There are many times that we may reach a point in our weight loss journey where we just are tired of our food, or even worse our family is tired of our food. When trying to lose weight this is the common dieting mindset – the food is supposed to be bland and boring. I really want to say that this is not true.
As a busy mom I know that it is hard to find the time to cook my family and I huge, family dinner, type meals all the time. On the really busy days it is easy to fall back on the go-to, easy to make meals or
just through some chicken in the oven with a few baked potatoes and a vegetable of some sort. This can lead to boredom really fast, especially when seasonings and creativity are skipped. Or, we may just cook the same foods over and over because we know that they are easy to prepare and cook quickly.
You can change this. You do not have to eat those same boring meals all the time. You can begin to cook new and exciting dishes for your family. Dishes that both you and your family want to sit down and eat.
I am going to dig into all the cooking knowledge I have and share with you some ways that you can overcome those food ruts!
In my opinion cooking should be fun to some level, however for many moms this just is not the case. It feels like a chore and sucks all the pleasure out of preparing the meal for your family. I want to tell you that you do not have to love cooking for it to be fun or pleasurable.
When you begin to feel like it is a chore, take some time to think about what you and your family enjoy eating (everything, even the non-weight loss foods). Sit down and write it all down (yes, I am a fan of writing it down on a piece of paper), I mean everything that you like whether it is pizza, burritos, or breakfast foods. Then take all of those items and consider how you can make change them to make them healthier options.
After you have your list, pick the top three favorites and write up new recipes for them. I am not saying that you have to be specific or a culinary artist, just make simple changes. If you like using tortillas, try using whole wheat tortillas. If you like ground beef with the whole packet of seasoning, try ground turkey and only use have the package of seasoning.
Get comfortable with making simple, small changes to your favorite recipes. After you have done this for a few weeks, you can begin to add in much more creativity and experiment in your kitchen.
Love yourself and know you are doing the best for your family, even if you do not love to cook. Eating healthy plays a huge role in weight loss; do not let the fact that you do not love cooking keep you from eating a healthy diet. The more you practice the more confidence you will gain.
Use some of the following to help generate those new ideas:
- Look through some cooking magazines or websites
- Use the Library to browse for a couple cookbooks that catch your eye
- Go to a different store to do your grocery shopping (yes, this does help as they do not all carry the same items)
- Purchase that kitchen gadget that you have been wanting, or learn how to use one that you have purchased that has never come out of that drawer
- Purchase a spice you have never used before and use it in a new recipe
- Use those leftovers in a new way the next day
- Change up your meals – eat what you consider “lunch food” at breakfast, eat “breakfast food” at supper, and or eat “supper food” at lunch
- Eat leftovers from last night for breakfast
- Take leftovers from last night to work for your lunch
- Stop eating “diet” foods and start eating whole foods – it’s okay to eat something that may have a few more calories because you like it, it helps keep you from getting stuck in the “dieting” blahs
Everyday Extraordinary Mompreneur 
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