Whole Lotta Healthy
Whole grains…
Multi-Seed Crackers Made with Brown Rice
Check!
Protein + Healthy Fats + Veggies…
Grilled Salmon atop Roasted Cauliflower
Fishy Fishy
Check!
It feels good to be back! 😀
Now onto some food-related discussion…
My Food Rut
A food rut. We’ve all been there.
To me, a food rut is not categorized by simply eating the same foods day in and day out. Though eating bowls of cereal for dinner daily can definitely cause a food rut, my current food rut has been looming for a while now.
I finally recognized it for what it was yesterday.
I fell out of the habit of cooking nutritious meals every day. Sure, my life has been a little out of whack with our wedding, honeymoon and Thanksgiving all popping up within the last month. Still, I’ve had numerous days in between these events where I could have taken the initiative to prepare healthy meals, but instead I often opted for fast, uninteresting foods and ended up eating sugary baked goods and cookies for dinner on several occasions.
Yesterday I officially realized that I was in a food rut. I realized I haven’t felt excited about cooking yummy dinners in a while and I miss that feeling and that enthusiasm. I genuinely enjoy flipping through magazines, browsing blogs and paging through cookbooks in an effort to discover a delicious-looking recipe. I love brainstorming ways to make recipes healthier and I enjoy thinking about new ways to combine foods that I love.
I want to get back to that.
I want to make dishes that excite me, like these:
- Cauliflower and Eggplant Barley Risotto
- Sloppy Joes
- Honey-Soy Glazed Salmon
- Rutabaga Fries
- Easy Pulled Pork
- Roasted Eggplant Lasagna
- Oatmeal Protein Pancakes
After a little more than a month-long hiatus from feeling that energy and excitement about my food, I’m ready to get back to my roots and return to losing myself in the kitchen.
First stop: The grocery store!
The Goods
Questions of the Day
- Do you ever find yourself in a food rut?
- What do you do to get out of it?
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I am smack in the middle of a food rut right now. It’s hard because only a very limited amount of things sound good to me and I have NO motivation to cook right now.
I do try to get in one new recipe to try each week so that way I can still add some variety. And I always plan the “heavier” cooking on Monday or Tuesday nights since the end of the weeks I know I lose all motivation. Those become crockpot nights. 😉
I’m a creature of habit, so I am frequently in a food rut. A new recipe or restaurant is always helpful! 🙂
I’m in a food rut right now also. I am having so much trouble trying to figure out something healthy and tasty to make for dinner every night. I need to try and look through some cookbooks and blogs for some motivation. It think it would be easier if I planned my meals for the week out rather than guessing each day what to make. Hopefully we will all get out of this rut soon! 🙂
Mmmmmm, the oatmeal protein pancakes look delicious. How many servings does the recipe make?
I am also a creature of habit, and I tend to live in a food rut. It helps that I love all of the foods that I eat, but it’s always nice to mix things up. I get new ideas from blogs and from going out to eat at restaurants. Cooking for my boyfriend also encourages me to step out a bit in terms of my food choices–he gets bored so much more easily than I do! 🙂
I’m totally in a food rut right now… I’ve been SO busy and don’t feel like I have the energy to climb out…
but I’m forcing myself to try some new recipes this week- hopefully that will do the trick! 🙂
I’m in a HUGE food rut right now, but Thanksgiving leftovers are helping, haha.
I get new recipe ideas from blogs and experiment with fruits and veggies that are in season. Or I’ll go to the grocery store and pick up something that I’ve never cooked before..this week I’m working with black beans and muesli. You’re always creative with food ideas so I’m sure you’ll get out of your rut soon 🙂
This is scary. I was just thinking that I’m in a food rut & came to your blog for ideas to help me get out of it! (Cue Twilight Zone theme song!) I think mine comes from living alone & getting tired of cooking a meal & having to eat the leftovers for 2-3 days after! I need to work on making smaller portions or reinventing my leftovers!
I get in a food rut every now and then and it is usually caused by me just being too busy! I generally love food and cooking like you but when your to do list has 100 things on it cooking a healthy dinner ends up somewhere on the bottom.
I try to find a few recipes that get me really excited and do a lot of the prep work on a lazy football sunday. The new recipes get me pumped to cook and having everything prepped before hand takes away the excuses.
Happy cooking!!
I was just there in my own little food rut two weeks ago. One thing that helps me get out of my food rut is to look back on all the delicious things I’ve made and to make a really good trip to the grocery store. I also find that the more processed things I have in my kitchen, the more I resort to them, and the more of a food rut I sink into.
I’m in a breakfast food rut, so I feel your pain.
Nothing sounds appealing to me anymore, none of my regular breakfast foods. I want muffins, yummy sweet breads, and cool savory breakfasts, but I just don’t know what to make!
I go through “cooking droughts” too. It happens – I’m excited to read about your upcoming recipes:)
I had been in an extended food rut these past few weeks. My mom was in town for Thanksgiving and we went to the store together and she was putting all of these wonderful things in my cart… I think that will help with my food rut! Usually I seek out my food magazines and recipe books for inspiration during my ruts.
I use a few methods to getting out of a food rut.
1) Buy/borrow magazines that would have some healthy recipes inside to read at the gym.
2) Go through old cookbooks or look at past blog posts for inspiration.
3) Clear out the kitchen of foods I’ve had forever and will likely never eat (donating non-perishables or giving food to friends is a big help).
4) And that will make way for… GROCERY SHOPPING SPREE! I’m never more inspired then when I have a kitchen full of healthy, tasty ingredients!
i’m excited for my grocery shopping spree!
Yes! I get bored SO EASILY with food! I usually just try to eat different foods all the time and not limit myself to one way of eating which usually helps me stay out of a rut. 🙂 But when I’m really desperate, my boyfriend and I go out to eat and get something non-American (Indian, Mexican, Japanese) and it usually helps my taste buds get a little excitement.
My breakfasts have always been oatmeal for the past six months, but I finally decided I needed a break. Now I eat cereal with banana and soy milk–funny that I crave cold cereal in the winter and hot oatmeal in the summer! It’s important to eat what your body is craving, but it’s also important to keep feeding your body nutritious foods because that just makes your body crave them more!
I usually switch up between the same breakfast – omelet or oatmeal…sometimes pancakes.
That salmon looks so delicious and the little crackers are so cute!
I am totally in that right now! Finding out I have to be gluten-free (besides that I’m already soy-free, meat-free and on limited dairy) is a huge adjustment! I still haven’t built up an arsenal of recipes that I feel comfortable with that won’t make my body freak out!
I have never had salmon over cauliflower. I will have to try that!
Totally get in food ruts!
Best thing to get out is to keep reading your cooking magazines, then tear out a recipe that looks good and put it on your fridge to remind you to make it!
I’m in total “bad food” rut! TOo much snacking and sweets! I’ve decided to go cold-turkey on the sweets for a while and can already notice my skin clearing up!
That usually happens to me a couple of times a year. I usually fall back on old favorites til I feel excited about food again.
I definitely get into food ruts. For me, its more of an “I like this so much, that I don’t want to try something different” mindset. Whenever that happens, I make myself go out and buy something different at the grocery store, or find a new recipe. I don’t always have success, but I do always end the food rut.
I don’t know whether I’m in a food rut but I have slacked on the eating the good for me food that I normally crave. My issue is that I see so many good recipes, get overwhelmed by wanting to try them all but there isn’t enough time or I get busy, or a hundred other reasons and then end up not making the dishes because I get so exhausted from the overwhelmingness of it all. Phew…I think I’m getting back to where my cooking expectations are a bit more realistic. I think it’s especially hard during the holidays when there’s so much emphasis on specialty holiday food.
i can totally relate. sometimes over-saturation of recipes and ideas can be very overwhelming!
When I’m low on groceries I inevitably get into a food rut. And if I’m short on time? Rut. It’s easy just to throw things together and go versus plan. With a full fridge, though, I’m much more inspired to eat a variety of meals.
I’m in a food rut too at the moment! What I usually do when I’m in a rut is go through recipe books/magazines etc for some inspiration. Or just go back and look at all the recipes I’ve bookmarked online (which is a TON! :P).
I was in a food rut last week. I was uninspired to make anything! I tried hiding leftover pasta in the fridge so that my boyfriend wouldn’t eat it and I could re-serve it for dinner on Saturday night. Terrible!
I Forced myself out of my rut by having friends over for dinner. Their enthusiasm for the meal and their compliments have got me cooking again!
I tend to get in food ruts when I’m stressed out with school or other things in life!! Meal planning and cooking is something that relaxes me though, so I TRY to keep things interesting. I can’t wait to go home for Christmas and finally make a dent in my bookmarked recipe folder!
I always seem to get that way around this time of year. I think its more just denial that my beloved summer produce is out of season. I try to welcome new winter veggies but they get old fast.
I dont know if I would consider my meals ‘ruts’ or not even though they are very similar..I mean, it’s what I love to eat! If I go a day or two eating things completely different..I actually miss my usual meals!
Holy crap! Your mention of your eggplant risotto inspired me so I just made it….ridiiiiiiculously amazing!
Food ruts are tough…just like fitness, clothing and work ruts.
The best solution for me is SPARK + EXCITEMENT. Try new things, do new things and see new things. 🙂
I’m in such a food rut. I sum it all up to that I am a college student and I have to stay within a fairly small food budget a week. Also, I’m such a picky eater that I am afraid to change. 😉
I’m starting to become more adventurous with my food… but I still have to have my Greek yogurt in the morning. 🙂
Oh, girl, I’ve definitely been there! That’s why I like blogs so much, though… They provide inspiration in times of food ruts!
this is really random, but i love your handwriting =] also whenever i’m in a food rut i go onto food blogs and get inspired =] also going into a good health food store gets me inspired!