Simplify Your Eating Habits and Meals

Every Friday is Health Tip Day at Zen Habits.

These days, we usually have to choose between having complicated meals or eating unhealthy fast food or frozen food. In many cases, people who are trying to lose weight go on complicated diets that have too many requirements to remember, let alone keep up with.

However, you can eliminate stress and be healthier at the same time by simplifying your diet.

How can you do this? First, let’s consider what our needs in constructing our simple diet:

Simple. Everything should be easy to prepare and not take long. We don’t want to be slaving over the stove — 10 minutes of prep time or cooking is long enough. And we don’t want a million ingredients.
Nutritious. Even though we love junk food, it makes us fat (which is stressful) and lacks the nutrition we need. We need to get fiber, vitamins and minerals, protein, good fats, etc.
Low in calories, saturated fat, sugar and cholesterol. We’re not going to get into a low carb vs. high carb debate here. Please don’t talk about this in the comments. We’ve discussed this before. These things listed are the things we really want to avoid.

OK, given that these are the essential ingredients of a simple diet, let’s look at some things we want to eliminate — things that don’t help us meet this simple diet:

Junk food. Obviously. Although junk food can be tasty, it’s simply not healthy, and it’s high in saturated fat and sugar and that bad stuff.
Processed food. No fiber, low in nutrition, high in calories. Try to get stuff in its natural state, without all the gravies and sauces and cheeses on top.
Fast food. This stuff never comes to any good. Unless maybe you get a good salad, but even then.
Red meat. I’m not saying you should become a vegetarian (though I recommend it), but red meat is high in saturated fat. If you want to eat meat, eat fish and boneless skinless chicken breast and turkey breast. Or try other forms of protein that doesn’t have all the fat: tofu, nuts, whole grains, beans.
Fried food. High in saturated fat and calories. Look for baked or stir fried or even raw (as in fruits and veggies, not meat).

And what does that leave us with? Just the essentials. And if we stock up on those essentials, we can create simple meals that are tasty and easy to prepare. And by simplifying your eating habits, you not only shorten your prep time, but you save on groceries as well. Processed food costs a lot, especially as you usually are paying for all that wasteful packaging as well.

I would recommend also simplifying the amount you eat. If you’re eating healthy stuff, you don’t need to eat in bird-like portions … but it’s best not to have huge heaping servings or seconds and thirds. Stick to sensible portions, and only have one serving. Don’t starve yourself, as that will lead to binge eating, but don’t stuff yourself either.

So what would a simplified diet look like? It would have a lot of fresh fruits and veggies, beans, nuts, whole grains. Here are some simple meals:

Breakfast: Whole-grain cereals (no processed or sugary cereals), fresh homemade bran muffins (use whole-grain flour), homemade granola, fresh fruits, whole-grain toast with almond butter, scrambled tofu (with onions and spices — yum).
Lunch: Sandwiches such as turkey or avocado with tomatoes and sprouts on whole wheat bread; pita filled with hummus and tomatoes and sprouts and lettuce; leftover soup or chili.
Dinner: Hearty soup (my recipe); homemade vegetarian chili (my recipe) — make a big pot of the easy-to-make chili or soup and it can last for days; hearty salad with nuts and spinach and avocados and lettuce and carrots and a light dressing; steamed veggies with seasoned brown rice (use sesame seeds and tamari and pepper); stir-fry tofu and veggies; veggie burgers with homemade baked fries (slice up potato, drizzle a little olive oil, salt and pepper); butternut squash with couscous and chutney.
Snacks: Fruits, cut-up veggies, nuts, blue corn chips with Newman’s salsa.
Treats: Every now and then you need to treat yourself. If you’ve been good, splurge on some crazy fattening dessert. Or treat yourself with little things like a little bit of dark chocolate or berries. Yum.

Also see:

Simplify Your Eating Habits and Meals

Every Friday is Health Tip Day at Zen Habits.

However, you can eliminate stress and be healthier at the same time by simplifying your diet.

How can you do this? First, let’s consider what our needs in constructing our simple diet:

Simple. Everything should be easy to prepare and not take long. We don’t want to be slaving over the stove — 10 minutes of prep time or cooking is long enough. And we don’t want a million ingredients.
Nutritious. Even though we love junk food, it makes us fat (which is stressful) and lacks the nutrition we need. We need to get fiber, vitamins and minerals, protein, good fats, etc.
Low in calories, saturated fat, sugar and cholesterol. We’re not going to get into a low carb vs. high carb debate here. Please don’t talk about this in the comments. We’ve discussed this before. These things listed are the things we really want to avoid.

OK, given that these are the essential ingredients of a simple diet, let’s look at some things we want to eliminate — things that don’t help us meet this simple diet:

Junk food. Obviously. Although junk food can be tasty, it’s simply not healthy, and it’s high in saturated fat and sugar and that bad stuff.
Processed food. No fiber, low in nutrition, high in calories. Try to get stuff in its natural state, without all the gravies and sauces and cheeses on top.
Fast food. This stuff never comes to any good. Unless maybe you get a good salad, but even then.
Red meat. I’m not saying you should become a vegetarian (though I recommend it), but red meat is high in saturated fat. If you want to eat meat, eat fish and boneless skinless chicken breast and turkey breast. Or try other forms of protein that doesn’t have all the fat: tofu, nuts, whole grains, beans.
Fried food. High in saturated fat and calories. Look for baked or stir fried or even raw (as in fruits and veggies, not meat).

So what would a simplified diet look like? It would have a lot of fresh fruits and veggies, beans, nuts, whole grains. Here are some simple meals:

Breakfast: Whole-grain cereals (no processed or sugary cereals), fresh homemade bran muffins (use whole-grain flour), homemade granola, fresh fruits, whole-grain toast with almond butter, scrambled tofu (with onions and spices — yum).
Lunch: Sandwiches such as turkey or avocado with tomatoes and sprouts on whole wheat bread; pita filled with hummus and tomatoes and sprouts and lettuce; leftover soup or chili.
Dinner: Hearty soup (my recipe); homemade vegetarian chili (my recipe) — make a big pot of the easy-to-make chili or soup and it can last for days; hearty salad with nuts and spinach and avocados and lettuce and carrots and a light dressing; steamed veggies with seasoned brown rice (use sesame seeds and tamari and pepper); stir-fry tofu and veggies; veggie burgers with homemade baked fries (slice up potato, drizzle a little olive oil, salt and pepper); butternut squash with couscous and chutney.
Snacks: Fruits, cut-up veggies, nuts, blue corn chips with Newman’s salsa.
Treats: Every now and then you need to treat yourself. If you’ve been good, splurge on some crazy fattening dessert. Or treat yourself with little things like a little bit of dark chocolate or berries. Yum.

Also see:

Posted on 16 June 2007 in Health Tip Day, Simplicity |
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Comments (25)

paulkdad Says:

June 16th, 2007, 7:15 am

Great tips on simplifying your diet! Let me add one that I read in “The New Rules of Lifting:” the Author calls it “clean eating,” but the basic concept is that you should only eat things that you can visualize in its natural, pre-processed state. For example, if you see some sushi, you can visualize (i.e., see the relationship between the finished dish and its source) fish and seaweed and rice stalks. But when you look at a Twinkie (for example) you can’t see any connection between that food item and any natural source.

Similar to this is the idea that (in general) the fewer ingredients in any processed food, the better. My favorite is “natural” peanut butter (which I love), whose ingredient list reads: “peanuts.”

Ben Says:

June 16th, 2007, 8:11 am

Here’s a GREAT simple recipe that has become a major staple of my own simple and healthy diet.

Ingredients:
1 cup raw, dry brown rice (I like the long grain, organic variety)
1-3 cups chopped celery
1 onion, chopped
a bit of parsley (I use the dry, in a bottle variety)
3-4 bullions (chicken, veggie, beef - pick your poison!)
a few tablespoon olive oil

Directions:
I use three pans to cook this. A skillet to brown the rice, a pan to boil a few cups of water, and a big oven safe bowl with a lid to bake the final project. I set the pans out then I preheat the oven to 350. I chop all the celery and onions and dump them into the big oven bowl. Then I drop in whatever parsley I have on top of the veg. Then I put a little olive in the skillet and start to brown the dry rice. At the same time I start boiling 2 and a half cups water, stirring in the bullion once it’s boiling. After the rice sounds making popping noises and looking a little more brown, it’s ready and I put it into the big bowl on top of the chopped veg. Once the boiled water has diluted the bullions I put it on top of the rice and veg. Then I put the lid on the big bowl, shove it into the oven and forget about it for about an hour and 20 minutes.

All said this makes a terrific and simple meal. I usually make 2-3 small meals out of it and use it all during the same day. You can increase the portions though and put it in the frig for a few days. I like to serve it cold with sliced avocado and fresh parmesan cheese. That mixture right there is pure bliss. When it’s warm though, the parmesan doesn’t have the same effect for me.

Aaron Helton Says:

June 16th, 2007, 9:30 am

I really don’t see the need to replace eggs with tofu, as you seem to suggest in your example breakfast items. A large egg has only 70 calories and 4g of fat (only 1.5g are saturated). So, while they may not be as healthy as tofu, most people are more likely to embrace a diet that leaves them able to eat some of the things they like.

Steve Says:

June 16th, 2007, 9:41 am

For the past year I’ve eaten steel cut oats for breakfast and almond butter sandwiches for lunch and have lost 24 pounds. Dinner is whatever I feel like, although a lot of times I’ll just blend some protein powder in 1% milk. Eat less. That’s the key. Figure out how many calories you need per day with one of the many web sites out there, and then cut it by 500 calories. For exercise, I walk and do military style exercises (push up, pull up, crunch, etc). I now weigh 179 at 6′ 1″. Check out this website for more eating articles: http://www.cbass.com. He knows what he’s talking about!

Leo Says:

June 16th, 2007, 10:29 am

Thanks for sharing your tips and recipes, guys!

@Aaron: The meals I gave are just suggestions … there are thousands of others you could choose from, including eggs. I happen to be (mostly) vegan, so I don’t eat eggs, but I’m not trying to force that on anyone. Scrambled tofu (again, with onions and spices), however, is really delicious, and I recommend everyone give it a try, even if they still want to eat eggs.

That said, if you are curious about eggs, you might want to read about how egg-laying hens are treated. This is in addition to the problem of saturated fat content of eggs. But again, if you want to eat eggs, I’m not saying you shouldn’t. I was just giving some ideas.

Deb Says:

June 16th, 2007, 10:31 am

Timely post. I was just about to sit down to look at my eating habits and make some changes for some much need weight loss. Question for Ben - is the rice pre-cooked or are you actually browning uncooked rice straight from the box??

Joel Says:

June 16th, 2007, 11:27 am

Reinhard Engel’s No “S” Diet (http://nosdiet.com) is another way to simplify your approach to eating for a healthier, less stressful lifestyle.

Kit Says:

June 16th, 2007, 12:00 pm

Excellent suggestions. I also really like the Hungry Girl website, which is based off of Weight Watchers and there are no restrictions to the diet there, no warning away from carbs, proteins, etc. Merely the idea that everything should come in moderation and some things more than others.

Ben Says:

June 16th, 2007, 12:05 pm

Deb, I’m actually browning uncooked rice. I’ve tried making it before without doing that but it didn’t turn out as good. I definitely recommend you brown the uncooked nice before you toss it into the oven.

Adam Snider Says:

June 16th, 2007, 14:21 pm

“…Pita filled with hummus and tomatoes and sprouts and lettuce…”

Leo, that sounds delicious! I’m going to have to try that very soon! I’ve always wondered how to make vegetarian sandwiches that don’t just taste like lettuce and bread…this is one answer that sounds excellent!

Overall, all of the items you’ve recommended sound really, really tasty. I might have to include a lot of these items in my weekly menus!

Thanks for another great post, Leo.

Kristin Gerstley Says:

June 16th, 2007, 14:50 pm

I just found this site and love your ideas on how to make healthy meals. Being a vegetarian, I’m always looking for other great food to make and your three bean vegan chili sounds delicious! I’ll have to try it out soon!

After beating my eating disorder and learning about healthy foods and why they are so good - I lost 50lbs without “dieting”. I eat just about all of the foods that you mentioned and have never felt better!

Thanks for the great post!

Tay Says:

June 16th, 2007, 14:57 pm

In the ‘don’t eat’ section, you might want to add the word ’saturated’ to the last sentence. Both tofu and nuts have fat - a lot, in fact - but it usually isn’t saturated.

Also, fried foods aren’t necessarily fried in saturated fat. Many fast food restaurants used (and some still do) fats with trans fats, which are even worse, but it’s not a given with all fried foods.

Do you have any links to good recipes? I know one of the pluses in your list was ‘easy to prepare’ but so many ‘healthy’ recipes end up with dozens of ingredients that take hours to cut up. I’d love some genuinely simple recipes, especially for a light supper. Thanks!

Andy Says:

June 16th, 2007, 15:28 pm

For some of us of course, preparing “complicated meals” isn’t stressful - it’s relaxing. I suspect that your excellent advice only applies to people who don’t actually like cooking.

I take pride in my ability to cook, but with life as fast-paced and complicated as it is, I don’t normally get the chance. For me, cooking something elaborate (or, experimental) is one of the best ways to de-stress. I try to get around to it at least once a month. (And we make a point of having a proper roast dinner every Sunday - it’s a family ritual.)

At other times I pretty much follow your five rules - but I think that your rule two (”no processed food”) is the most important one. Really it covers your rule one (”no junk food”) and your rule three (”no fast food”) as well.

meandering Says:

June 16th, 2007, 20:56 pm

Well, I probably eat quite healthy food and certainly wouldn’t be seen at McDumb or muching cardboard pizzas.

But I have to say the food that’s always suggested is not always so easy to digest. Nuts should really be eaten in moderation, peanuts often cause nut allergies, and beans will cause all the unwanted effects our parents have also warned us against. ;-)

And all the wholegrains are pretty heavy. All that wholegrain brown rice is not so easy to digest. And if you are veggie you would usually have to eat more (and not less!) than a meat eater and maybe more often.

Just to say, look at your diet properly and don’t just follow stuff you read in the magazines. See what it does for you and what your body REALLY needs. It’s not always easy to tell, as there are cravings that send the wrong message. For ex. I often eat too much, because I burn food rapidly and am pretty skinny. But do have the feeling I don’t actuallly need all that stuff.

Dennis Says:

June 16th, 2007, 21:36 pm

I try to eat fruit and/or things with protein every three or four hours so that I’m always well hydrated (I drink lots of water) and have enough energy. I’m a vegetarian, so my extra vigilance and attention to smaller portions more frequently pays off for me.

Som Says:

June 17th, 2007, 0:39 am

Using turmeric in your food, about twice a week has conclusively shown to prevent cancers. Just a sprinkle to what ever you are frying, be it eggs or soup should be enough. Colon cancer is rarely seen in India and the main reason: curry? no..its actually turmeric. Turmeric is used in daily cooking of curries in India.
Also use Garlic, its very good for the heart. Slice it and dice it and put it in soup or anything else.
If you are working out hard, take multivitamins - you will need them.

Mustard Says:

June 17th, 2007, 4:29 am

I went to a site called HMTK just now and was surprised that it contain the same picture as this post.

Is it a berry international day?

http://www.hmtk.com/archives/pokemon-farming-berries.html

Rick Says:

June 17th, 2007, 21:54 pm

I know many of you will think think this is nonsense, but…
Saturated fat is not bad. It has many important roles in our bodies.

Processed fats, saturated or unsaturated, are bad. Most people agree on this.

Finally many people are seeing the health benefits of coconut oil, a saturated fat. But even so, people seem deathly afraid of things like raw butter or egg yolks. In my opinion and in the opinion of many other nutritionists that you rarely or never hear about, these so called dangerous, disease-causing foods are in fact superfoods. While a high-carb body type might need slightly less of these foods, a protein-fat type thrives on them.

I’m not suggesting that anyone eats factory-farmed fried eggs or BBQ pork ribs. I’m simply suggesting that you should experiment for yourself with health giving benefits raw fats. The effects of such animal foods on the body differs dramatically from EV olive oil, avocado, and nuts.

~Rick

Emily Says:

June 18th, 2007, 0:38 am

Tofu may not be the miracle food we all thought it was… In cultures that traditionally used soy, apparently it was always fermented (as in miso and tempeh.) We in the West may have jumped on the soy bandwagon without the experience to know how it must be prepared. Check out the Weston A. Price Foundation’s website about the dangers of unfermented soy (ie. tofu and soy milk.) http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/index.html

I have found that many people, vegetarians especially, tend to be resistent to the idea that soy might actually be bad for us. Having recently stopped being a vegetarian, I used to consume a lot of tofu and soy milk. After reading these articles a month ago, I have been experimenting with avoiding it completely. I’m not sure what my conclusion is yet, but I thought it was worth bringing up.

tru Says:

June 18th, 2007, 19:02 pm

@Adam Snider:

Super easy sandwich spread:

1 can garbonzo beans
1 can artichoke hearts (not marinated, just packed in water)
1 clove of garlic, peeled
1/4 of large onion, peeled
Black pepper to taste

Drain and rinse beans and artichoke hearts.

Dump into food processor or blender along with garlic and onion.

Process until smooth.

This makes a good, tastly sandwich spread and vegetable dip.

You can experiement with adding fresh herbs like dill, parsely or basil.

It’s similar to hummus, but not quite as fatty since there’s no olive oil or tahini in it. And the artichoke hearts give it some a bit of tanginess too.

@ Emily - you don’t have to give up being vegetarian if you give up soy. Just sayin’.

Emma Says:

June 18th, 2007, 19:50 pm

Great article - simplifying your eating habits is such a good idea, for so many reasons. The way I have done it is by having whole fruits and a glass of milk or yoghurt for breakfast, raw, by preference, or cooked vegetables and some protein (cheese, meat or nuts) for lunch and what ever I want for dinner. This makes taking lunch (and sometimes breakfast) to work so easy, just grab from the fridge and out the door. And it means that you are eating 7 or more different fruits and vegetables a day. I have also found that I am so much perkier in the afternoons!

steveb Says:

June 18th, 2007, 21:02 pm

Adam, my absolute favorite sandwiches are simply salads between bread slices.

I use all the ingredients of my favorite salads. Between slices of whole grain bread, I put tomatoes, lettuce and spinach and a thick slice of tofu (instead of cheese: think of it as a different flavor and texture rather than a replacement so you don’t fall into the trap of expecting something cheesy). Then I round it up with whatever smaller ingredients I like in a salad, such as sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, raisins, ground flax seeds, sprouts, whatever else. I use my favorite salad dressing as the spread on both pieces of bread (in place of mustard, butter or mayonaise). Vegenaise is also quite tasty (addiction alert!).

It can get pretty thick pretty fast. Salads can leave me unsatisfied (I think from the lack of heaviness) but the bread makes these sandwiches fully satisfying while being super healthy. Hope you like them as much as I do.

Teri Pittman Says:

June 18th, 2007, 21:49 pm

Okay, I may be the only poster you ever get that has actually WORKED on an egg ranch. Be that as it may, eggs are still good cheap protein. My chickens these days are free range (maybe a bit too freerange as it’s hard for me to grow anything that they don’t eat.)

What I would caution is heavy grain use. It’s quite possible to be celiac or gluten intolerant and not realize it. My husband did not know that his intestinal problems were the result of being gluten intolerant. It took going the low carb route before he found out. These days, we eat a lot of cornbread made with coconut oil (instead of hydrogenated shortening) and coconut flour. Turns out coconuts were one of those things they were wrong about too.

Kemp Says:

June 19th, 2007, 21:57 pm

Great ideas. I can only recommend having Miso Soup and sushi for lunch now and then. Quick to make: Take a few salad leaves with you to work, a small tin of corn, a small tin of tuna, mix and eat. Optional: tomatoes, dressing of your choice.

Lisa Says:

June 20th, 2007, 10:19 am

Hi,

These are some great ideas! Thanks guys!

I recently purchased a fun product from a company called Simple Memory Art (www.SimpleMemoryArt.com ) called a 50 Healthy Foods magnet set. It’s a really cool item actually — it’s a magnet set that lists the major food groups, has them color coded in rainbow-like colors, and tells you everything about the food — vitamins, calories, grams of fat, protein, etc. It’s REALLY helpful and it makes my fridge look happier too!

It’s perfect for anyone who already maintains a healthy lifestyle and sees it as a great novelty magnet set to add to their fridge, or for those looking to eat a little healthier. Here’s a direct link: http://www.simplememoryart.com/shop_MG102.html

Have a great day!

Lisa