Healthy Food Doesn’t Have to Be Boring Food

Many modern families meet the goal of eating at home with a rotation of three go-to chicken dishes, a chili night, and a fend-for-yourself "taco bowl night." And that's fine if it hits the spot for your family. That said, eating nutritious and exciting home-cooked meals doesn't have to be an oxymoron. 

Food boredom is real and understandable. Today's families don't have the time they'd like to explore and try new foods. When they find a dish their family enjoys that provides ample nutrition, they add it to their routine, and it sticks. In fact, one study shows that the average family only has about nine meals in their dinner night rotation. 

So, if you find yourself reluctantly writing "baked chicken and steamed broccoli" on your meal planning list for yet another week, here are some ways to fight off food boredom and keep your family dinners fresh, exciting and healthy!

Pair a protein with one complex carbohydrate and a vegetable. 

You may not believe it, but this formula makes for endless possibilities. Rotate grilled chicken breast, turkey, chicken sausage, or steak. Add potato or pasta and then, toss in your choice of roasted veggie or salad. You'll have dozens of simple, fresh pairings to add to your dinner night rotation to mix things up!

Try new flavor profiles. 

If you find yourself opting for black pepper and garlic salt yet again, give brand-new and unique spice blends like this Asian-inspired profile with garlic, coriander, ginger, and soy sauce a try. Or, go Thai-inspired with spices like lemongrass, garlic powder, cardamom, and basil! Be sure to have various spice blends on hand and try them out on foods you'd like to spice up a bit.

View food as an experience not an end-goal. 

Schedules may be chaotic, but reserving time in the evenings to connect with your family and invite them into the meal-prepping process can change your day. If you have younger children, allow them to use these plastic salad and vegetable knives to help prepare the fresh ingredients. Older children and teens can take the lead in prepping fresh vegetables and mixing spice blends while preparing the meal's meat portion.

Make time to create and explore one food item at a time. 

If you're getting bored with your go-to meals, overhauling your recipe repertoire in one week can feel overwhelming and nearly impossible. Instead, make it your goal to try one new food item a week. When shopping at the grocery store, peruse the produce section and select something new you'd like to try.

Experimenting allows you to engage your entire family in the mealtime process. If you have multiple children, let one pick a new food to try each week on a special night! By doing this, you are more likely to nurture adventurous eaters and create fond, lifetime memories with your family.

Make room for new foods, delivered to you! 

Invite the creativity of a professional chef to your dinnertime experience with our personal chef services. We offer personalized, custom meal plans and deliver freshly prepared meals straight to your fridge. You can hardly find a better option to release the constant pressure of preparing inventive, delicious meals yourself. It also frees up more time to spend with your family.

Let us serve as your family's gateway to new, fresh, and healthy meal ideas - check out a sample menu or get started today.

Feel like trying new recipes this week? Give these superfoods a taste test, or try making one of our favorite corn salsa recipes during your weekly taco or burrito night! 

Focus on adding, not overhauling!

Stepping out of your routine and livening up your menu doesn't have to be stressful. Add a new vegetable to your plate, a new spice, or a new side item to your baked chicken breast. And? When you're eager to add even more ingenuity to your table, try adding personal chef services to your list too!

Setting a Space for Gratitude at Your Thanksgiving Table

Sometimes it seems like Thanksgiving is just a speed bump on the road to Black Friday and all the Christmas hustle and bustle. 

The first half of the day, you spend in anticipation of the big meal, but once the post-turkey nap concludes, the Christmas tidings commence with a slew of jingling commercials and 99-percent-off deals.

And yet, this season is such a meaningful time to gather because it encompasses so many valuable things unique to our human experience. 

For instance, we set aside time to spend with our biological and intentional family we collect in the communities we build. We nourish our hearts and minds when we pause and reflect on all we have to be thankful for in our lives. And, we feed our bodies with delicious food emanating the aroma of tradition and memory.

As you approach your Thanksgiving table this year, are you setting a space for gratitude? 

Beyond decorating a beautiful tablescape, gracing the table with a gleaming turkey, and customizing place settings for dearly loved guests - are you intentionally bringing gratitude to the table?

Many of us may find it challenging to arrive at the table with a grateful heart this year, but it's important to first focus on what gratitude is - a practice.

What is the practice of gratitude? 

Thankfully, gratitude is more than a fuzzy feeling we can only invoke minutes before sinking our fork into a pile of turkey. It's a practice that shifts our focus to things that ground us like peace, love, beauty, and hope. 

Gratitude is an actual practice, which means we can wield and strengthen it regularly until it becomes a reflex built on muscle-memory (or heart-memory). 

We can break the practice of gratitude into these intentional steps:

Awareness 

First, begin by observing, looking around ourselves and within our situation to notice what we have to be grateful for. The key to awareness is welcoming the thought that goodness exists around us - even through uncertain and troubling times.

Affirmation

Affirm that, yes, goodness exists around you in tangible and intangible ways. Love, warmth, family. Food, a home, finances. Recognize and name (either out loud or on paper) what you are thankful for, and you may find that once you begin, it's hard to stop!

Presence 

Be present in each moment you can. You'll find that once you focus on what you're grateful for, worries begin to slip away. Let these stressors go for the time being and be present in your current joy!

It can be challenging to embrace gratitude when there are uncertain or troubling things happening in our lives, but this does not mean we are naive or ignorant. 

Gratitude has lasting social, psychological, and physical benefits that help us move through these life stressors more easily and happily. This is what Thanksgiving is all about - giving us that renewed boost of gratitude and serving as a reminder to carry the practice with us all year round!

Now that we know how to practice gratitude, what are some ways we can weave it into our daily lives, even once the holiday season has waned?

Here are five ways to practice gratitude all year long:

While things changed through the throes of 2020, one thing remains constant - gratefulness grounds and nourishes us as humans. Here are some ways you can practice gratitude today and every day, not just on Thanksgiving!

1. Keep a gratitude journal: Purchase a small journal specifically for this purpose, and choose a cover you love! With each entry, note the date and a short list of the day's gratitudes.

2. Call an old friend to say hello: Remember who is special to you, who has played a role in your life, and who you'd like to bless that day. Give them a call (don't text, call!), and you'll be surprised how happy they'll be to hear your voice.

3. Say thank you to someone: Wherever you may be - the grocery store or a coffee shop - take note of who is hard at work around you and say, 'Thank You!' Be sure to share why you are thankful as well!

4. Express gratitude to yourself: Note what you are thankful for about yourself. What strengths are you glad you have? What about your personality do you enjoy? Add what you discover here to your gratitude journal!

5. Ask a family member what they are thankful for: And be sure to listen. When we hear the gratitudes of friends and family, we learn a little more about who they are and what matters to them. What a gift!

Remember, gratitude is a practice, and Thanksgiving is a special day to give thanks alongside loved ones. When the sun sets on Thanksgiving night and Black Friday coupons begin circulating, stay rooted in the attitude of gratitude that you stirred anew and carry it with you all year long.

We feel gratitude for all of you who have allowed us to be a part of your family's lives and tables. Thanks for the opportunity you’ve give us to provide you with personal chef services that meet your family's needs and preferences.