The Purpose of Food Shows

I have come to realize that food shows serve a beneficial purpose in my life.  They inspire me to cook more and eat better.  With just my husband and me at home, we often default to sandwiches, salads or quick cook options.  It's difficult to cook small amounts and we get tired of eating the same thing over and over.  But the cooking shows often show me new options or flavor combinations and since some of them are forced to prepare courses in a limited time, they are usually "quick to fix" ideas.  Now, granted, I"m not going to use quail eggs or goat meat but when I look at those things I consider ways I can create similar combinations out of more common ingredients.  It's not too lasting though.  Once we have taken a break from food TV we slide back into our old habits.  Our options are getting healthier all the time (more fruit, less sweets) but food group balance is a constant battle.....there's that word again!