Do you hate meal planning? Is dinnertime at all times aggravating in your home? Do you waste some huge cash on meals that by no means will get eaten? In that case, then I wish to share an answer that has made a HUGE distinction in my life: easy consuming.
Easy consuming is impressed by my minimalist lifestyle and—as somebody who actually dislikes cooking—it has been a lifesaver. I’m not often harassed about meals, I save a TON of cash, I’ve reclaimed my evenings, and as an added bonus, I’ve even began consuming more healthy.
Does this sound too good to be true? I promise it’s not! Maintain studying to be taught extra about my minimalist consuming philosophy and how one can apply it in your individual kitchen.
Be aware: I initially revealed this put up in 2015, however I’ve since up to date it (2023) to replicate my life-style modifications and to supply extra sensible examples.
Why I Don’t Meal Plan
Earlier than I start, I really feel like I ought to let you know a bit extra about what didn’t work for me: meal planning.
Now, I do know that there are a ton of people that love meal planning, and it really works rather well for them. If you happen to’re a kind of individuals, then that’s unbelievable! I’m glad you discovered a system that works for you and your loved ones.
However meal planning did NOT work for me, and I’m guessing I’m in all probability not alone. Listed below are a number of the explanation why:
Initially, I wish to eat what I’m within the temper for. This was my greatest drawback—if I used to be within the temper for Mexican and I had deliberate to have pasta, I’d be actually irritated. I’m not good at making myself do issues I don’t actually wish to do, so I’d normally abandon my meal plan and exit for tacos as an alternative!
Additionally, I wanted extra flexibility. Not solely did I wish to be versatile about what kind of meals I used to be going to eat, however I additionally wanted to be extra versatile about once I ate it.
For instance, at my previous job, I typically labored late, and by the point I received house, I’d be too drained to cook dinner no matter was on the plan that evening. As a substitute, I’d discover one thing else to eat, which might throw every little thing off, and by the top of the week, there can be wasted meals.
Lastly, meal planning didn’t work for me as a result of I didn’t take pleasure in it. I do know that if I attempted tougher, I in all probability might have overcome these obstacles. I might have been extra organised, did extra meals prep, and so on.— however in the end, I didn’t have the motivation.
Meal planning simply didn’t match with the approach to life that I needed for myself. Once more, this isn’t to say that meal planning is dangerous, but it surely wasn’t for me.
I knew there needed to be a distinct approach, so I began to rethink my strategy to meals.
Introducing Minimalist Consuming
A minimalist strategy to meals
Round this identical time, I was learning a lot about minimalism, and I began taking steps to simplify my closet. A part of the method was making a capsule wardrobe.
Now, when you’re not accustomed to the time period, the concept is straightforward: you might have a small closet filled with items that you simply love that may simply be combined and matched. It takes the stress out of getting dressed since you don’t should plan or fear an excessive amount of about what goes with what.
As a substitute, you’ll be able to really feel assured that the majority something you pull out will go collectively—plus that you simply’ll love no matter you decide since you solely hold objects that you simply love!
With this in thoughts, I began to marvel if I might take an analogous strategy in my kitchen.
As a substitute of planning meals, might I create a “capsule kitchen” filled with meals I really like and use “meals uniforms” to make mealtimes simpler?
The reply is sure, and right here’s how minimalist consuming works.
The capsule kitchen
The concept behind a capsule kitchen is straightforward: inventory your private home filled with “go-to” meals that you’re keen on consuming as an alternative of buying meals.
That is what it seems like for me:
- a pantry stocked with my favorite fundamentals (rice, ramen noodles, beans and tortillas)
- seasonal fruit and greens
- cheese, eggs, and a small portion of meat
- a number of my favorite condiments and spices*
*For condiments and spices, I’ve a number of “flavour households” I at all times flip to. (Once more, with the style analogy, these are like your favorite accent colors!) These embody Mexican (cumin, chilli, lime), Asian (soy sauce, ginger, sriracha) or good previous garlic and herbs.
I not often store with any explicit meals in thoughts, and I solely use a listing to remind me if I’ve run out of any pantry necessities. I normally purchase one huge portion of meat for the week (like a lamb roast), which I’ll cook dinner early within the week, after which now we have a bit day by day. For fruit, veg, cheese, and so on. I typically purchase lower than I believe I would like, and I at all times be certain I really like every little thing I purchase.
That final bit is so necessary and the important thing to creating this work!
If you happen to take pleasure in consuming every little thing you purchase (and also you don’t overshop), you gained’t find yourself with meals wastage. Since we’re not worrying about recipes or having “deliberate meals”, you can also make no matter you purchase work with virtually something.
Your meals uniform
Subsequent, yet one more trend analogy!
There are lots of people throughout the minimalist neighborhood who embrace the idea of a private uniform. A personal uniform is mainly only a signature look—a “go-to” type that you simply put on on a regular basis.
For instance, when the climate’s cool, my private uniform is skinny denims, outsized tops and ankle boots. It’s a glance I really like, and I do know that on any given day, I’ll really feel good carrying it.
After all, I can combine issues up with totally different equipment or by including layers, however in the end, the foundations of my outfit are normally the identical.
A meals uniform works precisely the identical approach.
There are a number of primary “meals buildings” I do know I really like consuming—stir-fries, salads, bowls (see hyperlink beneath), tacos—so I make these the muse of just about each meal. These are all tremendous straightforward and fast to make, even for somebody with my restricted cooking abilities!
All I’ve to do is decide a uniform after which add to it from my capsule pantry—and I’ve received yummy meals with virtually no effort or planning!
If you happen to’re actually new to cooking (truthfully, I believe I used to be 25 earlier than I discovered to cook dinner a stir fry, so don’t really feel dangerous!) or if you need some assets that can assist you set up your meals uniform, listed below are some articles which may enable you to:
These articles will enable you to with the fundamentals however bear in mind the entire level of straightforward consuming is you don’t should observe a recipe. Simply hold it easy and eat what you want!
Prepared for some real-world examples? Maintain studying!
Looking for meals
Let’s begin with meals purchasing as a result of I do know that is aggravating for lots of people.
As I discussed, there are some issues I at all times hold in my home, together with rice, beans, noodles, tortillas, sure spices and condiments. I normally solely store for this stuff about as soon as a month, and since I’ve been shopping for the identical issues for therefore lengthy, I not often want a listing. I typically do that store on-line to make issues even simpler!
Then every week, I normally purchase the next from the grocery store:
- one portion of meat (like a lamb roast or an entire hen—one thing I can cook dinner as soon as in the beginning of the week) – Total, this implies we don’t eat a number of meat. We positively aren’t vegetarians, and we eat meat at most meals, but it surely’s not the hero of our meals. A 1kg roast would possibly seem to be quite a bit, but it surely’s not if you unfold it out over per week. This protects a ton of cash and truly makes cooking simpler too.
- cheese – I normally purchase a block of cheddar as a part of my huge month-to-month store however will get a small portion of one thing particular every week to “accessorise” my meals!
- yoghurt and eggs
I’m additionally lucky to stay down the street from an awesome farmer’s market, so that is the place I purchase most of my fruit and greens. I not often have a listing, however I normally have a tough finances in thoughts. I purchase no matter is in season that I do know my household will love.
Proper now, it’s normally a mixture of potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, cabbage, onions, peppers, apples and bananas.
Once more, I’ve no plan for what I’m going to make use of this meals for once I purchase it— that is the place my meals uniform comes into play!
Easy Consuming In Motion
On any given day, I typically begin by deciding which of my “meals uniforms” I really feel like consuming.
Let’s say I’m within the temper for tacos. I am going to my fridge, seize no matter meat or greens I really feel like, toss them in a pan with a little bit of cumin and chilli, and serve with lime and tortillas!
What I’ve discovered is that if I’ve the fundamentals (some spices and tortillas) is that I can add virtually something. I’ve had cauliflower tacos, egg and bean tacos, steak tacos—I’m fairly positive I’ve put virtually every little thing in a taco! It’s a good way to wash out the fridge.
The identical applies to stir-fries, salads or bowls. I select a base, add meat and veggies, after which “accessorise” with spices, cheese, sauces, and so on. Identical to a capsule wardrobe, you’ll be able to combine and match virtually something.
Listed below are extra examples:
- stir fry with noodles, hen, broccoli, cabbage, and onions—add candy soy sauce and sriracha sauce
- bowl with rice, eggs, beans, peppers, and cabbage—add cheese and avocado
- salad with spinach, hen, potatoes, carrots, and beans—add cheese and dressing
- the chances are nearly limitless—simply combine and match!
It very not often takes me longer than half-hour to make dinner and normally quite a bit much less. It’s normally only a little bit of chopping after which tossing it right into a pan or the oven.
If this sounds easy, it’s as a result of it IS easy!
In reality, I’m positive there’s in all probability somebody studying this pondering—what’s the large deal? I do that on a regular basis.
However for me, understanding that I didn’t should make actual “meals” (that means one thing you’d discover in a cookbook) was an enormous mindset shift. I gave myself permission to make issues straightforward and realised that I didn’t have to cook dinner sure sorts of meals to be a very good spouse or a very good mum.
Need to be taught extra about minimalism and simplifying your life? Listed below are a number of widespread posts you would possibly take pleasure in:
Easy Consuming article continues beneath.
A Few Extra Easy Consuming ideas
I personally don’t do any meals prep forward of time, however I’ll typically do it as I am going. For instance, if I’m going to make use of some hen on a Monday, I’ll cook dinner it abruptly. It makes issues simpler all through the week. Sames goes with chopping greens; if I would like a little bit of broccoli, I’ll go forward and chop all of it.
I discovered it is a actually good stability for me. I’m a bit bit ready with out having to be too organised!
If you happen to’re anxious about losing interest, combine up the flavours—not the construction. I truthfully eat tacos 2-3 occasions per week, however I don’t get bored as a result of I combine issues up with sauces, spices, greens and so on.
Bear in mind the capsule wardrobe analogy; a white t-shirt and denims will be combined to make 100 totally different outfits when you get artistic! Modifications your footwear, and your purse, add a shawl, placed on a sweater—the chances are limitless. The identical applies to minimalist consuming!
Have a “use it up” shelf in your fridge. Put leftovers or something that must be eaten quickly on this shelf so that you don’t overlook about it.
One tip that can assist you clear this shelf is by having what I name a “platter meal”. I seize my greatest chopping board and clear out the fridge: some leftover hen, carrot sticks, hardboiled eggs, a little bit of cheese, perhaps some nuts and bread on the facet.
As at all times, it doesn’t matter what I seize as a result of it’s all meals that I do know my household likes to eat.
Don’t be afraid of an empty fridge. The objective of straightforward consuming is to eat every little thing you purchase! An empty fridge on the finish of the week is an effective signal as a result of it means you aren’t losing meals!
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How Consuming Merely Has Modified My Life
In the beginning, easy consuming saves me some huge cash.
Earlier than simplifying my consuming habits, I’d at all times purchase an excessive amount of meals. If you happen to’re not organised (like me), cooking set meals means shopping for a lot of totally different substances, and so typically, I exploit a tiny bit for a recipe, after which the remaining would go to waste.
Or if I didn’t plan properly (which was at all times), I’d find yourself with a ton of meals in my fridge that I didn’t know what to do with. I wasted SO MUCH meals!
Once I started to practise minimalist consuming, I began shopping for quite a bit much less—but it surely was by no means an issue as a result of we really ate all of it! We additionally eat out quite a bit much less typically, and that made a big impact on our finances (and helped us turn into debt-free!).
One other profit of straightforward consuming is I’m really consuming more healthy too. Though my intention was to not go on a weight loss plan, simplifying my meals helped me lose the final 5kgs I’d been hanging onto for years. I believe it is because greens are the core of my weight loss plan once in a while, I’m not consuming out as typically as I used to.
Lastly, the primary profit of straightforward consuming is how little effort and time I spend cooking and meals purchasing. I’m normally out and in of the grocery store in lower than 20 minutes, I don’t plan meals, and I not spend hours within the kitchen. That is time saved that I now spend with my family members, writing or taking care of myself.
What do you assume? Would easy consuming give you the results you want? Let me know within the feedback! x
