Once you find something you like, you tend to stick to it. Your diet is typically made of the same food which is bought on a regular basis. It’s easy to continue eating what you’re used to – it means you know how to prepare the food, how to serve it, and how to cook it as you like it.
While a routine approach to food makes it easier for you to fit cooking into your schedule as a hassle-free, stress-free activity, it’s not a bad idea to branch out. Trying new foods using meat from a quality butcher, can help you make discoveries about what you like and don’t, and keep your meals interesting and fun.
Learning how to cook new and different ingredients will expand your knowledge of food and cooking. Furthermore, incorporating new types of food into your meals can help you consume a more balanced or healthy diet. Here are some great foods to try out at home to change up your cooking and diet!
1: Chickpeas
This small-sized legume provides numerous health benefits and is an easy ingredient to change up your meals! Adding a few handfuls of chickpeas to a salad immediately creates more flavour and texture within it.
Chickpeas are versatile as a food and can be an easy snack, a great way to add more to a dish, and are the basis of the popular dipping sauce hummus. Its unique but complementary flavour makes it easy to add into a dish for more nutrition.
While it’s not bad to stick to what we know, introducing new foods to our diet can result in multiple health benefits while adding new, unique flavours to our palate! Experimenting in the kitchen can be a fun way to learn more and try new things. It can even be easy and hassle-free cooking through HelloFresh Recipes, which invent exciting recipes and deliver the ingredients needed straight to your door.
2: Couscous
Made primarily from semolina wheat and water, couscous is a mild, grain-like food that can work as a good base to a meal – although it should not be a substitute for your whole grains.
Couscous generally sugar and fat-free, and opting for whole wheat couscous can help you build a healthier diet. You can cook this ingredient simply by steaming, and combining it with your standard meat and veggies will give your meal a new spin by introducing a different texture!
3: Quinoa
If you enjoy eating rice on the side of most meals, here’s a healthier replacement. Quinoa is a complete protein, containing all the essential amino acids, while having a high content of fibre and antioxidants. What’s more, a portion of quinoa has a lower calorie count than the same amount of rice.
If you want to watch your diet, this health food could be a great alternative for you! Nevertheless, incorporating this grain into your meals will introduce you to a new flavour and texture.
4: Tofu
With a wide variety of different textures depending on the type of tofu you choose, this soy-based food is a versatile ingredient. It’s also a great benefit to your diet as a good source of protein, iron, and calcium. While it doesn’t have the most interesting taste or add much in terms of flavour, tofu can be a great ingredient to work off due to its texture.
Adding some tofu into regular dishes, such as stir-fry noodles or rice can help you consume a more balanced diet. Tofu is a great alternative to carb-heavy foods with little nutritional value. Adjusting the ratio of ingredients in your meals to include more tofu can be ways to improve the healthiness of your diet.
5: Sweet potato
It might take a while to get used to this sweet-tasting root vegetable, but it has plenty of benefits for your diet besides adding some colour to your plate. Sweet potatoes are a great source of vitamin D, iron, magnesium, and potassium, and can contribute to a healthier diet.
You can prepare this food by simply steaming it – it has more flavour than a regular potato, so some people enjoy eating it plain. Mixing it into your regular dishes, such as salads, soups, or stews are easy ways to incorporate this great plant into your diet.
Sweet potato is extremely versatile – you can play around with its texture by grilling, steaming, or baking it. This versatility makes it even easier to include it in your meals!
Opening your diet to new ingredients is a great way to widen your palate and be more experimental with your food. Most dishes will be enhanced by some additional ingredients like premium beef stock. It can help facilitate a better knowledge of cooking and nutrition, and contribute to a more balanced and healthy diet!
