Let’s talk about beating food boredom. But in order to do so, consider this idea. Food is a lot like music. Have you ever had the distinct pleasure of listening to a Top 40 radio station for more than two hours?
It can become mind-numbingly repetitive. Hearing the same songs over and over and over again is so boring to the point where it almost hurts your brain.
After hearing Harry Styles sing “As It Was” for the fourth time, that’s your cue it’s time to turn off the radio. As much as you may love Harry (or Taylor Swift, for that matter), sometimes you need a break..
(Wait. Am I the only one who still listens to the radio sometimes?)
To beat boredom, you have to change the channel and switch it up. The same thing goes with cooking.
Food boredom is painful. I’ve been there many, many times.
But it was never as bad as it was when I was working as an assistant and lived in an apartment with a broken oven.
These were what I will refer to as my “soggy salad days.”
During my soggy salad days, while getting ready for work I used to haphazardly throw some lettuce, cranberries, walnuts, feta, and cucumbers in a Tupperware, top it with some olive oil and salt, and call that lunch.
Come 12:30 PM, my salad was so sad. Most of the time, I would just throw the salad out and buy a bagel from Au Bon Pain. Not the best, I know.
If only I had been eating this Chicken Shawarma Bowl instead!
Why is Food Boredom a Problem?
Ok, so no one likes being bored, we get that. But a problem? Kind of, yeah. Beating food boredom means you’re winning at a few things. Think of it this way.
The food you prepare shouldn’t be so unappetizing to you that you toss it. This also means you’re wasting money (and food) and buying something else in its place.
Let that sit in for a moment. I know, it’s kind of a lot.
Moving along. . . .
There’s an easy solution. I want to encourage you to take risks in your kitchen! It’s the only way you’ll discover new dishes you’ll LOVE—and get better at cooking at the same time!
This post breaks down three ways you can plan, create, and cook meals so you’ll never run into food boredom again. Guaranteed.
And if you do somehow get bored after using these methods, please email us and let us know what you’re stuck on and what you need to take out of your rotation. We will help!
How to Beat Food Boredom in 3 Easy Ways
Use the template of 1 protein, 1 complex carb, and 1 to 3 veggies
This is my favorite foolproof method for creating delicious meals that aren’t at all complicated.
If you think about it, this is exactly the method that popular lunch chains use. And it’s the way a lot of us grew up eating dinner. It works for a lot of reasons that we don’t really need to get into here.
My go-to Dig Inn lunch was always salmon with a quinoa salad and roasted broccoli on the side. In my book, that’s a perfect lunch… except the part where it costs $12 to buy. And also except the part where it meant eating the same thing almost every day.
Once I stopped making soggy salads and adopted this 1 protein / 1 complex carb / 1-3 vegetable format for meals, my lunches got a whole lot more exciting (and tasty). It also takes a LOT of guesswork out of the equation.
Yup, this BBQ chicken, asparagus and spicy sweet potatoes lunch beats a soggy salad any day. (And that means you’re also beating food boredom when you’re doing something different.)
Here are some examples of one-pot and pan meals you can build with this format:
- Sweet Potato Skillet: Sweet potatoes (complex carb) + black beans (protein) + corn, tomatoes and kale (veggies)
- Moroccan Chickpeas: chickpeas (protein) + zucchini and kale (veggies) + sweet potato (carb)
- Tofu stir fry: tofu (protein) + broccoli and carrots (veggies) + rice (carb)
- Pineapple Chicken: chicken (protein) + green beans and pineapple (veggies) + rice (carb)
Make “POP” meals (Pot/Oven/Pan)
The way you cook your food has everything to do with the texture and the way it tastes. And that’s where the food boredom can come in.
Even though this method requires a little bit more cleanup, you can build a huge variety of meals this way. Plus, you’ll get more comfortable (and confident) cooking several things at once. Prepping your ingredients and timing your cooking is everything!
To break this down, split your meals into three main ingredients. You would prepare one in a pan, one in the oven, and one in a pot. Generally, this approach means you’re covering all the bases.
Think about it this way. Rice, quinoa, and pasta are cooked in a pot. Chicken and other proteins can be cooked on the stovetop or in the oven. Veggies like potatoes need the oven (or the air fryer–consider that, too) or a skillet. Some of these methods are interchangeable, and then once you get really good, you can start combining methods and streamlining the process. But let’s get the basics down first.
Here are MORE examples of meals you can make with this format:
- Whole wheat pasta (pot) + baked chicken (oven) + sauteed string beans (pan)
- Brown rice (pot) + baked tofu (oven) + sauteed broccoli and snow peas (pan)
- Quinoa (pot) + roasted mixed vegetables (oven) + pan-roasted chickpeas (pan)
Of course, you could cook a meal that requires just a pot and pan and those are the ultimate in streamlined prep. The magic of one-pot meals, sheet-pan meals, and so forth, make weeknight dinners easy. Those are kind of their own template, too. But thinking in threes is helpful because you can start to see each “third” as a piece of a puzzle. One easy way to do this is to put them all in one bowl, like this Quinoa, Kale, and Butternut Squash Salad.
Get global and explore your favorite cuisines
What are your favorite types of food? You don’t need to make quinoa with veggies all the time.
I’m a huge fan of Mexican and Asian food; hence all of my burrito bowls and stir-fry meals.
Maybe you’re obsessed with Italian food. Or you’ve always wanted to try making a Spanish meal.
Batch cooking lunches is the best time to ease yourself into trying a new type of cuisine. It doesn’t need to be fancy. Knowing it’s for lunch takes some of the pressure off, right?
Sure, cooking a new type of cuisine can be intimidating at first, but you can simplify recipes easily.
I made a chicken fajita rice bowl a few weeks ago for the first time and it was such an easy spin on a Mexican favorite! You can have fun with them and vary the ingredients easily, based on what you have on hand.
Even though burrito bowls are delicious, they could get boring, too. Anything can become boring if you’re eating it over and over again. But trying something new is a great way to beat food boredom. Maybe you love Asian food and would rather get down those flavors. (Check out this Sheet Pan Salmon with Veggies!)
How to change the flavor profile and beat food boredom
One really quick way to mix up your meal is to vary the flavor profile. Every cuisine has a handful of go-to ingredients, herbs, and spices. Familiarize yourself with them, and then have fun experimenting with them, too.
- Mexican: cumin, coriander, oregano, garlic powder, chili powder
- Mediterranean: parsley, garlic, sea salt, sage, rosemary, lemon
- Italian: basil, oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme, garlic
- Greek: oregano, lemon, dill, mint, garlic, red onion, fennel, parsley
- Spanish: paprika, cayenne, garlic, saffron, nutmeg
- Asian: ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, white pepper, rice vinegar, chili sauce, lime
- Middle Eastern: za’atar, lemon, oregano, cumin, cardamom, turmeric, sumac, caraway
Check out my list of 10 flavor profiles for meal prep here (helps keep it interesting!)
If you choose what to cook based on the cuisines you like eating when you’re out, you’ll never get food boredom.
This week, I challenge you to try one of these methods to avoid boring lunches (and weeknight dinners).
Are you okay with doing some extra dishes in favor of trying something new? Try the “POP” method for more variety and to get comfortable cooking a few things at once.
Are you tired of eating bland food? Try learning how to cook the one cuisine you’re ALWAYS craving whenever you go out to eat.
Are you trying to eat simply? Subscribe below to grab three free mini-meal plans that include grocery lists and easy recipes! With these little changes, you can beat food boredom for good!
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