How to Get Out of a Mealtime Rut
It’s one of the most annoying things that happens in my attempt to keep things running smoothly in my house; the dreaded mealtime rut. It is especially easy to get into when you are a person who does meal planning and you are sticking with what works for your family to avoid food waste and complaints as well as complications from throwing another wrench in your day. If you are stuck, here are some tips on how to get out of a mealtime rut.
How to Get Out of a Mealtime Rut
Search online sites like Pinterest. What many people don’t realize is, Pinterest is also a search engine, only with pictures. If you are trying to think of new meal ideas, it is the perfect place to go to search and see exactly what you will be making rather than just reads names of recipes on other search engines such as Google. Looking for a new way to cook that chicken you got on sale or in bulk? Just head over and type in “Chicken Recipes” and you will have 100’s of recipes right at your fingertips. Start organizing them and you will have a point of reference to go back to when you find yourself in another rut.
Figure out a new way to eat something. Your family has their favorites, but have you ever tried making them a different way? Adding some peppers to a dish that is more savory might just change it enough to make it something else. If you are not sure how to change things, try looking up similar recipes online and see how they changed it from what you normally do. You can also ask your family what they would add to some favorite dishes.
Cook from your pantry once a week. This is not only a great way to save money, but it also forces you to be creative. If you have to work with what you have in your pantry, fridge and freezer, you may just find yourself coming up with a home run that will be part of your rotation.
Meal-plan to what is in season. Eating in season is smart for your budget, but it is also smart for keeping things new and fresh in your kitchen. Find out what is in season in your area currently and then look up ways to cook it. You might be surprised with what you can come up with!
Make a commitment to develop a new recipe once every 2 months. Developing recipes is the best way to keep things new at the dinner table. If you lack creativity, try looking online for inspiration.
Head to a different store to get your groceries once in a while. Have you ever shopped in an ethic grocery store? There are lots of new things you may not have even heard of there to try! You may be surprised at what you can come up with just by shopping there. If ethic food is not your thing, just try going to a different or local store that has come new options you don’t have at your regular store. You don’t have to get all of your ingredients there or any at all. Just go for inspiration.
I needed to read this! I’m in a huge meal preparation rut! Thank you!