Having a set of go-to recipes may make healthy home cooking a breeze. Classic pairings like grilled chicken over kale salad and roast salmon with broccoli may always be on the menu, but the meals you could cook blindfolded might lose their allure at times. You've been stuck in a healthy eating rut, and the boredom is driving you to order a pepperoni pizza. But put the phone down; there are more exciting ways to reintroduce enthusiasm to your kitchen. Wesley McWhorter, RD, a professional chef, and spokesman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, offers his best advice for breaking out of a healthy eating rut.
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1. Visit a Different Supermarket
Starting with the goods in your refrigerator, you can spice up your meals. Things will become boring after a while if you go to the same supermarket with the same shopping list week after week.
"There was a Korean store nearby with a vast vegetable area when I worked as a private chef," McWhorter remembers. He first discovered kohlrabi at that supermarket. The bulbous plant is linked to cauliflower and cabbage, and it provides all of the cruciferous vegetable's health advantages. He now considers it one of his favorite veggies.
Changing up where you shop might also inspire you and even lead to the discovery of your new favorite veggie. Farmers’ markets are especially good locations to locate a fun, new-to-you product that may refresh your cooking since they typically feature heritage types of fruits and vegetables that you won't find at the store.
Remove the stiff outer layer of a kohlrabi bulb and slice it into matchsticks. Season with salt and mix with a little agave, olive oil, and rice vinegar. If you have parsley, cilantro, dill, or any delicate herb on hand, cut it up and sprinkle it on top just before serving. Toss in some chopped roasted nuts as a finishing touch.
2. Experiment with Different Flavors from Around the World
Most individuals resort to their own families' and cultures' cuisines and recipes. Choose a foreign cuisine from a region of the globe you're unfamiliar with, according to McWhorter. He is a native of the American South who likes preparing Mexican cuisine. He explains, "It's not simply chips and salsa." He also recommends Indian and Moroccan foods because of their impressive use of spices.
It's not necessary to be intimidated by a new culinary approach. You might enroll in a beginning cooking class for any style of cuisine you want to learn more about. (Many of these are now available online.) Passionate home chefs from all around the globe teach their own recipes on YouTube.
In a cast-iron pan, heat a little olive oil and add the canned or cooked pinto beans. Cumin and Mexican oregano are used to season. To partly mash the beans, use a potato masher. Fresh cilantro leaves, diced radish, and a dollop of guacamole are folded into a warm corn tortilla.
3. Join a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
Today, community-supported agriculture (CSA) initiatives may be found all over the place. A subscription is normally required. You join up before the growing season begins, and each week you will get a box of fresh food from a local farm. You never know what will be in your box week to week, and it fluctuates according to what is in season.
"It's kind of like Chopped," McWhorter adds. Each week, there's a game show aspect to opening your package. It's a race against time to find out how to cook with unexpected products before they go bad.
Over the course of a normal growing season, you'll probably try a lot of new items, learn a lot of new recipes, obtain culinary ideas from your fellow members, and avoid any cooking ruts. "You'll definitely end up with a lot of things you wouldn't normally purchase." It may be frightening. "But it's also a lot of fun," McWhorter adds.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss the okra with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper after cutting it in half lengthwise. Roast until golden and crisp, cut-side down, on a baking sheet.
4. Experiment with your greens
A huge bunch of kale is likely to be the first item in your basket on a regular shopping run if you have even a passing interest in health and nutrition. However, kale is only one of several green leafy veggies. According to McWhorter, if it's the only leafy green you consume on a daily basis, you're losing out. He replies, "I don't even like kale." "My favorite greens are collards, but there are also Swiss chard, mustard greens, dandelion greens, broccoli rabe, and other options."
Although all of these leafy greens are nutrient-dense superfoods, their taste profiles and textures vary. There are traditional recipes for each, however, the most may be eaten fresh or cooked. One of the best ways to keep things interesting in the kitchen is to try as many different types of greens as possible.
Thinly slice a bunch of collard greens (difficult stems removed). In a large saucepan placed over medium heat, add olive oil and a couple of sliced garlic cloves. Cook until the garlic is fragrant. Cover with the greens and a few splashes of broth or water until the greens wilt. Simmer until the water has evaporated and the greens are soft, then uncover and continue to cook. Before eating, squeeze some lemon juice over them.
5. Take a look at your library card.
Food and cookery books usually have their own department in most libraries. Spend an hour browsing the stacks and borrowing anything that catches your interest. Traditional cookbooks, of course, are available, and they may be incredibly valuable for coming up with new ideas. However, there are a plethora of different cuisine novels that might inspire you.
"The Flavor Bible is one of my favorites. "It's chock-full of tips on how to mix various tastes," McWhorter adds. It explains which meals go well together. Fennel and orange, for example, are two combinations you may not have imagined. This combination, when combined with a few additional ingredients, creates an intriguing and tasty salad that is a far cry from the usually chopped romaine with oil and vinegar.
Remember, you don't have to follow recipes in books to the letter: "It's a terrific way to feel motivated and passionate about cooking again," adds McWhorter.
Cut a fennel bulb in half and finely slice it. Using a knife, cut an orange into segments. A tiny shallot should be finely sliced. Toss the fennel, orange, and shallot with olive oil and white wine vinegar in a bowl. Slivers of green olive may be added. Serve with baby arugula.
6. Give a Meal Kit a Try
When you're at a loss for what to prepare for supper, there's no shame in getting a couple of meal kits. Several companies cater to those who want to eat healthily. These services not only handle the shopping for you and bring you exactly what you need for that dish, but they also provide a wealth of new ideas.
"I was given one as a present, and I appreciated how different it was from the food I generally prepare. "It's a fantastic technique to generate ideas," McWhorter explains.
