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It’s easy to fall into the routine of eating the same food every day. Whether you make a large batch of pasta for the family or rely on tried-and-tested meat and potatoes, it can make family dinner times much easier. However, no matter how much you enjoy these dishes, there are only so many you can consume before it gets boring.
If you want to become more confident in the kitchen, perhaps it’s time to be more adventurous with your meals, but even this is tricky. Still, you don’t need to whip up some fine dining experience, but that doesn’t mean you can’t explore more food options.
Start With Flavors You Love
You should already know what flavors you love, and this is an excellent place to benign when being more adventurous. If you know you love the smoky flavor of chili or the hot and spicy sensation of your favorite curry, you can explore flavors like this. If you’re not sure if you want to make a big leap right away, you can always replace some ingredients (especially the meat) with something else, whether seafood or even vegan options that could add fascinating textures to your favorite dishes.
Explore Traditional Foods
If you want to explore different dishes but aren’t sure where to begin, you can look at the traditional foods from other countries. These foods have stood the test of time – and in many cases, have roots stretching back hundreds of years – so you know there must be something good about them. Exploring traditional dishes can introduce you to ingredients like bulgar wheat. But what is bulgur wheat, and why is it such a great meal base? You can learn more at that link and see the health benefits it offers and the variety of recipes it slots into perfectly.
Try Things Again
Everyone has stories of being force-fed soggy and bland food as a child. Since then, you may have avoided it at all costs. After all, if it’s foods you hated as a child, why would you enjoy them now? Well, a lot of it comes down to the quality of the food and how it was made. Brussels sprouts are one of the best examples of this. Your parents might have boiled them until they were more water than sprouts, but glazing them in maple syrup and roasting them could unlock new and fascinating flavor profiles that make you rethink sprouts entirely.
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Try Meal Boxes
Meal boxes have become increasingly popular to help households try new foods without contributing as much food or packaging waste. If you don’t have the confidence to try new foods, you can order discounted trials of these to try for a few weeks, while rotating menus means you always have something new to try. On top of this, there are also core recipes that you can rely on each week, so if you find something you love, there’s a strong possibility you can get it again. Every box comes with all the ingredients you need and also includes the recipe to guide you through the process. This is a great option for smaller households (especially if there are just two of you), but it could also be beneficial for households where your kids have inherited your fussiness.
Ignore Unappealing Textures
No one wants to consume weird food textures, whether it’s something soggy, gelatinous, or just a bit strange. However, you’re also missing out on potential deliciousness. Embracing unappealing textures is not too straightforward, and you need to adjust your mindset to help you eat the food without gagging. But you might discover there are plenty of weird foods that are yummy and good for you.
Get the Whole Family Involved
Being more adventurous often depends on the rest of your family. You will struggle to maintain an adventurous meal approach if your family won’t eat it as you’ll not want to prepare two meals. If you involve the whole family, such as picking the dish and helping with food prep, they are likely to get more excited about trying something new. There’s no need to make it a daily occasion, and dedicating just one night a week to something more exciting can expand your family’s culinary interests.
Culinary Adventure
Whether you’re a fussy eater or just prefer your comfort food over trying new things, you can still benefit from being more adventurous in your meals. Not only will it mix up your dinner times, but it will also improve your skills and might even help you discover a dish that you’ve been looking for your entire life.
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