My family's eating habits have grown all too predictable. The routine plays out night after night: my husband and I get hungry, begin weighing the options, and lazily drift into the "let's just order out" discussion. If we manage to resist the easy escape, my husband will offer a few healthy meal options. Too often, I'm the guilty party, often pointing out that his suggestions are "not much fun". 

This routine has gone on for some time—a lot longer than I care to admit. The funny thing is, I'm not a picky eater. I'll try anything once, and I actually like to eat healthy. Regrettably, this quality directly conflicts with the idea that all my meals have to be...well, fun. 

To counter this cycle, we made a meal plan and actually stuck to it. Monday night, we made a lentil soup with carrots, potatoes, and spinach, and ate the leftovers on Tuesday. It was good—maybe not the most exciting meal, but we were relatively happy with the results. On Wednesday, we prepared a sausage, kale, and white bean dish that was pretty tasty and not totally devoid of fun. Maybe it was the sausage. Thursday, we enjoyed a homemade couscous salad, and paired it with a few mahi mahi fillets—this will definitely become a regular dish on our evolving home menu. 

I have to admit that we were impressed with our ability to stick to the meal plan. We celebrated our hard work with a new recipe for pasta and tomato sauce which called for five tablespoons of butter! Savored with a glass of red wine, it was heavenly. Small steps, granted, but in the right direction. After all, I still need to have some fun!