4 Simple Ways to Find Recipe Inspiration

Looking to stay healthy but stuck with a limited number of recipes? Eating the same foods over and over? Here are my tips for finding easy recipe inspiration.

Like everyone else I can sometimes struggle to think of new, exciting recipes. I’m someone who loves to try new things but to do this, and remain gluten-free, can be challenging. I’m always looking for recipe inspiration, new flavor combinations and new ways of doing things.

Old cookbooks

A really easy way to find recipes is to dig through old cookbooks.

Whenever I visit family members I always ask to rifle through their library. It’s a great way to find vintage recipes that have fallen out of fashion, but are delightful to reinvent.

It’s really fun to take a classic and make it with your own vision in mind. Give it a modern day twist and update it to fit in with your dietary needs. My go-to cookbook is The Barefoot Contessa Cook Book – Ina Gerten.

Dip into different diets

Although I would never cut out dairy, carbohydrates or meat, I find dipping into these diets so useful for finding recipe inspiration.

There are so many amazing Vegan and Paleo Instagram accounts with such tasty flavor combinations. I know turning gluten-free caused me to look at food and meals in a completely different way, and tapping into this different mind-set will revolutionize your cooking repertoire.

Peruse menus

This is so good for developing more sophisticated flavors and recipes for soiree’s and dinner parties. Look at your favorite restaurants menus!

Sure, you may not be able to pull off dishes in exactly the same way, but looking for recurring themes and flavor combinations to imitate will really inspire your cooking. Or if you taste something new at a restaurant that you simply must have again, ask about it. Curiosity, after all, is the mother of invention.

Try new ingredients

An easy way to slowly build up your ingredients is to visit your local market more. They’ll have the freshest, most in-season fruit and vegetables. By going all year round you’ll discover less well-known raw ingredients which you can use the likes of Pinterest to explore and discover new recipes. Simple!

Let me know how you find your own recipe inspiration, and any amazing recipes you’ve tried recently. Tag me on Instagram!