What to do when you're bored with your food!?

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meg099
meg099 Posts: 14
in Food and Nutrition
So, I live in an apartment on campus and I'm used to buying my own groceries so I can avoid spending too much money (and avoid gaining!) by eating out. I have regular staples on my list such as eggs, lettuce, tomatoes, onions- but those are just regular cooking staples. Since I've been eating healthier, I've been also noticing that I'm getting very bored with what I have. Chicken just really isn't doing it for me anymore, especially since I'm such a fan of red meat- but steaks can't make it onto my college student budget. Also, I love the protein eggs give me in the morning, but I got so used to eating two eggs for breakfast that now I literally can't stand a bite of eggs, even with a sprinkle of cheese on them. Anyone have any good ideas to jazz up my groceries and my meals??? what do you do when you get bored with your food!?
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Replies

  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    I'd suggest pick one meal at a time and google something like "healthy breakfast recipes" to find some ideas.
    When you have a few different breakfasts that fit your lifestyle and your budget, look for lunch variety etc.
    There are so many good things to eat, even on a budget and on a diet, it just takes a bit of thinking outside the square!
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
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    Throw it at people....
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 9,996 Member
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    Add cheese and gravy.:bigsmile:
  • shrimpydoo
    shrimpydoo Posts: 112 Member
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    Invest in a crock pot. There's one on sale at Walmart right now for $19... you can make some darn delicious meals and save time & money....not to mention cleanup. When making a recipe, double or triple the veggies to make it go further. Buy whatever veggies are on sale--no need to follow a recipe to a 'T'....carrots, celery, onions, peppers....whatever you can afford. It will make your serving size a bit bigger and give you more nutrients as well. Good luck.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Look up recipes online.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 9,996 Member
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    Look up recipes online.
    Then add cheese and gravy.:smile:
  • AlongCame_Molly
    AlongCame_Molly Posts: 2,835 Member
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    I am prepping for a competition, so I get the repetitiveness of it all better than you think.

    I just suck it up and eat it, though. There's nothing to be done, (I'm on a budget, too) so there's no use complaining about it. Sorry I don't have any actual advice, but I feel your pain.

    I just thought of something, though, do you eat protein bars/shakes? They can be pretty expensive, but if you use them just to switch things up sometimes and don't make them a huge expensive habit, they can be a refreshing change from your usual staples, and still get you to your macro and calorie goals. I use basic shake flavors, like chocolate and vanilla, so I can blend different fruits and stuff in them to keep the flavors from getting boring and repetitive.
  • mscott10184
    mscott10184 Posts: 16
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    I know this sounds obvious but try buying things you don't normally buy. instead of rice try cous cous, or noodles instead of pasta, sweet potato instead of regular potato , things like that. for protein try tuna instead of chicken even just once a week and mix it with salsa (sounds horrible but trust me its good!) instead of mayo. If you get cravings for a snack have one piece of toast with a light skim of peanut butter. its filling and will stub out the craving. just little changes will make all the difference.

    in the super market walk down the aisles you dont normally go down and check out the bottom shelves for the budget items. super markets will put the most expensive items at eye level. if you look at the bottom shelves you'll find similar products for cheaper and usually healthier as they haven't had butter/sugar/salt etc added for flavour.

    hope this helps, good luck
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
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    My breakfast and lunches during the week get pretty redundant, mostly because I'm at work and I don't have time to make something new everyday. But, I do vary my dinners and on the weekends and make extra so that I can change up my lunches sometimes.

    My best advice to you is....learn how to cook. Try different recipes. Make things in bulk and freeze.
  • LRoslin
    LRoslin Posts: 128
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    Add Sriracha sauce to savory meals.

    Mix it up--if you're used to having a certain fruit with breakfast, try a different one. Or a different cheese in an omelet.
  • kiekie33
    kiekie33 Posts: 65
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    Do some recipe hunting online it's helped me out a lot, you'd be surprised what little variations can make a big difference. I've found most of my recipes on pintrest, yummly and allrecipes.com.

    I experiment a lot too, I just go in the kitchen see what i'm working with and go for something new
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    Add chilli sauce!

    I have about 3-4 breakfast staples that I switch between, so I'm not having teh smae thing ll the time. (Eggs, toast with peanut butter, porridge or overnight oats, Greek yoghurt)

    Buy whatever veg is cheap and in season. Make it into batches of chunky soup/ stew. Add a tin of beans (any variety) for protein. Freeeze in individual portion tubs. My freezer is stocked with a range of meals, none of which are the same.
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
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    What do you do when you get bored with your food!?

    I know that feeling. I usually eat almost the same several meals in rotation weekly. I find it is easier to control calories that way, and I have read several times the most successful people for weight loss or maintenance do somewhat the same.

    But, when i get sick of it I go online and start looking for healthy recipes and get over the hump. What ends up happening is I find one dish that I add in rotation.
  • translationslg
    translationslg Posts: 1 Member
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    add a few more foods to your diet. kalamata olives, red peppers to your plate. Sugar free sweet pickles sometimes help. Sugar free jello and cool whip, and EAS Advantedge shakes. still gets boring. I think the goal is to look for excitement in activities other than food, but it is hard and I am struggling too
  • ayalowich
    ayalowich Posts: 242 Member
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    Breakfast can easily be an energy bar and a banana. I do it several days a week, probably 4. That mixes one meal up.

    Lunch-cold cuts from the deli counter are relatively inexpensive and you have dozens of choices to make a sandwich with.
    So, I live in an apartment on campus and I'm used to buying my own groceries so I can avoid spending too much money (and avoid gaining!) by eating out. I have regular staples on my list such as eggs, lettuce, tomatoes, onions- but those are just regular cooking staples. Since I've been eating healthier, I've been also noticing that I'm getting very bored with what I have. Chicken just really isn't doing it for me anymore, especially since I'm such a fan of red meat- but steaks can't make it onto my college student budget. Also, I love the protein eggs give me in the morning, but I got so used to eating two eggs for breakfast that now I literally can't stand a bite of eggs, even with a sprinkle of cheese on them. Anyone have any good ideas to jazz up my groceries and my meals??? what do you do when you get bored with your food!?
  • sacausillas
    sacausillas Posts: 4 Member
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    I marinate like 5 lb of chicken and make it on the weekend to spread out through the week, so what was really yummy on Monday, is a pain to stomach after being eaten for lunch and dinner til Thursday. My boyfriend basically does the same thing and he recommended using different sauces, I put it in a ramekin to better know how much I'm using, but mustards are great a lot have no calories, so you can go hog wild, The one I'm using now is 5 calories per teaspoon, so I squeeze about a tablespoon into a ramekin and lightly dip my chicken in. House of Tsang also has an amazing spicy szechuan sauce, and a great thai peanut sauce, those are a little higher in calories but they pack a huge punch so not a lot is needed. You can also make your own oatmeal packets and add in different spices, dried fruits and nuts to each packet for some variety there.
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
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    Besides looking up new recipes, I like going to the farmers' market and just wandering around. There are bound to be some new vegetables or fruits you never had before and they tend to be inexpensive.
  • rockmama72
    rockmama72 Posts: 815 Member
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    If you google "healthy eating single tight budget" and other combinations that apply to you, you'll find tons of blogs, articles, recipes and the like. Browse a bit! Maybe you can find a few new things to try each week.
  • mrsbeck
    mrsbeck Posts: 234 Member
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    Is there an "ethnic" grocery store nearby? They are often cheaper than mainstream stores, and you will find completely new things to try there. We have an Asian market near us that is awesome-cheap seafood, lots of meat cuts that the "regular" grocery store doesn't carry, interesting vegetables, and more types of greens, eggplants, and beans than I knew existed.

    If you can get your hands on a crockpot, look for shanks at the butcher counter. They're usually available as a crosscut shank, which is basically a section of cow leg, bone and all. It's a very cheap cut of meat, because it's very tough. But put it in the crockpot with some onions and some cheap red wine (or beef stock, if you don't cook with alcohol) and let it simmer for 8-9 hours and it's amazing.
  • fificrazy
    fificrazy Posts: 234
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    If I had to eat bland/savory foods like that for every meal, I think I'd stop eating. Haha. The most versatile food you could start including in your meals: oats! You can make, well, oatmeal (duh), muffins, breakfast bakes, granola, banana oat cookies...
    You can grind it into flour and make anything you would with regular flour (pancakes, bread, snack cakes, crackers, etc). Just put the word "healthy" before any oat recipe you search and it'll be pretty easy to include in a healthy, cheap college plan. Haha. Same goes for almonds, or quinoa! Anything you can make with oats can be done with quinoa. But buying quinoa flakes and flour... probably not college budget stuff.

    Also, could try switching out veggies with fruits in your regular recipes. Mandarin oranges and berries in your salad, cranberries and oranges with cooked chicken, strawberries and apples in your sandwiches... Try having hot things cold (noodles, for instance) or cold things hot (like sandwiches). Easy way to mix things up.

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