Sharing is caring!

Minimalist Meal Plan – How to Simplify Eating Healthy

Many years ago, I would never aspire to call myself a minimalist. When it came to food, I loved having all the choices. I would spend a lot of my time deciding which I will opt for each day. Then I met my husband. I slowly began to see how sweet & simple life can be when there is less clutter & decision fatigue. I now (almost) fully embrace the concept in (almost) every area of our life. When our son was born, simplifying our meal planning and way of eating became even more important. We wanted to be well nourished, but we also had a newborn to care for and a life to live. That is how I devised the Minimalist Meal Plan method we use in our home today.

Engaging in a minimalist lifestyle without compromising joy and beauty

One of my reservations about minimalism has been that I find a lot of joy in certain objects and foods. I feared that embracing it would mean giving up on that joy. I thought I would be trading it for a bare room with a single couch and life without color. Back then, minimalism was not very widespread. Marie Kondo did not have her award-winning Netflix show. And admittedly the minimalists out there were of the hardcore, no extra anything, types. It is no surprise that as a newbie, I felt more than turned off. 

I now understand, that minimalism is a way to enjoy the things you love about life more – not less. Picking and choosing the objects, foods, and experiences that bring you true joy and fulfillment. Trading meaningless clutter and overwhelm, for simplicity, delight & joy. 

What is Minimalism? 

Minimalism is a lifestyle philosophy that actively promotes intentionally simplifying one’s life by reducing excess material possessions, distractions, and commitments. It emphasizes the idea that less is more, urging us to prioritize the things that genuinely bring value. Through decluttering and eliminating non-essential items and activities, it enables us to create more space, time, and freedom. By embracing minimalism, people actively strive to cultivate increased clarity, mindfulness, and overall well-being. It involves making conscious choices to live with intention, simplicity, and a focus on the essentials.

What is the Minimalist Meal Plan? 

The same concept of choosing simplicity & joy over clutter and overwhelm applies to the Minimalist Meal Plan. So what is it? A simple, step-by-step method that allows you to embrace the foods you love and simplify healthy eating. This method will enable you to be nourished, without spending much time in the kitchen (if you don’t want to). It provides enough structure to alleviate food decision fatigue while leaving enough space to be flexible and introduce variety. It is especially useful for busy moms and packed schedules. 

In our home, 90% of meals are home-cooked from scratch using whole foods. Despite this, I do not spend a lot of time in the kitchen – unless I feel called to do so. We are able to eat healthy meals 3x/day, while only grocery shopping once per week. Occasionally, we will pop-in to the grocery store for something essential one other time per week. All this is thanks to minimalist meal planning.

 

Balancing simplicity and pleasure in meal choices

Balancing simplicity and pleasure in meal choices is a key aspect of adopting a mindful and minimalistic approach to eating. It involves finding the sweet spot between nourishing your body with wholesome foods and enjoying the sensory experience of eating.

On one hand, simplicity means opting for whole foods and unprocessed ingredients that provide essential nutrients without unnecessary additives. By focusing on natural and nutritious food choices, you can simplify your meals and enhance their nutritional value. Simple meals can also be easier to prepare, saving you time and effort in the kitchen.

On the other hand, pleasure is an important aspect of our relationship with food. It’s essential to find joy and satisfaction in what we eat. Pleasurable eating experiences can involve savoring flavors, appreciating the textures, and exploring new culinary possibilities and food groups. 

Avoiding Decision Fatigue

I came to fully embrace the Minimalist Meal Plan because I craved more simplicity in my life. I had too many other things to make decisions on, apart from the food we eat. Eating fresh food has always been a priority for me. But as a mom and business owner, I had a lot of other plates to juggle. 

So what even is decision fatigue? Decision fatigue refers to the psychological exhaustion and decreased ability to make quality decisions. It occurs after making numerous decisions over a period of time. When faced with a multitude of choices throughout the day, such as what to wear, what to eat, or which tasks to prioritize, our mental energy gradually depletes. This can lead to decision-making becoming more challenging. The result? Poorer judgment and an increased likelihood of making impulsive or unsatisfactory choices. 

When it comes to food, decision fatigue often leads to unhealthy, convenient food choices. When you’ve gone through a full day of making decisions – it feels easier to grab fast food than figure out what to cook. Very often, decision fatigue is the root cause of poor food choices. And those lead to a whole host of other problems. 

Avoiding decision fatigue is not only an issue of convenience and optimizing productivity but also safeguarding our well-being. 

Minimalist Meal Plan 

Step 1 – Pick your Staple Meals

​The first step in starting the Minimalist Meal Plan is choosing your staple meals. I like to call this creating my capsule meal plan. It involves picking a staple meal for breakfast & dinner, Monday through Friday. Dinners are our variable meal, as well as meals on the weekends.  

For our family, our go-to breakfast is always eggs in some form – most often scrambled or fried. For a long time, my personal breakfast was a green smoothie but sourcing quality ingredients became challenging while traveling.  Lunches involve sandwiches with a fresh vegetable side & bone broth or leftovers. My husband usually has a post-workout smoothie. 

For dinners, I employ simple meal planning. We have a list of recipes that I rotate throughout the days of the week. They are all simple, nourishing, and well-loved by the whole family.

sample weekly meal plan for dinners: 

Monday: Rotisserie Chicken with roast potatoes & salad

Tuesday: Leftover chicken meat stir fry with rice

Wednesday: Steak with sweet potato & vegetables

Thursday: Burgers with sweet potatoes fries & salad

Friday: Sourdough Pizza Friday

Our other favorite meals include salmon, stews, chili, and other minimalist recipes. With this structure, dinner time is the only time I spend more than 15mins on food preparation. It is the only meal I actually plan for. The rest are staples that we repeat on a daily basis. 

On the weekends, we leave space for flexibility. We might have sourdough pancakes for breakfast, leftovers for lunch, and eat out with friends for dinner. If I have new recipes I want to try, the weekend is the time to try them out. In those instances, I’m cooking for the pleasure I get from it, not just to nourish my family. 

Your turn! Grab a sheet of paper and pick an easy recipe for each day of the week. Don’t look too far into the future, just focus on a single week. It will serve as a test week. You can see which recipes you want to include on a regular basis, and which to leave out. The most important thing is that your family loves them and they only require simple ingredients to make. 

Step 2 – Craft your Grocery List 

As a general rule, when we go grocery shopping, we shop for the entire week. Sometimes we need one additional grocery run per week if we run out of any staples. Most of our food is made from scratch. My grocery food items almost never involve processed foods but focus on real food instead. I never buy random ingredients, and always stick to my list pretty closely. 

Writing out your grocery list will get much quicker with time. Now, I don’t have to reference our meal plan for the week anymore to know exactly what groceries we need. However I still make my list every time, otherwise I’m bound to get distracted and forget an essential item. This approach has saved me a lot of money over the years. Don’t forget staples like olive oil, peanut butter, black coffee, herbal tea, etc.

Your turn! Start by writing out the groceries you will need for your breakfast & lunch default meal. Make sure to multiply by the number of people you’ll be feeding and the number of days you need your groceries to last. Then move on to the dinners and write out everything you will need for the coming week. At first, it’s best to compile your list while you’re still at home. This way you can reference your pantry & fridge to see what you might be out of. In time you will come to have what I call a capsule pantry – but more on that later. 

Step 3 – Get groceries & all supplies 

You are almost done with the prep phase! After you put away all the groceries, make sure to check and see if you have all the supplies needed to cook your staple meals. For example, if you’re making rotisserie chicken, make sure you have a roasting pan on hand. It is the worst feeling when all your ingredients are mixed and ready – only to realize that the Dutch oven you need is at your friend’s house. 

Step 4 – Follow the plan & see what works 

Now just get to cooking and eating. Don’t be discouraged if a meal you picked takes too long to make or your family doesn’t enjoy it. Make a note, and adjust for next week. This simple approach will ensure that you will have your own minimalist meal plan in a matter of weeks. 

​Less Money & Less Food Waste 

Minimalistic meal planning helps you save money by eliminating unnecessary expenses and promoting smart shopping choices. By planning your meals in advance and creating a focused grocery list, you avoid impulse buying and reduce food waste. Choosing whole foods and simple ingredients that are often more affordable can also contribute to significant savings. Utilizing leftovers creatively and being mindful of portion sizes further maximizes your budget. Additionally, by preparing meals at home instead of eating out, you have control over costs and can enjoy nutritious and delicious meals while saving money.

When you mostly use minimalist foods to prepare your meals, even the little food waste that you do create has a purpose. Any food we don’t eat either gets composted or fed to one of our farm animals. 

Young Kids and Minimalist Eating

Young children thrive on routine. While it is extremely important to introduce a variety of textures, flavors & food groups, especially at an early age – it can be exhausting for both parents and young children to be facing a new food option every day. By creating a set rhythm during the week, with foods your child likes, everyone will be ready and excited to shake things up on the weekends. And if your child doesn’t end up eating that much of the new meal they’re not used to (yet) there’s no need for concern since you know their eating habits have been solid all week long. 

​

Intuitive Eating 

We are living, breathing beings, and as such, our nutritional needs change based on many different factors. It is important to remember, that even within a minimalist approach to eating, there is still space for intuitive eating. I listen to my body constantly, and if I feel that particular foods are consistently not working for me or any of my family members, I will change our meal plan for next time. Similarly, if I’m at the grocery store and I feel a very strong urge to purchase something I usually never do (this does not include sweets, ok?) I will go for it. I know myself well enough that when I can feel my body asking for something, it is a clear sign it needs it. Strict rules have never worked for me long term, but practicing mindful eating within the minimalist framework has. 

Capsule Pantry

A capsule pantry is a curated collection of essential and versatile ingredients that form the foundation of your cooking and meal preparation. It focuses on minimalism and simplicity by emphasizing quality over quantity. In a capsule pantry, you stock your shelves with key staple items that can be used across a variety of recipes, reducing the need for excessive and specialized ingredients. By having a capsule pantry, you can streamline your cooking process, save time and money, and minimize food waste. It allows you to create delicious and wholesome meals using a select set of versatile ingredients that cover a wide range of flavors and cuisines.

If you follow the simple steps outlined above, you will eventually end up with a capsule pantry. If your current pantry is filled with a lot of processed or unhealthy foods, I do recommend doing a purge before bringing in your first batch of groceries. Otherwise, use up your supplies over time, to avoid wasting food. As you try more easy recipes that work for your family, you will begin curating your capsule pantry with every grocery run. 

​