

DO ONE THING

The best way to snap out of a food rut is to choose just ONE new recipe or ONE new ingredient to try each week.

That's it!

What most people tend to do is try too many new things at once. It's overwhelming and in the rut you'll stay!

But when you do ONE thing, try one new ingredient or recipe each week it's do-able and can start to create momentum.

HOW TO CHOOSE ONE NEW RECIPE…

Simple - It needs to be simple. Few steps, small number of ingredients and not take too long to make.

Familiar - Stick with what you know you already like. For example, do you prefer stir fries or curries? Salads or soups? Plain, simple meals that aren't too fancy or complicated?

Balance - In order to satisfy you (help you feel full), make sure the meal includes a balance of protein + low GI carb + colourful vegies + healthy fat (like my fave extra virgin olive oil).

HOW TO CHOOSE ONE NEW INGREDIENT...

If you aren’t feeling motivated to try a new recipe, then try one new ingredient!

While it could be a new vegetable or source of protein (e.g. if you're a regular steak or chicken eater, try plant based protein sources like chickpeas or tofu), it could also be a new seasoning (herbs, spices), marinade, sauce or dressing.

 This small change can add excitement and flavour without overwhelming you, shaking up a boring routine and get you out of a rut!

​And if you need help with eating well, consider joining my nutrition basics course which includes how to plan and cook deeelicious meals!

Photo by Mariana Medvedeva on Unsplash