food ruts...do you have them??

Just wondering if anyone ever has a GREAT day of eating that puts them into a "food rut"...one where they want to mimic that day EVERY day with the same foods...not that you actually do it but something you ate that day becomes your default because it was so good and just fit your day perfectly? Yesterday I had a pita bread with a can of tuna, a cup of soup, and some cabbage and it was just PERFECT for some reason, the quantity was great and it tasted fabulous and I thought to myself....I could eat this every day. lol. I know I'm not going to do it because I know the value of eating a variety of foods and I might integrate it into my weekly meals so that I eat it MORE often but just wondering about you guys.

I've felt that way about dishes sometimes.... For example, I made a lovely Mushroom and Tofu Curry a couple of days ago and it was so nice that I'm going to use up the rest of the tofu packet and have it again on Friday!!  But there's a big part of my personality that hates repetition of any kind otherwise and I'll go out of my way to avoid it.

I totally do this. I basically eat the same things for breakfast and lunch everyday. And then I will make something different for dinner, but eat that for a few days until it is all gone. I realize I probably need more variety, but I'm in grad school and live alone so it is really expensive to buy stuff to have different things for meals everyday. And it's just hard to cook for one person!  

Oh yeah.  I have a salad for lunch at least 4 days a week.  Almost always lots of veggies with red wine vinegar for dressing.  Sometimes I will throw in some turkey or chicken or ham, but my norm is veggies.  When my hubby is out of town, I almost always have roasted veggies and grilled chicken breast.  I will fix them different ways, but they are my "norm" for dinner when it is just me.

Original Post by meganwilliams2:

I totally do this. I basically eat the same things for breakfast and lunch everyday. And then I will make something different for dinner, but eat that for a few days until it is all gone. I realize I probably need more variety, but I'm in grad school and live alone so it is really expensive to buy stuff to have different things for meals everyday. And it's just hard to cook for one person!  

SNAP!

I frequently eat the same meals for days at a time. I used to eat different foods at every meal every day just about - part of the recovery process for me was learning to expand out of safe foods. But with how frequently I am on the go now, I tend to rely on certain things just because I already know its enough calories for me. I do eat out with the boyfriend/friends frequently, and that in of itself prevents me from going into week or month long ruts with food.

It's funny - I could & most of the time do eat the same things daily... but when I am home or with friends and make the same dinner every day they all look at me as though it's weird - they cannot image eating the same thing every day, but I love doing it because I love the foods I chow down on! ha ha. I remember when I had a roommate she would go nuts trying to figure out what to eat every night while I just fell back to the same ol' good stuff - she'd try to make some elaborate meal that always ended up burnt, etc... and then she'd look at me and ask how I could eat the same thing all the time... well she's the example of why I can - because I know what I make is good! lol

megan I totally understand where you are coming from.  I am also a student and I often have the same things to eat for meals every day/week (breakfast is always exactly the same).  It's too inconvenient to cook in really small servings.  But it is also cheaper to buy in bulk.  What do you normally shop for/what's in your kitchen?  Maybe I can get some pointers from you. ;)

white_sakura: Some of my staples are: apples (gala and fuji are my faves), baby carrots, toamtoes, lettuce, FF Italian dressing, Nature's Own Double Fiber Wheat bread, turkey lunch meat, 2% milk cheese slices, FF vanilla yogurt (various brands-whatever is on sale or I have a coupon for), various cereals (right now I have Total- cinnamon raisin and blueberry pomagranate), ground flaxseed (I put the cereal in the yogurt with the flax), 100 cal popcorn, white cheddar popcorn seasoning, spray butter, maybe some granola bars or 100 cal pack cookies, blueberries, big frozen bag chicken breast, tomato sauce, WW pasta, instant potatoes, canned tuna, coffee creamer and truvia for coffee. I also keep frozen dinners handy.

If I cook something for dinner, I can thaw 1 or 2 chicken breasts, marinate them or put some kind of spice rub on them and cook them in the oven or george foreman grill. Then make bag of potatoes (4 servings) and make a salad. Nothing too exciting or fancy, but I like it!

Not sure if that helps you at all, but hopefully I gave you some ideas!

Haha what I have are:

Breakfast: oatmeal and milk

Lunch: Sandwich fixings and milk

Dinner: Sandiwch fixings and milk, or if I'm less lazy, rice, stir fry and milk xD

I didn't know you wanted to know my typical menu! Anyway, it looks like:

Breakfast: FF yogurt with cereal and flaxseed, blueberries, coffee

Lunch: Turkey Sandwich, baby carrots

Dinner: Chicken breast, mashed potatoes/some other grain, salad/veggie, decaf coffee or get something out- probably a salad with grilled chicken.

omg yes. when i make my own food and don't really push myself to try new things they're always the same. i'll have the same thing for most meals and snacks a day, for days in a row. i try really hard not to do it! some things in the past have been...

-cottage cheese, peaches, cinnamon, and sugar
-greek yogurt, peaches, cinnamon, and sugar
-vegetarian chili, raw veggies, and toast
-fried egg on toast
-boca burger sanwich with veggies and mayo
-fiber one cereal with strawberries and/or peaches, chocolate milk, cinnamon, and sugar sugar
-tortillas with fruit, cinnamon, and sugar inside
-wheat germ, white mountain yogurt, blueberries, cinnamon, and sugar

(cinnamon/sugar FREAK, yes.)

gah! right now i'm doing well. i'm reeeally craving the greek yogurt combo, but i haven't repeated a meal/snack more than twice per three days in over a week. woot! :)

I do this too!   I've been eating sandwiches on 9 grain bread for two weeks on my work days!

I also cut carrots and use them in either tuna dip or salmon dip for a small meal.

I always take the same staple items with me to work and eat them for weeks at a time... til I get bored.

Yogurt with cherries and cinnamon is my new one...  eating it all the time though!     I find that eating this way does help my grocery bill though....

i find that my "food ruts" are mainly caused by the fact that i live alone so if i open a can of beans then i have to eat them within a few days or they go bad, the same goes for cottage cheese, milk products in general, bread, and anything packaged with more than one serving. once i open it i have only a small window to finish it so i eat it daily.

so some things i've had...

bean and cheese burritos

vegetarian chili

rice with tomatoes and other veggies in it with a veggie burger and steamed veggies

pita pizzas

cottage cheese with fruit and cereal on top

vegetarian stew

Yes, it happens to me all the time.  I end up with a week or so of common food, realize it, and then force myself to plan something new.  I try to find a new recipe a few times a month.  I don't always take time to make them, but it gets the creative food juices going and helps me switch things up.  Last night I tried broccoli slaw with spaghetti sauce.  It was something other sites RAVED about - OMG, no so good.   What did I do wrong.  Sad but don't think the broccoli slaw will be back in my rotation anytime soon.

I have recently become an accidental vegan. I watched the movie Fast Food Nation and have found myself unable to face meat for going on a month now. The good news is both the grocery bill and the scale numbers are reduced. The bad, I have to figure out new ways to eat and I don't always have the time so I am doing a bit of repetitive eating.

Eating food as nature presents it is a new idea for me but I have been eating a peach, a nectarine, 1/2 pint of blueberries, a few cashews, a cucumber, etc.. At first I felt a bit deprived but now I am loving this way of eating. It is so easy. So many things in my life are hard. Easy food rocks. One of my favorite new meals is a whole grain tortilla (low carb) 2 tbls of hummus, a handful of prepped salad mix or baby spinach, 2 tbls or so of chopped onion and tomato and 2 tbls of Bragg's healthy vinigarette dressing. I can throw it together in under a minute since I've been keeping chopped ingredients in the fridge. This is excellent and with a handful of grapes, very satisfying.

After 20 years as a fast food queen, I never imagined I'd think fruit and veggies were something to look forward to. We are marvelously adaptive beings!

Original Post by chrissy1988:

Just wondering if anyone ever has a GREAT day of eating that puts them into a "food rut"...one where they want to mimic that day EVERY day with the same foods...not that you actually do it but something you ate that day becomes your default because it was so good and just fit your day perfectly? Yesterday I had a pita bread with a can of tuna, a cup of soup, and some cabbage and it was just PERFECT for some reason, the quantity was great and it tasted fabulous and I thought to myself....I could eat this every day. lol. I know I'm not going to do it because I know the value of eating a variety of foods and I might integrate it into my weekly meals so that I eat it MORE often but just wondering about you guys.

I TOTALLY do this when I find a great food combination.  My newest default is something I call "Veggie Scramble."  I saute onions and mushrooms with spray oil (no calories) and frozen seasoning cubes (5 calories each - I use three of garlic, cilantro and basil, but I love that much flavor) then add chopped tomatoes, 2 cups of broccoli, and sometimes some other veggies.  Finally I add a small carton of egg whites and some Chulua (hot sauce).  It is from 375-450 calories and makes a huge plate of food with tons of protein and fiber.  If I have the calories I'll add 2 tablespoons of parmasan or avocado.

I got in a rut awhile back where every day for lunch I would have a wrap made with a carb. balance soft tortilla, some roasted chicken bites, shredded lettuce, diced tomato and fat-free shredded cheddar cheese.  The chicken bites were what made it so delicious and I ate this for lunch every day for several weeks!!

brynaschreier- what are these frozen seasoning cubes you are talking about?  They sound interesting, but I've never heard of them?  Could you tell me the brand name and where you buy them?  Thanks!  Dea

Original Post by meganwilliams2:

I totally do this. I basically eat the same things for breakfast and lunch everyday. And then I will make something different for dinner, but eat that for a few days until it is all gone. I realize I probably need more variety, but I'm in grad school and live alone so it is really expensive to buy stuff to have different things for meals everyday. And it's just hard to cook for one person!  

 I agree but I cook for the recipe say four people and I divide the meal into four before I eat then freeze the other 3 portions for future meals. It ois hard on your own though

I eat the same breakfast every day during the week because I'm lucky enough to have a full-service cafeteria at work.  It took me about 3 months, I but I finally whined enough that they put a big tureen of grits next to the oatmeal, and 16oz of grits = 286 calories that fills me up until lunch.

Otherwise, my ruts are based around what I cook.  For example, I bought 4 steaks last weekend, and grilled them.  I'll be eating those for the next week.

Before that, I grilled 2lbs of shrimp that I ate in 4oz portions over several days.

Ditto with chicken breasts (why make 2 if you can make 8?), rice, fruit, etc.  Here are a few meals over the course of a couple of days to illustrate:

1/4lb grilled shrimp, 2 pitas with hummus, med. banana
1/4lb grilled shrimp, pita w/ hummus, large peach, ½ cup mushroom rice
6oz steak, portobello mushrooms, broccoli, ½ cup mushroom rice
3oz shrimp, 4oz steak, portobello mushrooms, broccoli, pita w/ hummus