I don't know about you, but when it comes to cooking, no matter how hard I try to "think outside the box", it never works. I always end up with the same 8-10 basic meals ALL....THE....TIME. I mean, how am I supposed to encourage my kids to be adventurous in their eating when I don't cook that way!?
So recently, I came up with an idea that inspired me, and I hope it will inspire you.
On your next trip to the grocery store, try this: replace EVERYTHING, and I do mean EVERYTHING, in your usual shopping cart with something different. And just to clarify, I don't mean trading Ruffles for Wavy Lays or Aunt Jemima for Mrs. Butterworth. I mean PICK SOMETHING DIFFERENT. Now, I'll let you have your staples: milk, eggs, etc. But to really get in the spirit of it, anything you can trade out, DO IT. Here are a few examples:
Instead of.........try
regular rice.......quinoa
ground beef.......ground turkey
chicken breasts.......pork loin chops
strawberries.......blueberries
pizza dough/crust.......Naan bread
ranch dressing.......balsamic vinaigrette
low fat yogurt.......Greek yogurt
white flour.......unbleached 100% whole wheat flour
Fritos.......pita chips
orange juice.......grapefruit juice
See what I mean? Get your family's taste buds moving. Get out of the rut. Your family may actually learn to like new things. And if not, you might all lose a few pounds!
Great swaps, Mandy!
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