If you’re feeling bored with your normal rotation of healthy food meals, try changing things up. The only way to make healthy eating a long-term habit is to find satisfaction in the foods you prepare. Boredom can lead you to choose fattening, unwholesome foods that make you feel bad physically and emotionally. Instead, try one of these 5 tips to add some pizazz to your normal meals:
1. Go Exotic
Try a new type of cuisine and pick something totally different than what you’re used to. If you normally love spicy Mexican foods, go for an Indian curry or a steamy Thai soup. If Italian is your usual deal, experiment with a bowl of Vietnamese noodles instead. Rice lovers could whip up a Moroccan couscous dish or try out a protein-rich quinoa salad. The key is to pick something that sounds appealing but is out of your cooking comfort zone.
2. Spice It Up
New spices can add a different flavor to old favorites. Drop a handful of parsley into your pesto or sprinkle thyme on your roasted chicken. If you always use dried spices, experiment with the fresh versions—leafy basil has a different flavor than the flaky variety and fresh mint adds a sweet, spicy, often unexpected tang to your dish. If this is your first time switching to fresh herbs, be sure to research how to use them properly. Oftentimes, fresh items are added near the end of the cooking process so they don’t dry out and lose their flavor.
3. Be Artistic
If you’ve ever noticed that beautiful dishes taste more luxurious, then you’ve discovered one of the key ingredients of gourmet food. Take a page from your favorite cooking show or 5-star restaurant and be a culinary artist. Add sprigs of fresh parsley, zigzagging lines of sauce (use a squeeze bottle) and layers of color. And remember, gourmet dishes often feature smaller portions. Make sure your meals are well-balanced by creating different, separately plated courses. To really add some class, use cloth napkins and decorate the table with candles and a colorful arrangement of flowers. Atmosphere counts.
4. Rainbow Meals
Fruit doesn’t have to be limited to breakfast and dessert. Sliced apples add freshness, bananas add a starchy sweetness and oranges bring a twist of tang. Think about mixing different colors, and therefore vitamins and antioxidants, into your food by adding fruit to savory dishes. The combination of sweet and salty is bound to create a table pleasing menu.
5. Swap Successes
Sometimes all you need are some new ideas to get you excited about food again. Bring together a few friends and start a healthy food recipe club. Every week, each member sends out a personally tested, favorite recipe to the group. This is a great way to expand your existing repertoire—not only do you get new ideas from your friends, but you’ll soon be forced to branch out to find new suggestions to contribute as well.
