My favorite childhood memory is not having to decide what to cook for dinner every single day.

A friend recently posted this funny quote, and I could relate! Even though I love to cook, it’s true that coming up with meal after meal can be exhausting and feel like a never-ending chore. And unlike my husband, I’d like a little more variety and nutrition than ham and cheese sandwiches every day.:) One simple tip that helps me decide what to have for dinner - and plan ahead enough to know what to put on that grocery order - is to have flexible theme nights for each day of the week.

Theme nights help me keep a variety to my meal choices while still being able to loosely plan on what’s to come. For example, Mondays might be meatless main nights, Tuesday, taco Tuesday. Friday nights have always been pasta nights in our house because of the tradition of carb loading before a Saturday race day or long run day. I recently heard someone say they always plan for a crockpot soup on Sunday, so that it can be prepared ahead, and they can have a true rest day. Saturdays were always pizza night in my house growing up - usually frozen.:) Other ideas could be breakfast for dinner (i.e. brinner) or Thai Thursdays.

I do not look at my theme nights as a rule to follow, but rather a starting off point to get ideas. I love variety and creativity in cooking, but coming up with new ideas can be difficult. Theme nights get my creative juices flowing, and I hope they do for you, too! 

Here is a sample week to get you started: