Some people are natural-born meal planners and others are decidedly not. I fall in the latter category. I know meal planning can save a ton of time and money, but I find it hard to sit down each week and, well, plan. If you’re like me and need some extra inspiration to motivate you to get a meal plan together, read on for some helpful tips.
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Here are some of the things you can do to find inspiration for your next meal.
#1: Look for New Recipes Online
If you have already perused the cookbooks on your shelf and are still at a loss as to what to plan, hop online. There are so many great recipes online—tried and true recipes developed by expert bloggers (like me!)
But where do you start? Well, as you are already on our website, check out the recipes we have listed. We have something for all tastes so take a look and then pick out something you have never tried before.
Another way to find new recipes online is to visit YouTube. Subscribe to the best cooking channels and take inspiration from experienced chefs and the foods they create for your viewing and eating pleasure!
There are lots of other places where you can find recipes online so make it your mission to find food recipes that are new to you. You might want to join food-related social media groups, for example, like my Facebook group where you’ll find me and nearly 4,000 other home cooks sharing their favorite recipes.
You can also sign up for newsletters from popular food bloggers. Sign up for my newsletter here!
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#2: Head to a Local Restaurant
When you go to a restaurant, don’t pick the usual foods that you regularly cook at home. Pick something new from the menu. And if you like it, try to recreate what you have eaten when you’re back in your own kitchen (googling for similar recipes is totally allowed!)
When choosing a restaurant, pick a venue that is guaranteed to give you something new. You might choose your local Mexican restaurant, for example, if you have always wanted to give Mexican food or Chinese food a try but have never known which foods will satisfy your taste buds.
While at the restaurant, take notice of the foods other people are eating. If something looks (and smells) good to you, politely ask people what they have chosen and consider choosing it the next time you’re there. This way, you will have inspiration for another food type when you’re planning what to eat at home.
When at the restaurant, be sure to look at the restaurant menu for information on the ingredients you will need when you’re replicating the meals the chefs have created. I am known for snapping photos of menus with my phone so that I can remember different dishes and what was in them (and yes, I also often take pictures of my food for the same reason.) Alternatively, speak to restaurant staff and ask them what the ingredients are.
#3: Think Back to Your Childhood
What did you enjoy eating when you were a child? What meals did your mom and grandmother create in the kitchen? What meals did you create in your cooking classes at school?
These are some of the questions to ask yourself when thinking back to your childhood. If you enjoyed certain meals years ago, you will likely enjoy them again. If possible, speak to your older family relatives and ask them for the recipes of the foods that they used to prepare for you.
If you love Grandma’s Chicken Enchiladas or Auntie Sue’s Hot and Sour Soup, ask them to teach you to make them, or if they’ve passed on, find out if anyone else in the family has those recipes.
Finally
These are just a few of the ways to get inspiration for your next meal plan so we hope our suggestions were useful to you. But if you have any other ideas, please leave a comment for our readers below!
