Consider a “Minimalistic” Approach to Food Selection

1/26/2023

One of the causes of the continued raising obesity rates in America over the past 50 years is the increased VARIETY of processed foods available on store shelves. 100’s of varieties of cereals, crackers, chips/munchies, pasta ronis, breads, even sodas and fruit juices fill about 75% of the store shelves. Most have a long shelf life which make them convenient to have “on-hand” and most we buy without much thought…as we’re walking through the store, something looks good (sometimes only the fancy packaging!) and we drop it in the cart. We seldom study the ingredient labels on these types of food selections. Another thing to consider is most of these foods varieties did not exist 50-60 years ago AND obesity was not nearly as prevalent then.

A big part of my success with a 100-pound weight loss was reducing the daily variety/selection in my meal planning. Especially after I started losing weight I thought “Why not eat EXACTLY the same things next week!”

I realize this won’t work for everyone and that’s fine; but let’s pretend you had to shop & meal plan for 1 week but could only choose 6-7 different foods in your cart and 2 beverage types to eat/drink for that week…what would you pick?

They don’t have to be “health foods”, just pick 6-7 of anything that could satisfy your meal needs for 1 week. 

I’ll start:

6-7 Foods:

1. Chicken Salad
2. Raw Almonds
3. Eggs
4. Cheese
5. Yogurt (Low Sugar/High Protein)
6. Berries
7. (BONUS) Low Carb/High Fiber wraps

2 Beverages:

1. Water
2. Coffee (nothing added)

What would your list look like?

A variation on this is to select 2 or 3 groupings of 6-7 food types, then rotate your “varieties” through cycles every other day, weekly, etc. I’m definitely adding BACON to my List#2 LOL!

I’ve found this approach keeps me away from the “grazing”; when I plan and know ahead what I’ll be eating for my next meal or even tomorrow. I’ve also selected foods with plenty of protein and enough fat to keep me satiated until the next meal.

PLEASE NOTE: This DOES NOT mean you control the family food pantry in the home. ALL of the “other” foods CAN and WILL remain there, just don’t think of them as “on YOUR list” that week.

Question and comments are always invited. I wish you all the best CRUSHING your goals!

NOTE: All information provided, received and shared at Big Loser Jim is purely for informational purposes only.

*Please consult your physician for specific medical advice.