Goals as a Foodie

I love food but have been bored with it lately. It was just me for a while, so cooking felt like too much energy and too many leftovers, even when the meals were shrinking. I have a few goals to spice things up regarding food and potentially lose weight (aside from exercise).

Find healthy alternatives for recipe ingredients. I want to be able to do what I have been doing lately with simple foods like spaghetti (replacing plain pasta with Banza pasta, regular sauce with Fody sauce) with most inflammatory and calorie-heavy foods. The healthier I can make my regular meals, the more I can lose weight because I’m not dreading what I eat.
Eat more international foods. I have tried several foods from various nationalities but want to try more. The number of options is overwhelming, so I want to find a country-themed random-selection tool and have it select a “national meal of the month” where I try a new recipe or go to a new restaurant with food from that country. The fun part is reading about the culture and history and sharing what I learn and think about the food. I think it can expand the mind and tastebuds at the same time.
Try new fruits and vegetables. I am somewhat sensitive to the texture and potency of some fruits and vegetables, which can make the amount of food I like somewhat scarce. I want to challenge myself occasionally to try a new fruit or vegetable to expand my tastes and learn different ways of cooking or preparing produce.

I think it’s important to at least try to find ways to eat healthier and be more open to things than what you only grew up eating. I think it’s worth challenging yourself with things, but it’s also okay to say, “This wasn’t really my favorite,” and not have that food again. But if we don’t try these foods, how will we know if we don’t like them? How can we find more ways to be healthy if we don’t experience other things to eat? This can’t be done all the time because, with this economy, we can sometimes only afford what we eat daily. This is okay, too and anyone who is reading this should know that nobody should force you to do or eat things regularly if you cannot afford it. I do believe there’s a way to be healthy cheap though, and that’s one of my other goals. Again, healthy eating is hard as it is and can be harder in this economy, but if I can find a way to make it easier and cheaper, that’s what I’ll do.

So far, I’ve made a fairly cheap breakfast that’s not too high in calories: a boiled egg, cinnamon raisin English muffin with cream cheese, and a banana. Then I’ll grab a Rise Brewing Co. Nitro Cold Brew Coffee in Oat Milk Mocha from Kroger (or get it in bulk when I can afford it on Amazon). I get fiber, grains, protein, fruit, and a caffeinated treat to give me an extra boost. For dinner, I’ll sometimes make a tummy-friendly butter chicken, stir fry, or spaghetti with a chunky veggie and meat sauce to ensure I have enough leftovers. I love to have rice, protein, fiber, and a tasty sauce.

I’ll leave some pictures below of some of my favorite meals. They are truly delicious and typically make me feel satisfied. Share your favorite meal in the comments, and I might try cooking it and posting what I think!