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Nutrition Minimalism – A Dietitian’s Viewpoint

Minimal nutrition

Minimalist Nutrition – Keeping it simple!

“Nutrition can be complex but nourishing your body does not have to be – this is where Nutrition Minimalism comes into play”

If nutrition was simple there would probably be one diet that would suit everyone. If it was “easy” there would probably be no need for dietitians, nutritionists, doctors, therapists and other health professionals who lead people in the direction of healthier lives.

The Minimalist Philosophy 

One exciting eating philosophy may be all about keeping it as simple as possible by eating fresh, wholesome, minimally processed food. The less that has been done to it the better! This is about going back to basics. But How?

 

  • There is no need to follow recipes with fifty steps or cook for 5 hours to make delicious food. FACT: There is absolutely nothing wrong with the humble meat and 3 veg dinner!
  • Meals do not need to be BORING. Add flavour with herbs and spices, garlic, mustards, soy sauce, flavoured butters etc.
  • There is also nothing wrong with not cooking at all! An antipasto platter of cheeses, cold meats and fish, olives, pate, vegetable sticks and homemade dip is a great option. This option will also save you on electricity (no stove/oven/microwave needed) and water (no washing up!).

Keeping the Environment in Mind

If we think about the diet our ancestors would have followed there was no food packaging. Food came from the land. Choosing foods that don’t come with large amounts of packaging is better for the environment as it saves from adding to landfill. Eating fresher foods that haven’t spent lots of time being transported also reduces oil and carbon dioxide emissions. That is why picking up seasonal fruit and veg from your local farmers market is a great option!

The Importance of Reading your Food Labels

If you are consuming something that comes from a packet remember to read the food label and ensure you recognize all the ingredients. Avoid products with long ingredient lists that contain lots of numbers (preservatives/additives). The fewer the ingredients the better. When you start to do this, it may lead you to simpler alternatives, for example, using olive oil and vinegar to dress your salad instead of a pre-made salad dressing in a bottle with 1000 ingredients.

So in conclusion…

We as a society are becoming busier and busier and thus the terms simplicity and minimalism are becoming more appealing to many and can apply to many facets of our lives. You could consider the terms simplicity, minimalism and nutrition to have become intertwined.

If you would like to read some more helpful tips about keeping things minimalist then click the link below :

7 Minimalist Cooking Tips

This blog was written by our Accredited Practicing Dietitian, Danielle Toscan. If you would like to learn more about Danielle’s other areas of specialty click on the link below 🙂

Dietitian Service 

Thank you for sharing!

 

2 thoughts on “Nutrition Minimalism – A Dietitian’s Viewpoint

  1. Joh says:

    Could I be linked to list of fruits and veggies that are seasonal to Victoria , we grow many of our own veggies, but also need to preserve th for later use. That information would be useful as I am trying to follow the local,seasonal and fresh ideals. At. Joh

    1. Hi Johanne,
      Thanks for your question! Awesome that you grow your own veggies and also preserve! I have found this website useful in the past: http://seasonalfoodguide.com/
      I have always found it fascinating how much seasonality can vary across the country!

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