I’ve been realizing lately that I really get stuck in the habit of eating the same things day after day. Not that it’s necessarily a bad thing, it’s just easier that way. I was all prepared to share what I ate on Monday when I realized its all the same stuff I always eat. Then I had a snow day on Tuesday and was able to change things up a bit. There’s something to be said for having more time in the morning and access to a stove/oven at lunch.
So, let’s back up to Monday.
The usual, pre-workout coffee and banana followed by eggs scrambled with sweet potatoes, broccoli, spinach and bacon alongside some fruit and almond butter.
An apple as a mid-morning snack, salad with grilled chicken and roasted veggies and a side of baby carrots and almond butter for lunch at work.
I didn’t take a picture of dinner which was baked salmon with baby roasted potatoes and asparagus. I think I always share meals with salmon because we usually eat it on Mondays. I’m telling ya, I’m a creature of habit.
Pre-PT snack was raisins and after dinner dessert was Michele’s chocolate chip banana bread squares
The snow started around 6pm and we were expecting something like 5-8 inches. (I think we got like 3-4). I woke up to a notification that my employer was closed (the school where I work had a PD day anyway so the students were already off). So I took my time drinking coffee and making breakfast.
A smoothie with berries, banana, spinach, kale, protein powder, matcha powder, and OJ…followed by grain-free pancakes and berries with maple syrup
Coffee first….green tea later (in a Christmas mug)
Applegate organic turkey burgers, sweet potato fries, spring mix with olive oil. And ketchup, obviously.
Dinner was butternut squash roast with chicken, bacon and green beans
And dessert was a repeat of the previous night:)
This post about decision fatigue made alot of sense to me because sometimes it can just be too much to think about eating new meals every day. I am the worst at making decisions so the less I have to make on a daily basis the better!
When it comes to food do you prefer to eat the same things every day/week?
What do you think about “decision fatigue”? Is is hard for you to make decisions about day to day things?
I’m link-ing this post up with Kelly for WIAW!
I think most of us have our go-to recipes that we turn to over and over. One of the reasons I love reading blogs is getting new ones to try. I incorporate a new one or two each week, which keeps it fun.
I need my kids to spend some time in school this year! So behind on work….
I also try to use new recipes I get from blogs, but its usually much easier to do that with dinner! For breakfast and lunch I have figured out what works and its hard for me to break away from that.
Baltimore city hasn’t had a single snow day yet!! Alot of delays, but so far we haven’t been closed. It seems like the winter is far from over though…
I am always eating the same foods just prepared in a different way (or the same way!). And I venture to guess that most people eat the same stuff all of the time.
I would think so too. I mean unless you have a ton of time to constantly experiment, its just easier to make things you are familiar with and that you know you like!
I think that I am a combo of decision fatigue and habit. Then again, last night I did have a dinner of sweet potato, beet hummus, salad, eggs, and cereal. Well, it sounded a lot weirder at the time…
Yea that sounds pretty weird to me! But all good things, so why not eat them together? Its definitely one less thing to think about when you have the same go-to meals throughout the week.
I definitely eat a lot of the same things over and over….and I don’t mind a bit 🙂 Having to feed the boys has been a bit of a wake-up call because I try to introduce them to different things and avoid giving them the same thing over and over and that helps me diversify too!
That’s a good way to think of it…I mean if you expect them to try different foods why wouldn’t you experiment too? But generally I don’t mind eating the same things because its what I like. I know its good to try new things once in a while, so when I am meal planning I will usually search for at least one new recipe to try every few weeks.
When I find we’re eating the same thing on the same day I try to switch it up but I’m not even sure why, no one else even notices! Hope you liked the banana bread!
I think if you’re always eating what you like (and its relatively good for you) then there’s no real problem. I jus try to add in a few different things on occasion to try to get more of a variety of nutrients. The banana bread was delicious:)
I like to cook in advance, so a lot of my meals are the same throughout the week. Then I change it up the next week. But I am such a creature of habit!
I definitely find it easier when I am meal prepping on the weekends to make alot of the same things for the week. It seems much easier to make things I am familiar with than trying something totally new!
I’m also a creature of habit and eat the same meals over and over again. It gets kind of boring after a while 🙂 I’m really making an effort these days to step up my meal planning game and try some new recipes.
Glad you got to enjoy a snow day!
I agree it can get boring, but sometimes its just easier. Especially if you are really familiar with how to cook something, it takes less mental effort to make it than trying a new recipe. Its always good to try new things, so when I know I’ll have a little more time I do try to find new recipes to experiment with!
I have many more recipes to use in the winter, so my food rut happens more in the summer. It’s hot, I don’t want to cook much, and I depend on quick dinners. I try to change things up but summer’s the season I eat a lot of the same meals.
For some reason I think I have more of a food rut in the winter! In the summer I am more open to trying new things and experimenting with recipes. Lately I have felt really lazy about cooking!
I eat the same breakfast and make about the same 7 dinners all the time! Planning out meals and workouts at the start of the week definitely helps me not get decision fatigue. I definitely think decision fatigue is a real thing, I remember struggling in college to pick out clothes each day after years of wearing uniforms!
It does help to plan ahead on the weekends! However, even then I get overwhelmed with making decisions. When I am not following a training plan I go back and forth about how to schedule my workouts and can never decide! And with the weather getting in the way of classes it’s been even more complicated lately! I hate picking out clothes too…sometimes I wish I just had to wear a uniform to work everyday (and preferably that said uniform consisted of leggings and a hoodie:))
You might eat the same thing over and over again, but it always looks healthy and delicious!
I get the worst decision fatigue if I try to go grocery shopping without a plan and a list. After 5 minutes I just shut down and basically decide that I hate all food and don’t need anything. Obviously this is not a productive situation.
I know that feeling! That’s exactly why I MUST have a list and a meal plan before I get to the store!
So many snow day posts! We don’t get snow here so a little part of me is jealous but then I remember that I don’t really like the snow. Just he cozy, indoors part of it 🙂
I’m over the snow, but even more-so over the cold. It was nice to have the day off but I would much rather have some warm weather!
I tend to make the same meals as well. We know how to do it and we like it so why not? Also we know how much time it takes. So it is usually when u are out of routine to try something new. I bet that day off was lovely.
Its definitely easier to make the meals you are familiar with! Plus like you said you already know that you like it:)
I’m also a creature of habit. I seem to put a lot of the same items in my carriage each week. Sometimes, its just easier because I start to know the recipes by heart! New meals often stress me out too because I seem to leave one key ingredient at the store!!
Its really so much easier to make meals you are familiar with so that you already know what you need, how long it will take, and how to make it. I seems to forget something at the store every week!
Thanks so much for linking back to the post! Having some go-to recipes for reducing decision making on tough days makes a big difference. 🙂
Very true! And great timing on your post as I had already been thinking about how much easier it is to make the same meals all the time.
I definitely find myself eating the same things every day and it gets so boring! I really need to plan ahead and this is one department that I always seem to slack on!
Even with planning ahead, it can still be easier to plan meals that I am familiar with. It can be a lot of work to find new things to make and learn new recipes!
Guilty creature of habit right here. I definitely tend to eat very similarly day by day with weekends varying a little. Recently, though, I’ve gotten really bored so my plan is to make a concerted effort to switch things up during the next weeks. I did a semi-okay start today I think. (:
Happy Wednesday!
That’s a great plan! Whenever I get bored I search for recipes online and try to find a few new ones which usually works out pretty well.
Hi Lisa! Yes, I definitely eat the same things over and over again. It makes grocery shopping easier and my daily decisions easier. Plus, I’m a creature of habit. So a salmon Monday would be great for me too. Looks like you did a good job with your food here. Stay warm! 🙂
Thanks! It definitely seems like so many of us get in the habit of eating the same things. But I guess as long as those foods are relatively healthy than its not necessarily a bad thing:)
I find comfort in eating the same thing for weeks at a time! I have staples year-round, but I usually get in trends of eating the same breakfast/lunch/dinner for months before I switch it up!
That’s exactly what I do too! If I look back to what I was eating 6 month ago its much different, but over the past month I have been rotating through the same meals over and over. It takes me to a while to find new things that I like enough to make all the time!
Can totally relate! I feel like I am getting better about mixing it up because my kiddos like trying different dishes 🙂
But yes, so many times I know the day we are having taco night and which night is pasta. Definitely eat mostly the same breakfasts!
It’s great that your kids like trying new things! That hopefully makes it easier to experiment with new meals occasionally. For meals when I don’t have as much time to cook its so much easier to eat the same things every day!
I definitely rotate between the same meals. I stick with the same breakfasts & lunches for one week, then move on to other staples foods I like the next week. I have about 7 dinners that I alternate between on weeknights as well – typically 2 or 3 different meals during the week and leftovers on busy nights. I might switch out one spice for another, but the base is usually the same.
That decision fatigue post is so interesting and makes complete sense!! It’s like I’ve known that all along, but didn’t really realize it or how it truely worked until she explained it. I’m a very routine person, and I think a lot of it is that leaves more room for decision making during the day. My most hectic days that stress me out (more decision making) are more likely to lead to melt-downs and comfort foods that evening. It always surprises me when some people are able to thrive off of a different schedule every day.
I also love routine and get so thrown off when things change on me! I like to stick with what I am used to so that there is less to think about every day:)
I am a creature of habit too and suffer from decision fatigue. I eat the same 2-3 meals every single night as well. It’s just easy to breeze through the grocery store without having to decide on what to buy, and easy to make the same meals without having to think about prep, cooking, etc.
When I do venture outside of my bubble though, it’s usually nice out there 🙂 haha
It’s so much easier to do what we are used to rather than think to much! Like you said, it can be nice to switch things up occasionally, but day in and day out its easier to keep things simple:)
I always eat the same thing everyday for like weeks at a time until I eventually can’t take it anymore. Part of that is laziness. The other part of that I’m a total creature of habit.
I really think it just becomes so much easier to make the things we are used to…it allows us to put our energy into other areas of our lives:)
Who knew decision fatigue was a real thing! But ah I am such a creature of habit. Like true story most days I still want to eat the same things I ate day after day since college. Lol I actually try to mix it up occasionally because I think… “Hayley, you are an adult do you really need to have a nut butter sandwich for lunch everyday.” But then I think who really cares and have it anyways. (:
Haha yes part of me wants to eat different things because I am “supposed to” but then I also realize who cares! I have actually made some huge changes in how I eat since collage, the most important being that I actually eat a good amount of fruits and veggies now. So in that way I am glad that I forced myself to make some changes!
When you’re eating well, I think eating the same things is great!
Good point! As long as you don’t get bored or sick of your food choices:)
I find that my breakfast during the week are usually the same, however I really do try to switch up my lunches. I sit down on either Saturday or Sunday and decide what new meals I can try out. So far it’s worked out quite well. Sure they are some days where I eat the same thing twice in a row, but such is life. If it’s good, why change it up?
Lunches are the most challenging for me since I take them to work with me. When I meal plan for weeks that I know I will have a little more time, I do enjoy trying some new things!
I can definitely relate to eating the same foods every week – I try to rotate a few recipes, but it’s just easier at the end of a long day to cook something that I don’t have to think about. Sounds like a great snow day, and cute coffee/tea mugs!
Exactly! When I am having a busy week its so much easier to just do my cooking on autopilot and not have to worry about following a new recipe!
Hi Lisa,
I’m hosting a WIAW party on my link above, come link up your eats when you post them tomorrow 🙂
Thanks for letting me know! I actually don’t have a WIAW post planned for tomorrow…is it ok to link-up with last week’s instead?
Sure! That’s fine with me 🙂