How to Make Meal Times Exciting Again
During these difficult times of COVID-19, there is a high chance that many people will start to become bored or complacent with their food and meal choices. With a severe limitation of resources, the inability to rely on some of your favorite chain restaurants for that quick and easy meal, I think it is becoming increasingly more difficult to not cook the same meals every night.
This habit over time can cause food, cooking, and eating to become more of a chore,
which can possibly increase the frequency of skipped meals or a lack of appetite. I know the world that we’re living in now adds an extra challenge of trying to create new and exciting meals every night, especially with the stress of the current economic climate. It is also especially challenging when cooking for multiple people, as you want to please and serve every person without being able to fall on the crutch of ordering food or going out to that restaurant. I want to offer some tips today to combat this ‘food boredom’ that I am sure many people are facing right now, and offer some support as to how to get out of this rut.
Here are my tips:
1. Add some variety. I know it is said over and over again but it really works. If you cook the same vegetables, the same protein, and the same starch every day, it will get extremely tiring after a while. I know it is scary to branch out and not rely on those old habits that work, but incorporating new food combinations into your meals will help to bring some life back into the kitchen, and inspire you to cook more.
2. Involve everyone. If you are currently trying to cook for kids or multiple people in your household, involve them in the cooking process. Now is a great time with the family all together to plan the meals, cook, and try new things together. Brainstorm with your family a new ingredient you should try that week. Have your kids help you in the kitchen. It may make the process longer, but it is a great bonding and teaching moment for your children. It also will incentivize them to eat more of their food if they feel proud that they made it.
3. Try recipes. With the entire world at your fingertips, a great way during this quarantine to combat food boredom is to simply just try new recipes. Instead of buying an expensive cookbook, there are thousands of new, healthy recipes on Pinterest and various internet blogs. Many of them find new ways to bring life back into simple ingredients you may already have in your house. This will allow the price of your staple groceries to stay low while still reinvigorating some excitement into your meals.
4. One new food a day. Whether it is incorporating a new food every day or every week, try to find one new fruit or vegetable you have never tried and work that into your cooking for the week. It will add some excitement to your cooking, and will also add some variety and balance into your diet that is sometimes challenging to find during the pandemic.
5. Meal Prep. I know for many; food boredom can stem from simply being too busy to try new recipes or go on long grocery runs. I find it really important to set aside some time in the weekend to meal prep in bulk the staples of your diet that you necessarily may not change too much such as rice, potatoes, mixed vegetables, etc. This can help save so much time throughout the week to focus more time on cooking a new recipe for protein, or when trying a new recipe, you have the majority of your long cooking already done. Try prepping these foods unseasoned, so when adding to a meal you can simply add different seasonings, so you still can get different flavors every day with the same foods.
I hope these tips help some of you out there struggling with this ‘food boredom’ or lack of motivation when it comes to cooking and eating. I hope everyone stays well and can work these new tips into their weekly routine to bring some excitement back to the kitchen. If you are looking for professional help and you would like to work with me and get a professionally made meal plan to encourage you to eat more and more nutritionally suited to your needs throughout the day, click here.
