The Five Rules Of Eating Healthy
When I first started turning my life around, I read quite a bit about eating healthy. I looked through magazines, books, blogs and any other source of information I could find. While there was a lot of good advice out there, I felt a little overwhelmed. There was so much information out there, so many tips, so many things to do and so many things not to do. I felt like I needed to analyze every single bite I ate down to the smallest component, total up everything hour by hour and then make careful adjustments meal by meal.
Did I have enough protein today? Better increase that measure of Tofu for dinner by 5grams! Did I have enough vitamin D? How about carbs? Did I eat enough or too many? Wait, I just ate an orange. Oh no, now my vitamin intake is all out of whack! It just felt like there was no way to achieve that perfect diet and if my diet wasn’t perfect then I was in danger of backsliding.
Well, after a year of driving myself a little crazy, I started relaxing. I started trusting my own judgment when it came to food. I started understanding that I don’t need to have the perfect balance of protein, fat and carbs every single day, things will balance out over a few days or a week and that’s just fine. Rather than diving into the minutiae of my diet, I started looking at the overall picture. Over the next two or three years, I developed a few basic rules by which I eat. I find these easy to follow and easy to remember.
Before I list my rules of eating, I would like to give credit where credit is due. One, some or all of these rules were inspired by YOU: The Owner’s Manual: An Insider’s Guide to the Body that Will Make You Healthier and Younger
Please note that over the next week I plan to review each of these in more detail, so I hope you don’t mind the quick treatment they each get in this post. I want to provide people with a quick summary of the rules in general before moving on to detailed discussions.
1. Eat a variety of foods
Most foods are not balanced nutritionally and there are very few if any “super” foods that contain everything you need to consume in the proper amounts. So rather than worry about which amino acid you’re missing out on today, just eat a variety of foods from a variety of cuisines. Don’t restrict your diet too much or stick to only one type of food.
2. If they wouldn’t recognize it in the 19th century, you probably shouldn’t be eating it today
This is a paraphrasing of Pollan’s rule “if your grandmother wouldn’t recognize it, you shouldn’t be eating it.” Well, my grandmother is still alive thankfully and she’d recognize quite a bit of crappy food. So I modified this a bit. Essentially, this is a rule meant to protect you from all the overly processed junk available today. If you showed what you’re about to eat to someone from a hundred years ago, would they recognize it as food or what they wonder what they hell you were thinking about for putting this crap in your mouth? This also applies to heavily processed versions of old fashioned food. For example, pasta is fine, highly processed pasta that went through three factories and two refining processes before ending up on your plate is not.
3. The 1/2, 1/4, 1/4 rule of balanced meals
I’m really sick of trying to measure serving sizes. What the heck is the right serving size for meats? Is a tomato one vegetable serving? What about a large tomato? How can a cup of milk be the same serving size of dairy as a slice of cheese?!? Rather than worry about all this, I just balance my plate. 1/2 leafy or crunchy vegetables like spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, peppers and so on. 1/4 starchy vegetables like potatoes, squashes, beans and others. Then finish it off with 1/4 protein like meat, tofu, dairy or legumes. Will this always be the perfect balanced meal? Not always, but things will balance out over time and at least you won’t drive yourself crazy doing portion control.
4. Eat slowly and enjoy your food.
When you eat fast you eat too much. Eat slow, savor your meal, enjoy the flavors and the food. This was one of the hardest rules for me and one I still struggle with. If you’ve seen me eat, you know I eat fast, but believe me, I eat a lot slower than I used to.
5. Eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re not
The three meals a day plan is for people who’s bodies operate on some abnormal mechanical clock. Stop listening to how society tells you to eat and start listening to your body. If you’re hungry, eat. When you’re not hungry stop eating. If that means eating at 2pm instead of lunch time, that’s fine. If it means not finishing your restaurant portion, that’s fine too.
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That’s it, 5 easy rules to live by that don’t require much in the way of scientific analysis. On Wednesday, we start talking about the first one and what exactly it means.
Rule #2 of Healthy Eating, The 100 Year Test
On Monday, I started talking about the five rules I use for eating healthy food. I use these relatively simple rules because It’s just too difficult to keep up with all the guidelines, recommendations and plans for eating the perfectly balanced diet. You can drive yourself crazy and still not be 100% perfect.
Today we look at rule #2, which I like to call, the 100 year rule. This is based in large part on one of Michael Pollan’s recommendation which I’ve taken and modified slightly.
What Is the 100 Year Rule?
If you were to take the food you’re about to eat and show it to someone who lived in the 19th century, would they recognize it? Would they believe you when you said it was food or would they look at you like a crazy person? If what you’re about to eat makes a 19th century person quiver in fear, run away screaming or shake his or her head in disbelief, you probably shouldn’t be eating it.
Advanced Applications
Does the food seem like something that would have been eaten in the 19th century but was prepared in some really odd way? For example, Twinkies seem like sponge cake which would probably seem normal to someone from a 100 years ago. However, if you ever watched how twinkies are made, I think you would agree with me that they simply aren’t food.
Does the food contain ingredients you don’t recognize? Take a look at that ingredient list. Are there more than five chemicals in there that have long scientific names? Is there at least one ingredient in the top five that’s nothing more than a long chemical formula? Perhaps you should put that food down then.
Was it raised in a completely unnatural way? No cow was born to live in a 6′ by 3′ pen, pumped with antibiotics every day and fed corn, grain and pieces of other cows. Sorry, that’s just not natural. You may want to remember that the next time you think about ordering a steak. Feel free to eat meat but try to make sure it was raised the way meat should be raised and not the way some factory finds it most efficient to raise.
Clarifications to the 100 Year Rule
Is it a 100 years from when I was born? I suppose. Mainly you’re trying to answer the question of “would someone who lived in a time before massive food processing and chemical engineering have recognized this food?” To me, that’s the 19th century and about 100 years ago. Your time line may vary.
Do I need to base it on the country I was born in? Not really. For example, if I showed sushi to someone who was born in my homeland 100 years ago, they would think I was crazy for eating raw fish. However, people in Japan would think I was fine. As long as someone from a preindustrial society somewhere would agree with you that this is food, you’re probably fine.
Why Use the 100 Year Rule?
Because processed food sucks. We put too many chemicals into our food, too much crap that really belongs nowhere near our bodies.
Are You Saying This Because You’re Some Kind of Anti Technology, Anti Progress Fanatic?
Not at all. At no point in my life did I wish I could live back in the days before modern medicine, modern standards of living, modern rule of law and modern technology. Heck, this blog should be sufficient evidence that I like modern technology. However, I do think we’ve gone overboard in the things we do to our food. I love that I can fly around the world. I love that I can instantly communicate with people thousands of miles away. I love that we no longer lose 1 out of every three children to disease or starvation. I don’t love the fact that my food contains more chemicals than a toxic waste dump, more antibiotics than a hospital ward and was prepared using the same process that’s reserved for refining gasoline.
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There are some things that technology does well and some things it does not. Technology can give us better food, I firmly believe that. I also believe that mass production, industrial processing and chemical cocktails are meant to give the food companies a better profit margin and have nothing to do with quality of food.
Rule #4 of Healthy Eating, the 20 Minute Rule
Last Monday, I started talking about the five rules I use for eating healthy food. I use these relatively simple rules because It’s just too difficult to keep up with all the guidelines, recommendations and plans for eating the perfectly balanced diet. You can drive yourself crazy and still not be 100% perfect.
Today we look at rule #4, which I like to call, the 20 minute rule which is based in large part on my own experience.
By the way, you may have noted that I’m not exactly following a sequential order in discussing these rules; I started with rule #2 and now I’m jumping to rule #4. That’s for two reasons, one because I want to emphasize that none of these rules is more important than the other. Also, I picked each rule because it was appropriate to the day I was writing it. Today is memorial day in the US, a day when many of us BBQ and eat enormous quantities of food. So I thought that taking a moment to appreciate that food would be good.
What Is The 20 Minute Rule?
When I was growing up, I always ate my food as fast as I could. I did because I always had other things I wanted to do and so eating fast saved time. I also did it because I liked eating and eating fast allowed me to eat more. Finally, I did it because my dad did it and I looked up to him and wanted to be like him. That habit stayed with me into adulthood. I would eat fast enough to finish my food before everyone at the table had even been served. In fact, my friends still repeat a rather amusing story where the waitress for our table almost brought me out an unintended second helping because I had finished my food and had the dishes removed before she had brought everyone’s food out.
Then came my little health meltdown. A lot of research later, I found out that eating fast is one of the worst mistakes you can make. It’s right up there with not getting enough sleep or not eating a healthy breakfast. So now I follow a different rule. I try to eat a bit of food and make it last at least 20 minutes. If it didn’t last 20 minutes then I make myself wait until the whole 20 minutes are up before I even think about taking seconds. I also eat slower, trying to savor the sensation and the flavors a bit more.
Advanced Applications
Do you typically wolf down your sandwich in less than 4 bites? Do you ever find yourself eating without chewing? Yep, that was me a few years ago, and while I still occasionally backslide, I am actively trying to avoid those habits. Take small bites of your food and chew them thoroughly. Savor the sensation of eating by eating 1 sandwich over 20 minutes instead of 2 sandwiches over 10 minutes.
How many of you use chopsticks? If you’re a fast eater like I used to be, you probably don’t. Chopsticks are not the most efficient way of eating, especially if you’re not used to them. Which is a perfect reason to use them. Next time you’re at an Asian restaurant, use the chop sticks. They’ll slow you down and make you focus on your food. I know that this has been an effective way for me to eat less.
Do you go to a buffet and fill up a huge plate? Yep, that’s exactly what I used to do because I wanted to get back to table and eat up all that food without any interruptions. Well, start thinking smaller. Take a small plate, fill it up just a little and then go back to your table. Eat that food, take a small break and then see if you’re still hungry enough to go back. That break between small plates is a great way to slow down. By the way, that’s a great tip for those of you BBQing today. Don’t fill up your plate with those three hamburgers, two hot dogs and a pile of chips. Take ONE of those things, have a seat, eat it slowly and then see if you’re still hungry enough to another run at the BBQ.
Bring a friend and talk during the meal. Talking forces us to stop eating (unless you like to talk with your mouth full which is just wrong!) So bring someone with you to meals and carry on a conversation while you eat. You’ll find yourself taking a much longer time to eat and eating far less.
Clarifications to the 20 Minute Rule
Is it always 20 minutes? What if I’m eating a steak vs. a small amount of peanuts? Should both last 20 minutes? No, of course not. The amount you eat will determine the time it takes. However, 20 minutes is a good basic guideline because that’s how long it takes for your brain to notice that you’re eating and full. So waiting 20 minutes between portions is a good way for you to ask your brain “hey, have you caught up yet? Are we still hungry and should get a bit more or are we full and done?” If you want to make it 60 minutes, go for it.
Why Use the 20 Minute Rule?
Because eating too fast leads to eating too much. The two are very closely linked.
But I Don’t Have Time To Eat Slow!
Yes you do. You’ll be spending the same amount of time you are now, you just won’t eat as much. Trust me, I looked at my eating habits and I still spend the same amount of time that I did when I ate faster, I just eat less. And hey, if you’re a real efficiency devotee, maybe you can do some work between those small portions. It’s a better use of your time than scarfing down more food as fast as you can manage it.
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I love food and yet I would eat it so fat that I never really savored or enjoyed it. Stop rushing yourself and enjoy your mealtimes. You’ll end up spending just as much time but you’ll eat less and yet enjoy the food more.
Rule #3 of Healthy Eating, The 1/2, 1/4, 1/4 Rule
Last Monday, I started talking about the five rules I use for eating healthy food. I use these relatively simple rules because It’s just too difficult to keep up with all the guidelines, recommendations and plans for eating the perfectly balanced diet. You can drive yourself crazy and still not be 100% perfect.
Today we look at rule #3, which I like to call, the 1/2, 1/4, 1/4 rule. This particular rule was inspired by a podcast I downloaded off of iTunes a while back. I believe it was Fitnessrocks but I might be mistaken. Either way, my thanks to the authors for a brilliant idea.
By the way, you may have noted that I’m not exactly following a sequential order in discussing these rules; I started with rule #2, followed by #4 and now I’m jumping to rule #3. That’s for two reasons, one because I want to emphasize that none of these rules is more important than the other. Also, I picked each rule because it was appropriate to the day I was writing it. Today is Wednesday and I am working from home while trying to get over a cold. So when I prepare my meal today, this rule will come in handy.
What Is The 1/2, 1/4, 1/4 Rule?
One of the first things I did when I started eating healthy was attempt to eat a balanced diet. You know the one I’m referring to. It’s where you eat 5 servings of vegetables and fruits, 3 servings of grain, 2 of dairy and 1 of meat. Wait, is that right? I think it might actually be 4 servings of vegetables and 4 servings of grain. No wait, that sounds wrong too.
As you can see, my memory isn’t the best and I was never able to remember just how much of anything I should be eating. Even worse, I could never figure out what a “serving” was. Was a serving one vegetable like a tomato? What about spinach? How much spinach is a serving? And what is a serving of dairy products? Is it one slice of cheese or one cup of milk or…
Yah, it didn’t go well. So that’s when I heard of the 1/2, 1/4, 1/4 rule. It’s pretty simple. When you put food on your plate, it should go in the following proportions:
- 1/2 should be fiber rich, water rich vegetables. These are things like leafy greens such as spinach or green onions but they can also be things like tomatoes, carrot, cucumbers and other water rich plants. These are NOT fried vegetables like tempura or very starchy vegetables like potatoes.
- 1/4 is starchy, more energy rich plants like potatoes, squashes, grains or legumes.
- 1/4 is protein like lean meat, tofu or dairy products.
That’s it. Make your food in those proportions and you’ll usually have a relatively balanced meal.
Advanced Applications
This rule also applies to meals that aren’t served on a plate. For example, when you’re making a sandwich, if the bread is half your meal, you aren’t following the 1/2, 1/4, 1/4 rule.
Sauces, especially creamy ones, will break the rule. You can fill half your plate with fiber and water rich vegetables but if you cover them in creamy ranch you may as well not eat them. The whole point of the rule is to make sure a good portion of your food is energy poor material like vegetables.
Clarifications to the 1/2, 1/4, 1/4 Rule
Can you balance your food intake this way over a whole day? Sure. For example, for lunch your food is all water rich, fiber rich vegetables while for dinner you eat more protein. It’s not as healthy, mainly because it’s harder to keep track of, but it’s certainly possible.
Why Use the 1/2, 1/4, 1/4 Rule Rule?
Because it’s a quick and easy way to get a balanced meal.
But I Don’t Like Vegetables!
That’s probably because you were raised on the classic American diet where vegetables mean some steamed broccoli that you were forced to eat as a child or a green salad made up of nothing but lettuce. Vegetables can actually be extremely tasty. Try a steamed zucchini as an add on to your dinner, or how about a finely chopped salad of onions, bell peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers? There are a ton of healthy and tasty vegetable recipes out there. Why not give them a try?
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I have no desire to spend my meal times figuring out how much I need to eat of every specific food group. It’s frustrating, overly complex and almost impossible to follow. I would much rather follow something simple like this 1/2, 1/4, 1/4 rule. It’s easy, quick and over time, leads to a very balanced diet.
Rule #5 of Healthy Eating, The Am I Hungry Rule
Filed under: Eating Healthy, Healthy Habits, Motivation
Last Monday, I started talking about the five rules I use for eating healthy food. I use these relatively simple rules because It’s just too difficult to keep up with all the guidelines, recommendations and plans for eating the perfectly balanced diet. You can drive yourself crazy and still not be 100% perfect. Today we look at rule #5, which I like to call the “Am I hungry rule?”. This particular rule is all mine although it’s based on a whole wide range of information that I picked up while I was researching good health and eating habits.
By the way, you may have noted that I’m not exactly following a sequential order in discussing these rules; I started with rule #2, followed by #4, then 3 and now I’m jumping to rule #5. That’s for two reasons, one because I want to emphasize that none of these rules is more important than the other. Also, I picked each rule because it was appropriate to the day I was writing it. Today is Friday, the perfect day to talk about eating when you’re not hungry.
What Is The Am I Hungry Rule?
One of my biggest problems in controlling my eating was eating for reasons other than hunger. I would eat when I was stressed as a way of calming down. If I had a bad day at work I would think of that whole tub of ice cream as a justified way of rewarding myself and cheering myself up. Of course, the realization of how much I ate would just make me more depressed but that’s a whole other story. I would also eat as an excuse to avoid doing other things. For example, if there was something I really needed to do but didn’t want to start, I would go to the kitchen and look for things to eat. The act of eating took time as did the eating itself and by the time I was done it was too late to start the thing I needed doing. So yay for me, I avoided something unpleasant. Finally, I would find myself eating for social reasons. For example, friends wanted to go out and eat so I would go with them and order food even if I wasn’t hungry.
These days, I have the “am I hungry” rule. Basically, if I’m thinking about eating or if I find myself about to grab something to eat I pause and ask myself if I’m really hungry. I take a minute or two to think about what I’m doing and why. Quite frequently I find that I’m not really hungry and that I’m about to eat for the wrong reasons. In that case I put the food down and go on with my daily business. If I really am hungry then I eat and I don’t feel guilty about it.
One other aspect of the “am I hungry” rule is stopping eating when you’re no longer hungry. Again, I used to eat way past the point at which I was full. I would feel stuffed and bloated but I still kept eating. These days I eat slower and I stop eating when I’m no longer hungry.
Advanced Applications
Are you at a restaurant? Is it the kind of place that serves huge portions? Why not ask for a to go box before you even start eating. Put half the food away and then start eating. It will stop you from cleaning your plate and eating too much.
Is your restaurant the kind with a bottomless dish of chips? Just say no and have them take it away. No one can refuse chips or those bowls of bread for long. No matter how strong your will power is you’ll eventually find yourself munching away without really thinking about it.
Make food a little less convenient. We all have those open bags of chips or bowls of cookies sitting around the house. Why not prevent the temptation to mindlessly eat and put them out of sight. Trust me, you’ll find them when you’re hungry.
Why not write down what you feel when you eat? Keeping a food journal doesn’t have to be just about calories, it can also be about feelings and mindsets. That will help you identify the reasons why you eat when you’re not hungry and possibly avoid them in the future.
Clarifications to the Am I Hungry Rule
There are really no clarifications to this one. It’s pretty simple to understand.
Why Use the Am I Hungry Rule?
Because mindless eating adds a lot of pointless calories to our diets. The typical mindless snack like chips, cookies and bread is full of calories and very unhealthy. I suppose if your mindless snacks is carrot sticks it wouldn’t be so bad.
But I Like Eating!
Well, so do I. In fact, I love eating, but I love other things more. I love my wife and I want to spend many happy and healthy years with her. I love hiking and I want to climb to the top of Half Dome next year. I love scuba diving and I want to see the great barrier reef in Australia. There are many things I love and I’m willing to sacrifice a little mindless eating if it means I get to do those things.
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It wasn’t my meals that killed my diet, it was the silly stuff I ate when I wasn’t hungry. It was the chocolate bar I had when I wanted to avoid work. Learn from my mistake and stop mindless eating. Eat when you’re hungry and stop eating when you’re full.
Rule #1 of Healthy Eating, the Variety Counts Rule
Two weeks ago, I started talking about the five rules I use for eating healthy food. I use these relatively simple rules because It’s just too difficult to keep up with all the guidelines, recommendations and plans for eating the perfectly balanced diet. You can drive yourself crazy and still not be 100% perfect. Today we look at rule #1, which I like to call the “variety counts” rule. This particular rule is partially influenced by Michael Pollan but is also from my own history.
By the way, you may have noted that I’m not exactly following a sequential order in discussing these rules; I started with rule #2, followed by #4, then 3, then 5 and now #1. That’s for two reasons, one because I want to emphasize that none of these rules is more important than the other. Also, I picked each rule because it was appropriate to the day I was writing it. Today is Monday and we’re expecting a catered lunch here at work. This specific caterer delivers food that is exactly like the food I grew up with. So I thought today is a good day to talk about variety and expanding your cuisine choices.
What Is “Variety Counts” Rule?
I grew up in Israel with a mother who came from Eastern Europe. That means my diet consisted of two different cuisines. The first was the Mediterranean cuisine I would eat around town. Things like falafel, shawarma and hummus. The Med diet is relatively healthy if eaten in moderation. The second cuisine was my mother’s eastern European style cooking. Lots of heavy beef and potatoes type dishes with incredibly tasty sauces and of course, chicken soup! The eastern European diet was slightly less healthy since it had more fat and calories and less vegetables. However, the two diets, combined with an active childhood, kept me healthy.
Then we moved to the US. My mother kept cooking her eastern European dishes, but my neighborhood diet had changed from healthy Mediterranean healthy to American fast food. I was still active, which kept my weight in check, but my diet became far less healthy. The final nail in the coffin of my healthy eating came when I moved out. Since I didn’t cook, I either ate out at restaurants or bought frozen dinners and all of these meals were traditional American foods. I ate burgers by the dozens, pizza, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, cheese pockets and microwaved chicken nuggets. I’m guessing you can figure out what happened. This new diet, combined with a lack of exercise, drove me to that health meltdown a few years ago from which I am still recovering.
Since then, one of the things I’ve discovered is the wonderful variety of food we have available to us. I discovered sushi and sashimi, I found Chinese and Thai restaurants, I tried out Indian food and found that I loved it, I experimented with vegetarian dishes and saw that they were really good. I even rediscovered Mediterranean food and reconnected with some of the healthy food I grew up with. I used to be afraid of strange foods but now I seek them out. I enjoy new flavors and new selections.
All of this has left me with a far larger selection of healthy choices to eat. Want a good way to eat vegetables? How about that incredible veggie stir fry from the Thai place. Looking for a good protein choice? Why not try the Salmon sashimi? How about the pumpkin dish at the Afghan place for dinner or the burrito from the Mexican place down the road? These are all healthy options that I would never have discovered had I not been looking for more variety. So these days I welcome variety in my food. I’m always happy to try out new dishes and I’m always looking to experiment with new cuisines. Who knows, you may just find a new favorite dish.
Given two options, I will always pick out the dish I’ve never tried before. That’s the “variety counts” rule.
Advanced Applications
Every week, try out at least one new cuisine or dish. Ask about the ingredients, research the preparation and learn more about how your food was made. It’s a wonderful education and you’ll discover many things you never realized about food.
Don’t limit yourself. Why is an omelet only for breakfast? Why can you only BBQ in the evenings? Why do you have to have mashed potatoes with meat loaf? Mix and match and see what works.
Clarifications to the Variety Counts Rule
No, this rule is not an excuse to gorge. Yes, if you’ve never tried deep fried twinkies before, maybe you should just once. However, did you remember to ask about how your food is prepared? If you did, I’m guessing you’ll figure out that deep fried twinkies are a one time thing. Not all food is healthy and that’s something you’ll figure out as you go.
Why Use the Variety Counts Rule?
Because a boring diet is one that won’t last. Yes, there are healthy dishes in the classic American diet, but they are few and far between. If you limited yourself to just those, you’ll soon get bored and fall back to unhealthy eating habits. That’s why you need to branch out and try new things. Doing so will help you discover new healthy dishes to add to your repartee.
But I Like What I’m Eating Now!
Sure, and if it’s healthy, there’s no reason for you to stop. I’m not saying you should eat something new every day, just make sure to try out new things once in a while.
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I can’t imagine life without a variety of foods. It would be boring and I would quickly revert back to unhealthy habits if I had to eat the same one or two healthy dishes day after day after day. Do yourself a favor and try something new today.
The 6th Rule of Eating Healthy
A while back I talked about my five simple rules for healthy eating. Well, now I’m going to add a sixth rule based on my experience over the past few weeks. This new rule is: “A robot may not injure a human being or-” Wait no, that’s the first rule of Robotics! What was I saying before I deviated into science fiction trivia? Ahh yes, the 6th rule of eating healthy, Stop Going To Restaurants!
How Did I Get Here?
If you’ve been reading 60 in 3 for a while, you know that my wife and I are both very busy people. So for most of our time together, we’ve depended on restuarants for our meals. I always thought this was ok, especially since I would only order the healthy options on the menu, and I justified things by saying I really didn’t have time to make my own food. I mean, we both busy Silicon Valley professionals! Where were we going to find the time to cook food?
Well, over the past few months, we’ve been trying to cut back on our food spending. My wife is busy launching her new company and I’m paying a lot of money for my graduate school. Which means we have more expenses and less revenue than usual. Before anyone worries, we’re fine, but we did decide to cut down on some spending, one part of which was food.
How Did We Start?
First of all, let me give full credit to my wife here as she is the one who led this effort, while I followed happily behind. That said and as with most things, we started small. We stopped going out to dinners and started eating at home. Overtime, we started replacing lunches and breakfasts with more home prepared foods. Before all of this, I was eating about 12 meals a week at restaurants. That’s 6 dinners and 6 lunches. These days I’m eating about 2 meals a week outside the house.
What Are We Eating?
Our meals are relatively simple but tasty and very fun to prepare together. I really enjoy making salads while she likes making more sophisticated dishes like cassaroles and soups. Almost all of our meals are vegetarian, although I will occasionally BBQ the organic meat we buy at the farmer’s market.
Some examples from the past two weeks:
- Breakfast - Omelet with tomatoes, zucchini, onion and a bit of hot sauce for me.
- Breakfast - Wrap with cheese, hummus, tomatoes, cucumber (our first home grown vegetable)
- Breakfast - Freshly picked figs from our tree along with a few slices of cheese
- Lunch - Cheese, hummus, onion and cucumber on whole wheat bread
- Lunch - Pasta leftovers from the previous day
- Dinner - Vegetable soup that my wife made from scratch
- Dinner - Freshly made veggie salad and some grilled venison sausages
The Results?
First in terms of health, I feel much better. Plus I’ve lost about 3lbs this month. I think this is the last little change I needed to make in my lifestyle to really get to where I need to be healthwise. I also feel less bloated after lunch which is really helping me in the gym. Instead of one big restuarant lunch, I usually eat something I brought from home at around 11am, hit the gym at 2pm and then eat another home prepared meal at 4pm. I’m eating the same amount but I’m able to split it up better.
Second, our expenses have gone down considerably. I looked at our recent month’s spending and we’re spending about 50% as much as we did before. That’s pretty considerable when you think about it. We were able to cut our food budget by 50% while still eating healthy and tasty meals.
Third, our time together has improved. Rather than spending time at a restuarant, we spend it together at home. We don’t always cook and eat meals together, but when we do, it’s a far better experience than going to a restuarant.
Where Do We Find The Time?
Strangely enough, this actually saves time. It takes us less time to make our own food than it does to pick a restaurant, go there, get seated, order food, eat, ask for the check, pay and then go home. MUCH LESS TIME! Same applies at work. Sure, I spend an extra 15 minutes in the morning preparing my meals, but I save about an hour of time which I would spend going out to get food during the day. My work gets done faster which means I go home earlier.
Do We Still Go Out?
Sure. On Monday, we both had a craving for Vietnamese food. Since neither one of us knows anything about cooking Vietnamese food, we walked over to our local downtown and had some. However, note that this was a response to a specific desire. We wanted Vietnamese food, so we went out and got some. It was not the usual, “time to eat, so let’s pick out a restaurant and go there.”
How Can You Do This?
It’s simple. Start small. Replace just one meal a week with something you can easily make at home. Sandwiches are good, salads are better and maybe you could try out some scrambled eggs. None of these things require a lot of thought, skill or preparation time. Once you gain some confidence, try out new things like grilling, BBQing, stewing and so on. Believe me, it’s not that hard. The key is keeping your ingredients simple and healthy. It’s hard to go wrong with that as your starting point.
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It’s only been a couple of months, but I’m thinking this is going to become another permanent part of our lives. We’ve managed to save money, be healthier, spend more quality time together and gain more useful time in our lives. There’s absolutely no downside here.
