Minimalism and your Diet

Ah, spring... the season of blooms, greens, and cleans! You might be thinking of cleaning up your diet as the warmer weather hits, the sleeveless tops come out, and summer activities abound.

Allow me to introduce you (if you haven't met before) to the life trend of minimalism. Minimalism involves cutting out the excess, living simply, and finding joy and gratefulness in the everyday. If you want to read up on how to "minimalize" the rest of your life, consult a Marie Kondo book, check out the Minimalists blog or watch the Mininimalists documentary.

Here are my personal tips for incorporating minimalism into your diet.

Plan to become a whiz in the kitchen. Read up on quick and easy methods to create certain foods from scratch. Learn shortcuts and recipes so that you aren't inconvenienced, like soaking and cooking beans from scratch, or making your own sauces and dressings from items that you already have!

Purge your pantry. Donate the excess to a local charity, or simply look at what you've got and use it up to make room for simple home cooking.

Take advantage of herbs and fresh produce. Use one or two simple fresh vegetables as your item to focus on dressing up with a few spices or herbs, and garnish your meal with protein and a whole grain.

Clear your kitchen table as if for guests. You'll find that the cleaner and more inviting your kitchen table and cooking space is, the more inviting it is for slow, intentional eating, and simple home cooking. Creating that special environment helps you to stay in the moment rather than to have stress triggered by clutter and "to-do" items lying around.

Don't buy so many packaged goods. Part of the minimalist life is typically being as eco-friendly as possible in the disposal process. I notice that my household has one to two fewer garbage bags then I look out the window down our street on garbage day - most of these bags are full of plastic wrap, packaging, and boxes. Keep it simple by buying in the bulk section, bringing your own bags, and choosing fresh produce rather than those that are packaged up.

Use cooking and homemade foods as an opportunity to gift your friends and family. I can't think of one time that I did not enjoy receiving food as a gift. The thought, time and love that go into cooking and meal prep means so much more to me than accumulating stuff. What a wonderful opportunity to share treasured recipes with your loved ones!

Need more help with simplifying your diet? Don't hesitate to check out my online programs!

Now that you've decided to keep things simple and

Get organized.