Why You Don't Need Another Cookbook 📚

---

I have a towering stack of cookbooks at home. They're filled with hundreds of enticing, mouth-watering recipes that promise to revolutionise my cooking experience. But let's be honest—how often does that actually happen?

Like many others, my wife and I have fallen into this pattern: we buy a new cookbook, get excited, and try a few recipes. But inevitably, we drift back to our familiar meal routine. Sound familiar?

That's because option overwhelm is a real thing. Too much choice leads to indecision, and before long, we're defaulting to what we know.

Your Real Cookbook = 15 Meals (Max)

The truth is, most people don't have a rotating menu of 101 different meals. On average:

• 2-3 go-to breakfasts

• 4-5 staple lunches

• 7 or so regular dinners
  

That's a personal recipe book of about 15 meals—some might have more and others less, but you get the idea. This is actually a good thing. You don't need to learn hundreds of new dishes. You just need a few tweaks and upgrades and you're set.

The Real Key? Add 1-3 New Meals

Rather than trying to master a whole new cookbook, focus on adding just 1-3 new meals that feel are a good fit. But before you do, run them through the 3 T's Test:

1. Taste – Obvious, right? But if your partner or kids hate it, will you be cooking two meals? If so, it's probably not making the weekday roster.
   

2. Technique – If a recipe has 20 steps and requires some real focused effort to make it's likely a "special occasion" meal, not a regular weeknight dinner.
   

3. Time – How long does it take to prep, cook, and clean up? If it needs rare ingredients and an hour of effort, is it really going to happen? *sometimes you can make extra for later in the week reducing this time.
   

Take my breakfast options, I normally have a "Supershake" (protein, fruit, peanut butter, and milk blended). It's simple, quick, and tasty. I also love making breakfast burritos (also a great lunch option and the kids love it), but this takes more time, so it normally only happens on weekends.

This is not to say you need to stick to boring meals—feel free to be as adventurous as you like, but remember: building new routines is about reducing friction as much as possible. The more hurdles to jump, the less likely it will happen.

Keep It Simple

Cookbooks are fantastic for inspiration, but you don't need another stack of them gathering dust. Pick just 1-3 new meals, test them out, and see if they stick. Once you've added these new meals—some might stick and others might not—you can always go back and try more.

So, what's your next meal upgrade?

---

P.S. If you enjoyed this week's Thursday Three, please share it with a friend.

Thanks,

Jamie