Food for your mood
The weeks roll around which means another week of planning my meals before grocery shopping, deciding what I feel like for the week & annoying my partner as I plan out one too many vegetarian meals.
So many people ask me, well what do you do if you’ve planned a meal at the beginning of the week and then you don’t feel like it when the time comes? However in all honestly, I can say this has never been a problem for me.
I truly believe cooking and recipe formulation is a craft mastered when you… firstly eat intuitively, secondly plan ahead- thinking about the season and temperature e.g you’re unlikely to feel like eating a summer salad if it’s 10 degrees. Lastly, you plan according to your week e.g. you’re likely to have more time to spend creating a complex meal requiring a range of components at the weekend than if you’ve worked all day and get home at 6:30pm.
I’m not denying that what you feel like eating can for sure depend on your mood - I’m privy to this at times. However, with a little planning, easy tips and tricks - you’ll have aced your weekly schedule of meals, saving money AND time by shopping once than if you headed to the shops every night.
So with this in mind, I’m bringing you my tops tips for selecting food for your mood and always being satisfied whatever night of the week it may be!
Eat intuitively
Now I’m aware that to speak of eating intuitively is able to be interpreted in a number of ways. Some speak about it relative to levels of hunger / meal times, but my approach (which is by no means correct) relates to looking within, thinking about how I’m feeling and planning / preparing accordingly.
For example, in Summer the weather is great, I’m feeling positive and I want to eat fresh, light foods like BBQ’d meats, seafood, summer salads and root vegetables. In Winter (and lockdown 6.0) I’m chasing more wholesome / whole food style meals that warm my soul and satisfy me - soups, pastas, tray bakes etc.
While this might seem like emotional eating because I’m looking within to assess what I want, as long as you’re incorporating whole food and nutritionally dense ingredients in your meals, it’s a simple yet effective approach that is sure to leave you (as it does me) satisfied!
Plan ahead
As an extension of the above - planning ahead, outlining my meals each week before I grocery shop, not only saves time but also money! You’d be surprised by how much extra you’d spend by heading to the shops each night when selecting a recipe. Not only are you likely to buy recipe components that cost more rather than experimenting with what you have on hand e.g. sauces, oils etc. but you’re also less likely to be prepared for lunches as well, if you don’t have ingredients on hand.
As outlined above, I encourage everyone to eat seasonally, spending time looking at what ingredients are available and planning meals accordingly. Not only will you broaden your own knowledge, but seasonal ingredients often line up with the way you’d likely feel like eating. For example, fruits / vegetables in season throughout Winter include broccoli, carrots, pumpkin, leeks for all of your soups, tray bakes and richer meals and Summer fruit / vegetables include sugar snap peas, asparagus, nectarine and mangos for summer salads and lighter eating styles!
Plan according to your week
My last tip relates to the fact that you’re likely to resent the process if you’ve planned a complex meal that’s going to take over an hour from prep to plate. While I’m prepared to invest the time on a week night to make something a little more fwancy (because I enjoy cooking) I understand this isn’t the same for everyone. If you enjoy food, are wanting to get into cooking or be a little more accountable when it comes to what you eat / what you spend - it’s super important to set realistic expectations for yourself.
If this is the case, I would recommend selecting meals that only contain a few ingredients and come together relatively quickly for your weeknight meals and tackling more challenging meals with a broader range of ingredients at the weekend (evidently more achievable during lockdown times like right now).
All in all, while cooking / eating and enjoy it is all a little labour of love, you need to focus on what’s achievable, what you enjoy and how to get the most out of the ingredients in your fridge from week to week!