Giving In To Cravings

What do you do when you don't feel like cooking? Even though I write out a meal plan every week, sometimes I just don't want to go through the motions.

Other times nothing sounds particularly enticing even if I was offered a night out on the town.

This happened to me recently. We had leftovers in the fridge, but I didn't feel like eating leftovers and I wasn't in the mood to cook or try something new. I was in food limbo.

If Greg is in a food rut all I have to do is try a new recipe. He's easy to distract. But what if you're the head cook and bottle washer? Who pulls you out of limbo?

I've found that on those rare occasions when nothing seems to whet my appetite, I trust my gut--literally.

If I have a taste for something salty, I opt for seafood or Asian. If I want something warm and comforting, my gut is asking for bread or pasta. Something sweet? Pancakes, dessert for dinner, or more bread.

If it's none of the above, it means I'm craving vegetables. That makes it kind of hard for me because while Greg will eat his veggies, he won't willingly eat an entire vegetarian meal. That means cooking two meals. And that's kind of a deal breaker if I'm the one who has to cook.

On days like this I give Greg two options. He can either cook for himself or we do smorgasbord. It can be an assortment of cheeses, a veggie tray, crackers, pickles, smoked oysters, and sardines. From the freezer, there's always pizza, egg rolls, and sausages.

I'm still forced to make my own meal if I want vegetarian, but at least he can fend for himself with whatever we have on hand.

Some nights, especially when we've worked nonstop and forced into a late breakfast or lunch, we go for nothing more taxing than popcorn or trail mix.

I stick pretty close to my meal plan every week, but sometimes I'm tired, or I've had a busy week. I'm not above telling Greg he's on his own for dinner. He's a good sport about it, though I've noticed that if I'm not cooking for him he de-evolves into a caveman and eats out of a can. (Grosses me out.)

Bottom line: Trust your cravings even if they sound bizarre. You don't have to be pregnant to give in to something out of the ordinary.

So what do you do when nothing in particular strikes your fancy? Do you eat out? Raid the pantry? Or let someone else decide? Do you listen to your gut when it wants something weird for dinner? Does your significant other ever de-evolve into something prehistoric?

If you or yours were ever pregnant, were there food cravings?

Shopping at Amazon? Start Here.