Navigating Cooking Burnout
Here's what to make when life throws off your cooking groove
I’m having one of those weeks where cooking just doesn’t appeal to me. I began the week by going to my favorite local farm stand, bought a big produce box, got home and just blankly stared at it for a bit. I’m sure this sound familiar. As with all seasons of life, there are going to be times when cooking, eating and being inspired just aren’t happening. Sometimes the inspiration and drive just aren’t there — and that’s ok! We all need to nourish ourselves though, even if it’s in the most basic way possible.
So here are my go-to tips below when experiencing burnout in the kitchen.
The freezer is your BFF! With said veggie haul, I decided to freeze half the produce for later. I tossed my broccoli and green beans in a bag which I later made into a stir fry and froze my zucchini, which I’ll turn into a soup. This buys you some time, reduces food waste, and makes for easy meals in the future. When making big meals like Shepard’s pie, I like to make double so I can freeze one for later.
Focus on a balanced plate and go from there. Protein (beans, fish, meat, tofu), good fat (olive oil, olives, avocado oil, avocados, nuts), starchy carbohydrates (potatoes, pasta, grains, rice) + non-starchy (leafy greens) carbohydrates and spices and flavor profile. Many cultures eat beans and rice as a complete meal for a reason, it’s a pretty solid meal! Cost effective, fiber and protein rich, and easy to prepare. Pair it with some vegetables and an egg for the ultimate easy meal.
Batch cook some veggies — even if you don’t have a plan for them, having them easily accessible may make you more likely to reach for them. Think: boiled potatoes you can throw into a breakfast taco or to eat on their own with some fish and greens. Roasted sweet potato that you can turn stuff with some chickpeas and arugula for an easy meal.
Build a balanced smoothie! A quick way to get your daily nutrients in can be with a smoothie. This is a favorite in the fall/winter (add in some protein powder for a balanced smoothie)
Zhoosh up premade/freezer meals. I like to keep my freezer stocked with some frozen samosas, and I’ll pair that with a simple arugula salad with olive oil and lemon juice, and some hummus. It feels like a satisfying homemade dinner without any effort. In my pantry, I always have a few jars of Mama Masala curries (really rich, homemade tasting blends!) that I will pair with rice and some veggies. My go-to pizza brands is Capello’s as it’s grain free and taste really good. Here is a link to my pantry guide where I list all of my go-to’s.
Don’t be too hard on yourself! Show yourself some grace, keep it super simple. Whether you are feeding just yourself or trying to get food on for the whole family, pair it down a bit and get back to basics. Pasta is usually my go-to on busy weeks but I’ll always pair it with some greens.
Screw it, get takeout. Seriously, for your mental health sometimes it’s the only option. The only “fast food” spot I really go to is Chipotle and I feel like you can get a balanced meal there. My order is a bowl with veggies, black beans, avocado, salsa, and rice. I also frequent my local Thai spot for takeout!
Get cozy on the couch, open up your favorite cookbook and browse. Don’t even worry about “meal planning”, just get inspired by the images and flavor combinations.