Meal Suggestions!

Hi, I struggle with this a lot too- i have gone for months eating same meal over and over even when it clearly wasn’t good for my health and I was probably desperate for some other nutrients and a change. It’s just so easy to get stuck in a routine. Here are some things that help me- a big issue for me is making decisions and I also have ibs so am always anxious that a different food might make me nauseous and ill, on top of that I am picky (sensory sensitivities) and not good at feeling hunger and fullness so it’s so easy to just go with the default meal when unsure. 
I would suggest trying to be spontaneous about trying new things- sometimes i have a mental image of a food or meal and I might be really reluctant to try or make it but it is often a good idea to go with that. Step 1 is also just having different foods in the house- make it easy to try new things. So why not go to the supermarket and grab some new foods that catch your eye- i’m sometimes surprised by what catches my eye and then of course find so many reasons why it is a bad idea but unless there is a good reason (it made me ill multiple times in past and is also not nutritious), it can be good to go for it.

I also find that the more pressure i put on myself to try different foods, the more stressed i get and the less likely i am to try anything and if i force myself to then it doesn’t go well. 

i also have this huge resistance to cooking and i would never make anything that takes more than 5-10 minutes. I’m not familiar with air fryer so can’t suggest recipes for that. I also hate soggy- i like whole grain toast or rolls with eggs (but toasted to a very crunchy state). You can also make your life easier by assembling meals from ingredients that are already prepped- like ready grilled chicken slices or prawns or falafel. I really like making wraps (and you can bake them crunchy in a pan)- it’s super quick and a good way to get variety- i now like kimchi chicken sirachia mayo wraps. Or why not put some hummus and falafel etc. Or gucamole and salsa and chicken. Or if you prefer you could fill pita bread instead

also microwave packets of rice as a side. And you can get ready stirfry sauces so it takes very little time to assemble a meal of rice and vegetables and stirfry protein

or there are these ready curry pastes (just add coconut milk) or indian curry kits that can be nice

i like ravioli too- simply cook 2 min and add some tomato sauce or other sauce you fancy- and you can try different flavours. 

Rice noodles are also really fast- and add some packet miso soup, veggies and a ready cooked protein.

not sure if any of that appeals to you but maybe it will give some ideas how to make having variety easier.

i do still struggle with it and i can get super stuck -but when you get used to mixing things up it almost becomes fun- i was doing really well a few months ago - now a bit less so as i’ve had a stressful time and am sharing a kitchen with people who do not clean up… but I’m still much better than a year ago! (I ate a total of 4 foods then … in same order and from same brand …)

Hi, I struggle with this a lot too- i have gone for months eating same meal over and over even when it clearly wasn’t good for my health and I was probably desperate for some other nutrients and a change. It’s just so easy to get stuck in a routine. Here are some things that help me- a big issue for me is making decisions and I also have ibs so am always anxious that a different food might make me nauseous and ill, on top of that I am picky (sensory sensitivities) and not good at feeling hunger and fullness so it’s so easy to just go with the default meal when unsure. 
I would suggest trying to be spontaneous about trying new things- sometimes i have a mental image of a food or meal and I might be really reluctant to try or make it but it is often a good idea to go with that. Step 1 is also just having different foods in the house- make it easy to try new things. So why not go to the supermarket and grab some new foods that catch your eye- i’m sometimes surprised by what catches my eye and then of course find so many reasons why it is a bad idea but unless there is a good reason (it made me ill multiple times in past and is also not nutritious), it can be good to go for it.

I also find that the more pressure i put on myself to try different foods, the more stressed i get and the less likely i am to try anything and if i force myself to then it doesn’t go well. 

i also have this huge resistance to cooking and i would never make anything that takes more than 5-10 minutes. I’m not familiar with air fryer so can’t suggest recipes for that. I also hate soggy- i like whole grain toast or rolls with eggs (but toasted to a very crunchy state). You can also make your life easier by assembling meals from ingredients that are already prepped- like ready grilled chicken slices or prawns or falafel. I really like making wraps (and you can bake them crunchy in a pan)- it’s super quick and a good way to get variety- i now like kimchi chicken sirachia mayo wraps. Or why not put some hummus and falafel etc. Or gucamole and salsa and chicken. Or if you prefer you could fill pita bread instead

also microwave packets of rice as a side. And you can get ready stirfry sauces so it takes very little time to assemble a meal of rice and vegetables and stirfry protein

or there are these ready curry pastes (just add coconut milk) or indian curry kits that can be nice

i like ravioli too- simply cook 2 min and add some tomato sauce or other sauce you fancy- and you can try different flavours. 

Rice noodles are also really fast- and add some packet miso soup, veggies and a ready cooked protein.

not sure if any of that appeals to you but maybe it will give some ideas how to make having variety easier.

i do still struggle with it and i can get super stuck -but when you get used to mixing things up it almost becomes fun- i was doing really well a few months ago - now a bit less so as i’ve had a stressful time and am sharing a kitchen with people who do not clean up… but I’m still much better than a year ago! (I ate a total of 4 foods then … in same order and from same brand …)