Spend 30 Days Giving Up Something

 For this task I have chosen to give up Fast Food delivery. I qualify it in this way because I have still used 7-eleven to pick up sandwiches and chips and coffee on occasion for work, but I am also going to be working on that as well once this thirty days is complete. What I have learned about changing habits is to go slowly. Last time I attempted to do this 100 days of no junk food/fast food, once it was over I went right back to the habit. So, if I want to keep the habit going, I need to make it a life-style rather than a once off. To complete this task I did a few things: I reviewed recipes I had enjoyed when I received a Home Chef subscription and I was able to purchase them from the instacart delivery service. This ended up being the cheapest option out of others I also reviewed.

I also inadvertently purchased two one week subscriptions to Every plate and another meal prep option. Between 4 and 5 meal options, each serving 2 people. I meant to cancel them once I looked at the menus, but I wasn't able to before they delivered them to me. On the upside, I now have several different meal recipes. 

What have I done. I have been working to make all of my food at home. It has worked. Sometimes my food is very simple and sometimes it is one of the recipes. What I have discovered is that I do have time to cook. Sometimes I do not have the energy and that's when those packets of ramen or a salad are helpful. I think the biggest mistake I have made in keeping to my plan before was that I would make huge batches of say lentils or spaghetti and then I would have to eat that until it ran out and the lack of variety made it so that I wanted delivery. With the new recipes (and the knowledge that most of them can be made within 30-40 minutes) its been much easier to stick to the discipline

I've also taken to making food for my co-workers. Most of the meals only serve two so only myself and one other person get to eat, but sometimes I have been able to stretch it. My goal is to one day get up the nerve to make meals for the whole staff. The interesting thing is that by cooking for my co-worker, I have had to force myself to bring in the meal kits and to cook starting when I walk in the door. Most of the recipes only take thirty minutes for a person without difficulties with motor skills or walking, but me they take one hour sometimes. I do get some help as well, which is nice.

What I have learned:

1. I like variety. I can make smaller meals with more varied ingredients that don't take a long time

2  I like shallots and other seasonings. Shallots are my new favorite thing to season. Much less strong than an onion and very sweet

3. Its fun to cook for co-workers and watch them enjoy the food I worked so hard to prepare

4. I have time. I may not have energy, but if I prioritize cooking at home during the times that I have both time and energy, I can keep to this habit.