Cooking can easily become a chore and something we don't look forward to but coming up with new and fun ways to meal prep can create a fresh and new experience.

If you find yourself avoiding the kitchen or you don't love cooking that much, maybe I can help make it more fun for you?

I know that sometimes I don't find cooking to be all that fun. I can get into a rut just like everyone else. So that's why I've listed my best "fun" cooking tips for you.

my best "fun" cooking tips for you.

Fun Cooking Tip #1 - Find new recipes.

Sometimes just seeing the pretty food photos and reading the recipe can spark some inspiration and fun in your kitchen.

You can head to your local bookstore. Or look up your favourite nutritionists, chefs, bakers, and other online foodies. Maybe do a quick search on Google or Pinterest to see thousands of new ideas.

Here are some of my Pinterest boards if you need some inspiration:

Healthy Breakfast Recipe
Healthy Lunch Recipes
Easy Healthy Recipes

Perhaps you have some ingredients in your fridge that are just waiting to be eaten.

Pro Tip: Searching for new recipes can be so fun and inspiring, and can also end up taking waaaay longer than intended. So, consider setting your timer when you start perusing. The last thing you want is to take too much time looking, that you don’t leave enough time for cooking.

Fun Cooking Tip #2 - Make grocery shopping fun and inspiring.

The next time you walk into the grocery store, try something that you haven’t had in a while. Is there a seasonal fruit or vegetable you haven’t had for months? Think back on your favourite childhood meal or did you come across something totally delicious at a restaurant or get-together lately?

You could browse around the store looking for something you haven't had before; something that is completely new to you. Be adventurous and fun. Then you can go to tip #1 to find new and inspiring recipes when you get home.

Fun Cooking Tip #3 - Keep it simple!

Sometimes when I see a fabulous food picture, I immediately get inspired to make it. But if I look at the ingredients or instructions and they're too long, I stop. While there are times when I'm inspired and dive into a new great recipe; when I'm not all that inspired, I need to keep things simple.

A few ways to keep things simple are to:

• Stick to recipes with 10 or fewer ingredients and five or fewer instructions.

• One-pot or one-pan recipes is a great way to keep cooking (and cleaning up) simple.

• Ready to use ingredients can also help you save time (pre-washed salad greens, diced squashes, frozen vegetables, etc.)

Fun Cooking Tip #4 - Put on some music and invite someone to join you.

Do you have kids that need to learn the critical life skill of cooking? Perhaps your partner would love to join you? What about having a “cooking party” where everyone brings something and pitches in on the process?

Fun Cooking Tip #5 - Invest in some kitchen swag!

Having proper kitchen utensils makes cooking so much easier and faster. When's the last time you sharpened your (our bought yourself a new) knife? Could dicing carrots with a dull knife be draining the fun from cooking? Or is blending a smoothie with a crummy blender, leaving it too chunky to enjoy, making you feel less excited to try new smoothie recipes? I know it does for me ( I have my eye on a Vitamix).

You know that cooking is the key to healthy eating. And, yes, it does get boring from time to time. Try one (or all) of my fun cooking tips to inspire you to get over to your kitchen and cook yourself some great dishes.

You already know your health will thank you and as an added FREE bonus I have some great meal batching and cooking tips for you inside the Nutrition Resource Library.