How to end the food rut and start liking what you eat

If you’re stuck in a food rut, end the boring diet with these 10 tips to shake up your dull kitchen routine.

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Which of these describes you?

A:  You’re in the kitchen bouncing with energy because you can’t wait to create a dinner masterpiece.

B:  You’re slouched on the kitchen counter staring at a dirty cereal bowl and struggling to muster the energy to find something to eat. So much work. Time-consuming. Boring.

I’ve been both. But my version of B is me sitting on the plastic tub of dog food in the pantry staring cross-eyed at the crowded shelves. 😩

A food rut is the pits

And the longer we settle for dull, the harder it is to shake loose from it. And the greater our risk of eating poorly, gaining weight and feeling badly about not taking care of ourselves.

There are lots of reasons for a boring diet – lack of time, lack of energy, lack of desire to cook something nice because no one ever says thank you. Whatever your reason, shake up your kitchen routine asap because it’s more fun, rewarding and healthful than being stuck in a food rut.

Ditch the food blahs

The first step to breaking up with the food blahs is to try something different – without judging yourself.

Take a cooking break and rely on packaged foods for a bit. Or indulge in a few pricey ingredients to bring a meh dish to AMAZING. The key: be deliberate.

Being deliberate is key to everything. I want to direct my life and my choices, instead of leaving things up for chance. And it is okay to deliberately choose easy. You do not have to cook a 3-course homemade meal. Make easy your best friend.

And if you’re struggling with other goals too – like losing weight or getting your blood sugar under control –  you can build momentum with a gateway goal.

10 ways to end your food rut

Here are 10 tips to end your boring diet whether you have the cooking superpower or not. Try these for lunch or dinner.

1. Pretend the grocery store is a takeout restaurant

I can squeeze a week of dinners from rotisserie chickens from the supermarket (think BBQ pizza, tacos, chicken noodle soup) but a moist, fragrant rotisserie chicken is good enough to put right on the table.

What else can go right from supermarket to your table or take just a bit of cooking?

• steamed shrimp (so yummy with Old Bay seasonings)
• shrimp cocktail
• fresh fish fillets seasoned and ready to cook (did you know lots of supermarkets offer this?)
• bagged salad
• prepared soups or entree salads
• frozen vegetables
• sushi
• any number of items from the food bars common in groceries today. Check it out.

2.  Create a healthy version of a Lunchable from your pantry and refrigerator

Try this for lunch whether you eat at home or toss your meal in a sack and run. Pick a few yummy and healthy foods and call it a meal.

• cottage cheese
• yogurt
• hard-boiled egg
• lowfat cheese stick or (Babybel)
• flavored tuna like these
• canned tomato or vegetable juice
• fresh or canned fruit
• nuts
• baby carrots, baby bell peppers, bagged snap peas, prepared radishes, jicama slices

Vary them and pick things you like or you’ll stay stuck in a food rut.

3.  Add a couple back-pocket recipes

I’ve been leaning on scrambled eggs, grits and steamed green beans a bit too often lately. That combo – or a slight version with a microwaved potato instead of the grits – has been my standby for years. But lately, it’s shown up on the table a bit too often. It’s tasty, easy and nutritious, but it’s getting dull.

Create a list of super easy go-to recipes. Do it today. Here are three of mine.

• Mediterranean baked feta with tomatoes and white beans
• Lemon basil sauce for fish – pour it over baked or grilled fresh or frozen fillets
• Shred a rotisserie chicken and heat with jarred salsa. Serve over rice. Easy-peasy.

Ask your friends for their favorite back pocket recipes.

4.  Riff off family favorites

Love tacos? Try fish tacos, chicken tacos, or lentil tacos. Do you make an amazing lasagna? Ditch the marinara and Italian seasonings to put a Mexican spin on it. Try salsa and taco seasonings. And instead of beef and broccoli stir-fry, try chicken and broccoli. Add some oomph with chopped peanuts.

5. Put a sauce on it

Plain food dazzles with the right sauce. Buy one or make one. Try any of these:

• salsa verde
• chimichura
• sriracha mayo
• pesto
• tahini
• tzatziki
• peanut sauce

I found this saucy recipe collection.

6.  Try a meal subscription service

Give it a go for a week. Or try out a few different ones for a week each month. I know people who like Hello Fresh, Blue Apron and Sunbasket. Pick your menus wisely because the meals range from super nutritious to super indulgent.

Many past clients love them for the variety and the opportunity to learn new kitchen skills.

7.  Indulge

With your budget in mind, try something new. A new spice mixture or a fancy bottle of balsamic vinegar or olive oil? I LOVE these.

Take a cooking class. Pick out something sleek at Williams-Sonoma or super practical at Target.

8.  Stretch your creativity

Pick a standard dish and try it every which way.  Avocado toast aside, how many ways can you do toast? What about an omelette? Or grilled cheese? My favorite grilled cheese layers reduced-fat havariti cheese with sliced strawberries and fresh basil. (Oooh, dreaming of this now.)

9. Be random

Choose a number between 1 – 10, and walk into a grocery store. Find the aisle with that number and try something you’ve never had before. Or visit an ethnic food market and ask someone to show you their favorite items.

Finally, randomly open a cookbook, and prepare the first recipe you see.

10. Create a nourish bowl

And let every member of the family be creative with their own. Pull out your leftovers, scan your pantry and grab a bowl. Include a grain or starchy vegetable, a protein-rich food, a couple more veggies and something for a flavor burst – think tahini sauce, toasted almonds, berries, marinated artichoke hearts.

Being stuck in food rut is the pits! But it happens to us all. Just don’t stay there because life is so much more fun on the other side of a food rut.

Yay for me!

Now that I’ve compiled this list, I have a few ideas to pull me off the plastic tub of dog food in my pantry. And Benny can stop nudging me to get off his dinner and give him some!