Simplify Magazine - Food & Diet

NO. 009 — JUN 2019

SIMPLIFY MAGAZINE · A QUART E RLY, D IGI TAL PUBL IC AT IO N FO R FAMIL IE S ·

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NO. 009 — JUN 2019

Issue 009 — Food and Diet 1. An Introduction: The Food and Diet Issue

by The Founders of Simplify Magazine 2. The Neighborhood Magic That Began at One Table

by Sarah Harmeyer 3. Nourishing Your Relationship at Home

by Ashley Rodriguez 4. Imperfectly Perfect Hospitality

by Sandy Coughlin 5. Paring Down Your Kitchen

by Zoë Kim 6. Spend Less and Eat Well

by Erin Chase 7. You Eat Less Variety Than You Think. Embrace It.

by Joshua Becker 8. What Every Parent Needs to Know About Childhood Obesity

by Marci Serota 9. Mindfulness Helps Children to Eat Healthy Foods

by Nimali Fernando 10. The Dinner Table

by Erica Layne 11. Uncomplicated Recipes

by Claire Tansey

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An Introduction: Food and Diet

by The Founders of Simplify Magazine

Keto. Paleo. Raw vegan. Intermittent fasting. With ever-changing diet fads and new “superfoods” being announced each week, it can be tough to keep straight on what’s best to be putting into our bodies.

Add in marketers, corporations, and food lobbying groups, and you end up a three-times-a-day decision that’s anything but simple.

In this issue of Simplify, we address the topic of Food and Diet. But we’ll warn you, if you’re looking for us to put our stamp of approval on a passing-fad diet or offer you seven quick tips for six-pack abs just in time for summer, you’re not going to find it in this magazine.

Instead, you will find deeper and richer conversations about food and the important role it plays in our lives. Oh, we’ll include healthy family recipes and advice on changing both your own eating habits and your children’s, but we’re not going to stop there.

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Here, you’ll hear from chefs, nutritionists, doctors, best-selling authors, simple-living advocates, and expert entertainers. We’ll address articles about eating healthy on a budget, hospitality, eating habits, decluttering your kitchen, connecting with others over food, eliminating stress from your food prep routine, and even childhood obesity.

Food is essential to health and life. This is one of the most important issues of Simplify Magazine we’ve ever compiled. We are excited to provide it for you.

Joshua Becker and Brian Gardner

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The Neighborhood Magic That Began at One Table

by Sarah Harmeyer

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It started with one table.

When I made the decision to move to Dallas in 2010, I was ready for a change. Specifically, as a young professional caught up in the hustle, I wanted to focus more on being than on doing. And as I thought about the moments when I felt most alive, I kept noticing the joy I experienced when I had the opportunity to gather people around a table and share a meal. So I had this crazy idea to serve 500 people at my home, within the year, to share meals together. Toward that end, I asked my father to build a long handcrafted table around which I’d gather guests.

Still fairly new to the neighborhood, I sent out invitations to neighbors I did not yet know, welcoming them to gather for a meal in my backyard. I won’t lie—it felt more than a little awkward, because I had no idea who, if anyone, would show up with a potluck dish or a beverage to share. In preparation for whoever might come, I hung chandeliers over the table, hired a musician, and carefully set the long cedar table.

I was thrilled to welcome the first guest who was brave enough to venture down my driveway with a big bear hug. And then the next.

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And the next. Couples wandered in. Single people showed up. And parents pushed strollers and corralled children toward my backyard.

It quickly became clear that all those who were gathering were not going to fit around the table I’d set for 20. While I was tickled to see each new visitor, my mind raced as I began brainstorming how to scrounge up more cups and plates and utensils.

When everyone had arrived, I counted 91 guests.

Having spent the previous decade of my career organizing fundraising event logistics, adrenaline pumped through my body as I went into action. You got this, Sarah. You know how to do this.

Scrapping plans for everyone to sit at my table, we pulled folding tables and chairs out from behind the carport. Rifling through my kitchen, I scooped up mismatched serving utensils, plasticware, and plates. Colorful plastic cups were stacked beside bottles of Chardonnay. Before long, neighbors who had never before learned each other’s names were chatting, sharing stories, and laughing together.

Throughout the year, I continued to extend personal invitations to gather at my table. As each gathering unfolded, I was as surprised as

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anyone to witness what happened among guests as conversations unfolded among them. I’d listen in as an eighth grader would get chatty with a business executive. Or as my plumber was discovering something fascinating about a local widow. Noticing the life-giving magic that was becoming fairly predictable, I realized, What’s happening here is really special. People feel known and loved and like they’re a part of something.

That first year, my 500th guest walked up my driveway on Thanksgiving Day, carrying a squash casserole that she’d baked using her aunt’s recipe. Naturally, I adorned the unsuspecting single mom of three with a crown and sash, celebrating her for simply venturing down the driveway.

To date, nearly 3,000 have been served at that table.

Neighbor’s Table About two years after I’d begun to invite and love others at the table, a friend asked if my passion for hosting could include even more people. The innocent query sparked an idea. Because I knew there were others who were wired like I was, I asked my father, a retired oil

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executive, if he’d be willing to build more custom tables. When he agreed, Neighbor’s Table was born.

Today, as the founder and chief people gatherer at Neighbor’s Table, I delight in equipping other hosts and hostesses to extend the kind of welcome that makes guests feel as though they’re seen and heard and known. And every table that is built by my dad, Lee, begins with a relationship. When potential customers inquire about purchasing a table, often through the website, I want to discover more about the person, his or her family, and the community who will be invited to gather. Then, often with a picture of the family, my dad begins to build. And when the table of someone’s dreams has been completed, we personally deliver it to the home where it will live and serve and nurture those who will gather around it. Not only do we get to meet the newest hosts and hostesses, but we also often stay for the first meal at the table, helping to prepare food and celebrate the guests who’ve gathered. To date we’ve delivered tables to over 30 states.

I want to be there because I understand the pressures faced by those who have a heart to welcome others but feel overwhelmed by much of what hosting has become today. And for those who’ve been bullied by a Pinterest-perfect culture, whose matron saint is Martha Stewart,

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Neighbor’s Table models another, more life-giving, way. And that’s because it’s not entertaining; it’s gathering. It’s about people. They’re purchasing a table, but I call them my Neighbor’s Table family.

Seriously, on weekends my phone blows up with reports of who they’re gathering and how much fun they’re having.

Pizza with the Upper Crust I’ll be the first one to admit that, before I decided to prioritize being over doing, I was as concerned about creating an exquisite presentation and delighting guests’ palettes as anyone. But one particular gathering helped me to make that shift.

For Mother’s Day, I’d invited a bunch of friends to bring their mothers over to my home for a meal. And this wasn’t the McDonald’s drivethru crowd either; these were some of Dallas’s most coiffed and privileged southerners. If you’re from anyplace else, please just trust me that this is a whole other level. Sensing my anxiety about preparing for the group, a friend gently suggested that I take a different approach.

“Why don’t you create a different experience?” my friend challenged me. “I dare you to serve them pizza. I dare you!”

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“I cannot serve pizza to these fine women.”

But slowly recognizing the wisdom of the dare, I rose—or descended?

—to the challenge. And against all odds, the event that unfolded was amazing. These beautiful women were grabbing slices of their favorite pizza flavors and drinking wine out of Mason jars, sharing stories and laughing until their sides hurt. Truly, the experiment exceeded my expectations and reshaped everything I knew about hospitality.

When I made that shift, it really became about people.

The Mother’s Day win only fueled my commitment to welcoming guests into comfortable people-friendly spaces. Seriously, Pinterest has ruined us. I am so happy to gather people now and serve even the simplest things like popsicles, because I’ve learned that it’s not really about the food.

Vocation of Love At the heart of this new way is making each and every guest feel seen, known, and celebrated. Every gathering I host begins with a personal invitation that is my opportunity to say, “Hey, I’ve thought about you and I’d love for you to be at my house this night.” When each guest arrives, he or she is welcomed with a smile and a hug. And so that no

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one has to experience that awkward junior-high cafeteria search for a place to sit, guests find their spots by locating hand-written place cards at the seat I’ve chosen just for them.

Once the group is gathered, I introduce each person, celebrating something about them that is unique and special. Even when I might be meeting someone for the first time, I still like to celebrate something special that I’ve just learned about them, like “the sparkle in Mike’s eye when he talks about his kids” or “Jennifer’s passion to include people with disabilities.”

Unlike a fancier and more formal dining experience, where every need of each guest is catered to by a single stressed-out host or hostess, everyone participates in the hospitality that’s offered at my place. Before the meal is served, I like to invite guests, “Everybody’s in. So if you see water glasses are low, fill ’em up. If you want to open another bottle of wine, do it. Or at the end of the night together, you can even load the dishwasher!” I always throw that one in.

From the moment they are embraced in the driveway to the one when they’re scraping off that final caramel drizzle on the cheesecake

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plate, I want for those I invite to know that they matter to me and matter to others.

A few Christmases ago I received an email from a single dad in my neighborhood: “Sarah, my son and I had plans for Christmas, but they fell through. I know your table is a place where those who don’t have a place are welcome. Are you having an orphan Christmas?”

Umm…well, now I am!

On Christmas day, about a dozen folks joined my family to share a meal together in my yard. One guest, a single man, noticed the fivefoot-high tin letters along my side fence that spell the word “LOVE.” Pointing to the letters, he remarked, “That’s what it feels like here. It feels like love.”

He had no idea what his offhanded comment meant to me. When I was in college, trying to figure out what my major would be, I told my advisor, “I wish I could major in love. I just want to love people.” My advisor’s response? “That’s not in the course catalogue.” Today, though, I’m getting to do that thing I always wanted to do. I get to see, firsthand, that people who are being invited to all these tables do feel known and loved.

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You Try Never once have I regretted saying yes to this idea that some would call crazy. Loving people is central to my faith, and I’m also aware that it’s unique to the custom way I’ve been designed. Not only do I get the privilege of living into that every day, but I also get to celebrate the unique ways that other people are wired too.

As momentum for the Neighbor’s Table kind of gathering continues to grow, it’s clear that something much more special than hydration and calorie consumption is happening at the tables my dad has built.

To the naked eye, Neighbor’s Table sells tables. Sure, it’s what we do.

But at the heart of all this is a need and a want for connection. It’s just humanity celebrating and being with each other and not having an agenda behind it. I think people just want to be invited.

What about you? If you completely released the wish to impress others, what could happen between guests in your own dining room or yard? What kind of life-giving connections could be made across the scratched and stained table that’s already in your kitchen? Set a goal for yourself today. Even if it’s having just one person over in the

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next month, I want you to experience the rich goodness that happens when neighbors share a table. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did. ...

Sarah Harmeyer is the founder and chief people gatherer at Neighbor’s Table, a business started from her own love for gathering people at the table. Since 2012, Sarah has hosted over 3,500 neighbors and friends at a table built by her dad in her own backyard. Together they now build handcrafted tables for others, and Sarah has delivered tables to 30 states in the US so far. Sarah is a frequent event and conference speaker, and her story has been shared on podcasts, TV, and magazines.

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Nourishing Your Relationship at Home

by Ashley Rodriguez

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Gabe and I met when we were young. I noticed him early in my freshman year of college. He was hard not to notice. Gabe was often surrounded by other girls who were also drawn to his sleek black hair and olive skin. I offered casual glances as we passed in the hall, and in return he gave me a tender smile, shallow dimples and all. I walked away with quickened breath and weak knees while wondering if he thought about me as much as I thought of him.

From our first date—an evening stroll to the off-campus 7-Eleven, where we shared a cherry Slurpee and tried on $5 sunglasses—I was hooked. He made the most mundane activity fun and memorable. I remember going home that night wanting to date Gabe for as long as he’d let me.

As our relationship evolved, so did our dates, all of which centered around food. Back then, in addition to Gabe, I fell in love with cooking. Food and I courted when I was a child working in the kitchen with my mother, but our relationship really ignited as I was studying art in Italy. Gabe visited me there and proposed on the Spanish Steps. He gave me a shiny ring and I showed him Carbonara.

Eventually I went on to train as a professional pastry chef at Spago Beverly Hills and worked in several professional kitchens.

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Just out of college and newly married, we had a standing date night every Friday, which I looked forward to every week. We were new to one another and new to the appreciation of great food. On one particularly memorable Friday night, we cozied up to the bar at Le Pichet, a little French cafe in downtown Seattle. We made friends with the bartender, who recommended a lovely champagne and delighted us with Raclette. A bowl of bubbling melted cheese arrived at the bar with crisp, golden roasted potatoes and tangy cornichons for dipping. We descended on it eagerly with forks and fingers. After one last sip of champagne, we paid the bill and slid o our stools. I tucked my arm into his as we left the restaurant, happily full and more in love than when we had first come in.

Those leisurely romantic meals in fabulous restaurants quickly became memories of what felt like a past life. Children entered the picture. Our old reality made way for diapers, Legos, laughter, and chaos. Cocktail hour became mealtime instead.

Family life was and continues to be joyful, yes, but in those younger years, chasing two toddlers and managing a newborn was intense.

Gabe and I had little energy and time for one another. We both

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looked forward to the rare quiet evening hours when the kids were settled into bed and the house was still.

It was in those quiet moments that I started to notice a very unromantic routine forming. He would retreat to his computer and I to mine. After a long day spent caring for our three small children, I had nothing more to give; I felt like this time was mine. But the neglect to our marriage started to become clear. We began to feel more like roommates than husband and wife. By not fighting for connection, we were creating a dangerous pattern of slowly drifting apart. Disconnection begets disconnection. A relationship can only exist at the survival level for so long before it ceases to exist at all. I felt distant from my husband and terrified of where this path would lead if we continued in this way.

One night, as I nursed our newborn, exhausted, I longingly recalled the date nights from our past. I was transported to memories of chile-flecked pasta we’d shared in Rome, the meal we enjoyed before roaming the cobbled streets with our fingers woven tightly together, just happy to be with one another. I remembered playful conversation and laughter as we lingered at a diner in LA. Even the simple dates in our dorm room, the ones featuring store-bought

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pizza, paper plates, and a pint of Ben & Jerry’s shared straight from the container, reminded me of the fun we had just being together.

It wasn’t the expense of those meals or the locations that made them memorable—not even the food in some cases. It was the time and conversations and experiences we created together. So, as I sat there that night, caring for our third baby, I felt the desire to recreate those days when we had more time together. Our early dates had nurtured our relationship, and I wanted to make time for us again.

I decided things had to change. We needed more than the quarterly date we were trying to squeeze into our budget and busy schedule.

Our relationship couldn’t afford to wait for the “right” time to date again. We needed it immediately. Our finances were tight, and babysitters were not lining up at the door eager to hang out with our three young children; we had to get creative. So we turned to our modest kitchen as a new romantic setting where we could begin to date again.

It took commitment from both of us to make it happen. Instead of retreating to our computers and iPhones, once a week (usually on Thursday) you could find us casually pouring one another a drink and

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lingering over the stove, relishing the quiet, our time together, and the excitement of a delicious meal. Most importantly, we were talking, laughing, eating, drinking, and enjoying one another, giving our marriage the time it needed to strengthen and grow.

Once we settled into a routine of dating at home, I found myself eager to plan our dates. The real heart and purpose behind our nights at home was not the food, though that was definitely their hallmark. It was about the power of staying connected and the intentional work needed to make a relationship flourish. It was about our discontentment with merely surviving our days and our fight to thrive even in the midst of a demanding season of raising three young children.

I used fried chicken sandwiches, long simmered braises, and peanutbutter-capped brownies to connect with my husband at the table. I started writing about it on my blog in a series called Dating My Husband, sharing recipes and encouraging others to find their own path to connection. The key message was to simply make it happen.

Since sharing this message, I’ve had many readers tell me that as much as dating at home resonates, the kitchen is the very last place

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they want to be at the end of the day. I sometimes feel the same way —and I really love the kitchen. But it’s not about what’s on the table; it’s about who is sitting there. It’s not about the menu; it’s about connection.

We’ve remained committed to dating one another over meals at home because we have seen the power of intimacy in our marriage.

Intimacy begets intimacy. Since we’ve created a regular schedule around connecting, it makes the brief moments of intimacy in our day that much easier. While the kids clamor for breakfast and we urge them to clean their mess, we find ourselves catching one another’s eyes and sharing a moment. It’s easier to connect because we’ve invested in one another regularly.

You and your partner can do this too. Sit down at the beginning of the week, look over your calendars, and set aside even just 30 minutes to eat together. Better yet, set up a recurring weekly date.

Putting it in the calendar makes it official.

Your time together doesn’t have to be complicated. Sure, you can prepare a feast and light the candles, but maybe some weeks you simply need to indulge in your favorite ice cream or nibble on nachos

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and binge on Netflix. Eating together at home can be just as special as dining out if your heart’s involved. The cocktails are cheaper, too, and you don’t have to worry about tipping a moody server. As you get into the rhythm of dating again, it will become easier and incredibly natural. The shift in the relationship will motivate the consistency.

Our schedules are more intense now. We have three kids, two dogs, and two freelance careers to balance, but none of that matters if we’ve not created the time for one another. This message has never been more true in our own marriage. Now our kids spend their days in school. Bedtimes are no longer at the hour when I want to hop back into the kitchen while the kids are asleep. In fact, most nights my boys tuck me into bed long before they are ready to turn off their reading lights.

Our dates at home are not what they once were, but after having experienced the complete transformation of our relationship as a result of those dates, we know that no matter the season, we must make each other a priority. So we go out for breakfast after we drop off the kids, or stay in and enjoy a leisurely breakfast date, or put a movie on for the kids and take our dinner outside. Sometimes there

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are evening walks or mornings in bed with coffee in hand. We may have to fight for it, but we will always find time for each other.

Our table still remains the central focal point in our home for connection. These days the kids join us and we linger together, each taking turns recapping and sharing the highs and lows from our day.

We sit together as a family as often as we can and build a sacred space around that table in a similar way that Gabe and I did when we met there every week. Our kids watched us set that intention for our marriage, and they see us doing the same with them. And someday, when the kids are grown and Gabe and I have countless hours to date one another, we’ll all meet at the table again, because that is what we do. We’ve set the intention and expectation all along the way. ...

Ashley Rodriguez lives in Seattle with her husband, Gabe, three children, and two dogs. She is the author of Date Night In and Let’s Stay In and the co-creator of the James Beard–nominated series Kitchen Unnecessary. Her work has been featured in Woman’s Day, Food & Wine, The New York Times, and Saveur.

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Imperfectly Perfect Hospitality

by Sandy Coughlin

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I am a hospitality lover. Bringing people together around food is what makes me happy. I credit my mother with teaching me to burn the entertaining candles and not just save them in the drawer for special occasions.

My mom taught me the how of hospitality. She showed me (and my sisters) all the tricks and shortcuts, such as how to set a pretty table, how to keep food warm, how to clear dishes, and how to move graciously in the midst of guests.

More importantly, she showed me the why of hospitality. She revealed for us the importance of having people around our table, regardless of messy dishes, sticky fingers, and spilt milk. I watched my mother lean quietly into people’s hearts and nourish relationships, both inside my family and outside. And through the umbilical cord of modeling, I learned to do the same.

Starting as a little girl, I saw how love for others is better than perfection, how connection with others is superior to a backbreaking gourmet meal. I saw that, even if a table is small, it is big enough to host dreams and the growing bonds of friendship.

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Joy Regardless When we were first married, Paul and I lived in a very small home, and our kitchen table seated only four. We started off our marital career of hospitality by inviting over just one couple at a time.

Soon kids entered the picture. Still living in a small space, we’d get creative by feeding the children first, turning on a movie for them, and then sitting down with the other couple, not only to a meal that we were hungry for, but also to adult conversation we craved. It was our precious two-hour period (albeit with interruptions from kids asking questions and then falling asleep in various places in the house) of getting to know each other.

The last home we lived in, when our kids were teenagers, was a busy place. High-energy kids would run through the house, to the front yard, to the back yard. We knew that things would never go as smoothly as we wanted, but we still put out a lot of invitations and connected people to other people. Sometimes it felt like magic happened, when we’d see bodies lean in, shoulders relax, and people hang around the table for hours. Community was formed and people found rest.

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Today we’re empty nesters and back to living in a smaller place. At a more leisurely pace, we continue to conjure up the magic of hosting for our new and old friends in this new stage of life as well as for our grown children when they come back to visit.

I learned a valuable lesson over the course of all those years: When you feel safe and you have good food, everything seems just right.

I learned another secret. Like a flight attendant on an airplane, if you don’t look stressed, your guests won’t be either. So we learned to smile and not sweat the small stuff. We don’t apologize with needless excuses.

Perfectionism—I’m telling you—is overrated. The funny, unplanned things that have happened over the years are the ones that we talk about the most today, that arouse the most laughter as we reminisce, and that have proven to be defining moments with impact lasting for decades.

Between being a young girl to being a mature woman in her 50s, I have made all the hospitality blunders. But somewhere along the way I learned to set perfection aside, come up with a simple plan, and let it all happen.

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Feasting on Life Feasting on life happens whenever guests come together, either empty-handed or with a dish, and they bring their story. As the host or hostess, you get to create a setting where those stories are heard through the ears and the heart. There is no greater joy than knowing you helped accommodate that type of sharing.

All people crave deep human connection, not perfect food or a perfectly tidy home. They want a place to sit, to eat, to feel safe, to feel known, and to feel like they’re at home. The young mother you met at preschool, the family at church, the new neighbors who just moved into your neighborhood, even the high-powered corporate executive who lives across the street—each of them wants what you can offer.

Hosting is never fancy in my home; it’s functional. You see, there is a difference between hospitality and entertaining. Because my house is never perfect, I remove those expectations right away. People know I’m not here to entertain, much less to impress. Whew! What a relief not to have to pretend our homes are perfect 24 hours a day.

Young people, in particular, get caught up in the perfectionism lies.

And that may be enough to discourage them from even attempting to

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host others in their home as much as they’d like. Conflicted parents of young children, for example, know that raising a family is hard enough on its own; why throw the pressure of hosting on top of that? Especially in a world of Pinterest and TLC and the Food Network, the expectations are downright unfair and unattainable.

My advice on this? No matter your age, don’t fall for the lies and the false impressions! It truly does take a mature person who really wants hospitality to let the lure of perfection go. We must remind ourselves that hospitality is a gift that we give not only to ourselves but also to others, and so—completely apart from how smoothly everything goes—these moments are sacred experiences.

Don’t wait for perfect. Hosting is like a muscle. The more you use it, the easier it becomes.

Getting Ready Over the years, we’ve hosted pool parties, multi-generational parties (seating an older guest by a younger guest), sports parties, and birthday parties. We’ve celebrated holidays with not just family members but friends too. On more than one occasion, we set a table

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for the adults in one space and provided pizza and drinks for the kids in the garage.

Through all these different experiences and many more, I’ve learned that making hospitality happen boils down to just three steps: 1. Invite guests and (perhaps) ask them to contribute drinks, salads, or dessert.

Not every dinner party you could host is a good idea. When we’re considering another get-together, we like to ask ourselves, “Would this add goodness to our lives?” Life is short, so be intentional. But don’t do the same thing over and over; step out and be brave with your hospitality. This may mean not inviting the same people over again and again but deliberately connecting with new groups, neighbors, and communities.

It is not essential to ask guests to bring something, but you certainly can if you want. And if you are in a busy season of life (I’m speaking to you, young parents), doing so removes the excuse that you don’t have time or can’t afford to host.

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2. Make the meal.

Cook easy main dish recipes (the ones you can memorize). It didn’t take long for me to come up with a few menus that worked well and I knew like the back of my hand. Then I could focus on getting my space ready and think about our guests coming to dinner.

When it’s time for dessert, place a warm, buttery piece of storebought angel food cake on a plate. Top with ganache or warm fudge sauce and then sprinkle with strawberry slices. Easy!

3. Set the table.

You don’t need to bother with the fine dishware or fancy stemware.

Basic essentials, paper napkins, and a row of candles will do. Trust me. I use the same dishes (white) over and over and only occasionally change up the water glasses.

Setting the table communicates intention and anticipation and makes people feel wanted, but people don’t care about the details.

They really just want a space to be themselves and enjoy good food and company.

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Was that the doorbell? Let the feasting begin.

Experience the Primal Delight Every time we feast on life, we grow a little more. Our guests are blessed…but so are we. Through food and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, more courageous, more confident, and more well-rounded people.

All people crave community, vulnerability, and authenticity with one another. I’m so glad that my mother taught me that the table is a great place to start with all of this. And that I can now say to you from years of experience that you need not let your fears of an unimpressive home, disappointing recipes, or the possibility of social awkwardness stop you from hosting others.

Julia Child said, “Dining with one’s friends and beloved family is certainly one of life’s primal and most innocent delights, one that is both soul-satisfying and eternal.” She was never more right. And therefore, often harried, always imperfect, we throw open our doors and invite people in.

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...

Sandy Coughlin is a full-time blogger and recipe developer at Reluctant Entertainer. She enjoys hosting, traveling, sharing secrets about hospitality, and bringing people together in her mountain home in Bend, Oregon. She’s been married for 28 years and has three adult children.

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Paring Down Your Kitchen

by Zoë Kim

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Back in 2010 I had grand ideas for new habits I wanted to create in my kitchen. I wanted to stop wasting food, enjoy cooking as much as I enjoy eating (is that even possible?), prepare healthy food for my kids, and create a zero-waste kitchen. Like many, my desire for simplicity came from a place of being overwhelmed and frustrated with the persistent clutter and chaos in my kitchen.

With my frustration in the kitchen on overload, I Googled “How to waste less in the kitchen.” It was then that I came across Bea Johnson’s blog, Zero Waste Home. I was inspired by the freedom she described finding as a result of eliminating excess and minimizing waste in her home. I immediately began following her and attempting to implement her guidelines. I say attempting because I soon realized how difficult it is to make positive changes in your life (hello, zero waste in the kitchen) when you have clutter everywhere!

But I didn’t stop, and now my home is a different place from what it used to be.

If your kitchen is a zone of frustration for you, let me share a few things I have learned. With a won’t-give-up attitude, it’s possible to pare your kitchen down to the essentials—and free it up to become a life-giving place in your home.

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Not sure yet that bringing minimalism to the kitchen is a good idea?

Why You Need a Simplified Kitchen Having and maintaining a simplified kitchen can support health and strengthen your family bonds. Let’s break it down.

A simplified kitchen leads to healthier eating choices and wellness.

It probably doesn’t come as a surprise that our physical environment affects our wellness. Research has shown that women eat more sweets and high-fat foods when faced with daily hassles. [1] In 2016, researchers from Cornell University found that a chaotic physical environment may play a role as well. [2] They set up two test kitchens with healthy and unhealthy snacks—one organized and the other messy and disorganized—and found those working in the chaotic kitchen consumed nearly twice as many calories in sweets as those who worked in the organized kitchen.

By paring down your kitchen to an orderly state, you’re more likely to practice better eating habits and experience wellness.

A simplified kitchen invites healthy rhythm.

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An uncluttered kitchen can help you move through your daily food preparation more efficiently and, better yet, find more pleasure in doing this. (Maybe this is where it’s possible for me to enjoy cooking as much as I do eating!)

Searching for a kitchen utensil is an unwelcome interruption of food preparation. Having just what you need to accomplish the task at hand can improve your focus and satisfaction with what you are doing.

A simplified kitchen reduces stress.

Fewer distractions, better focus, better eating habits, and a more enjoyable work rhythm in your kitchen will most likely lead to less stress. Imagine what your life might be like if you really enjoyed preparing food for yourself and your family and friends in your kitchen.

A simplified kitchen promotes better relationships.

For many families, the kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s a place for gathering, cooking, eating, and connecting with friends and family.

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Paring down your kitchen will help make all of these activities more enjoyable.

Principles to Remember Before I talk about how to declutter your kitchen, I want to mention a few ideas to help you be happy and successful with this task. These principles are meant to preserve your momentum once you get going.

Why you’re doing it It’s helpful, and I’d argue essential, to identify and remember your why. In one sentence, write down on paper why you want to simplify your kitchen. What is your end goal?

I feel better when my kitchen is simplified and clean, but that is not my main goal. Decluttering my kitchen is about creating a place where I want to cook and where I find it easy and inviting to connect with family and friends.

What’s your purpose in paring down your kitchen? Remembering why you are decluttering is fuel for your motivation.

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What you’ve got to work with While it’s tempting to think that we don’t have enough space, more space isn’t typically the answer to a kitchen clutter problem. Rather than see physical boundaries as obstacles to overcome, I try to see them as friendly reminders of how much I can really manage. Not accepting our limitations leads to unhealthy stress—so much pressure to have, to do, to be. It’s all part of our consumer mentality instead of a “being who I am” mindset.

Work with the space and the storage you’ve got in your kitchen. It’s enough.

Where to put things As you declutter and find a home for what you’re keeping, store each item in a place that makes it easy for you to use it. If you’re not sure where that place is, make your best guess at first and adjust later if needed.

Remember, you want a kitchen that is pared down but also one that is user friendly. Practical placement in the kitchen equals sustainable

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habits. When we put things in odd places, we may be less likely to use them and even less likely to put them away.

Steps to Paring Down Your Kitchen You are creating your version of a simplified kitchen. But these steps are a framework almost anyone can use.

1. Clean first.

Before you begin, bring your kitchen to its regular state of cleanness.

It does not need to be perfect. Wash the dishes and put them away.

Put away papers, keys, toys, and mail (if they have a designated home).

2. Clear your counters.

In my pre-minimalism days after I purchased my first home, I would go out and purchase things to decorate my countertops. My grandmother decorated her countertops with plants and random ceramic roosters. Although there is nothing wrong with placing a plant on one’s countertop, I did it because I had the mindset that that’s what I should do.

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These days, I keep my counters clear. In fact, you might even hear me say, “Horizontal spaces are not your friend.” It’s easy to see why— they’re more likely to collect a whole lot of things that are not useful and, frankly, are distracting!

Whenever possible, store your smaller kitchen appliances, such as a toaster or waffle maker, out of sight. And clear off everything else that doesn’t have to remain on the counter.

Keeping your counters clear might feel like starting an exercise program—at first you dread doing the exercise—but you will quickly feel that it really does make you feel better. The goal is to create a space that works for you and your family. As you pare down, trust your gut.

3. Create a command center.

Until I set up a kitchen command center—a place for incoming everyday items like school papers, mail, and keys—my kitchen counters remained constantly cluttered. The command center also lets my kids know there is a designated spot for things. We don’t just set things down anywhere; rather, everything has a home. In our apartment, our command center is in a kitchen cabinet. With fewer

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kitchen items, we have cupboard space to spare, so we don’t have to leave things out in the open. Our command center has three trays to sort incoming papers and a basket for items like keys and wallets.

After setting up a command center to handle the flood of everyday items, you will be able to implement a no-clutter guideline for your kitchen counters. I always say, treat your kitchen counters like you treat your stove. Only put an item on it when you’re doing something with it. Adopt the perspective that placing—and keeping—items on your counter allows clutter-creep, and clutter-creep takes you in the wrong direction.

4. Go through your cupboards and drawers.

If you’re decluttering for the first time in your kitchen and feel overwhelmed, you could warm up to the task by tackling one drawer or one cupboard. Can’t decide which one? Do a coin toss. Seriously, sometimes it’s that simple. The most important part is that you start.

After completing that space, declutter by category—pots and pans, glasses, silverware, utensils, and storage containers—until you have pared down everything in your kitchen. I have found it to be more thorough to declutter by category because we often have similar

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items in different places. When we gather them, we’ll know what duplicates we can let go of. If you find seven pairs of scissors of similar function and style, for example, you will easily be able to let go the extras.

As you gather the items from the cupboards and drawers, take this opportunity to wipe these areas out clean. Next, evaluate each item and ask yourself some questions: • How often do I use this item?

• Do I have another item that can serve the same purpose?

• Is it still in good shape?

• Do I even like it?

Consider the use-it-or-lose-it guideline for your kitchen items. Have you used your wok or ice cream maker in the last week, month, or year? If the answer is no, donate it!

It is also important to keep in mind that another kitchen gadget is not necessarily going to make your life easier. For example, consider ditching the apple slicer and using a knife instead. I discovered I

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didn’t need a garlic press when I learned how to crush and mince garlic with my everyday kitchen knife. Although the garlic press has a convenience feel to it, it also took longer to clean than a kitchen knife after each use.

Ultimately, the most important items in your kitchen are the ones you use daily to prepare family meals. At one point I had a KitchenAid mixer that I used a couple times a month at most.

Eventually, I couldn’t justify keeping it, when I had a hand mixer that worked well enough. Sometimes we can get so focused on finding a perfect tool that we end up owning a lot of things we don’t need.

If your cupboards are overflowing with cups—sippy cups, plastic cups, coffee cups, cups with built-in straws—consider keeping the quality cups and ditching the less durable ones. Keep fewer, multipurpose glass sets for your beverages. One way I did this was to use stemless wine glasses for wine and water. As you look at your glasses, think about whether they can be used for multiple beverages.

I have the same white dish set I’ve owned since 2006. It’s durable and affordable for everyday use but can easily be dressed up for special occasions with fancy napkins and fresh greenery on the table.

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5. Organize your food storage.

As you begin paring down your pantry, here are a few questions to keep in mind as you consider what to keep: • Do I have the space for this item? If not, do I have the space to add additional storage?

• Can I consume this ingredient before it expires?

• Is this item serving a similar purpose to another item?

I group my food into categories in order to reduce eye clutter. This makes locating my items easier too. A few categories that I use are breakfast, snacks, and canned goods. Keeping everything visible is essential to maintaining a simplified, user-friendly kitchen.

Less Clutter in the Kitchen, Less Clutter in Life Clearing off your kitchen counters and cleaning out your cupboards and drawers will help you clear your mind. Because it’s often the heart of the home, having and keeping a simplified kitchen will support wellness, a pleasing daily rhythm, a calm environment, and healthy relationships.

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...

Zoë Kim is the founder of Raising Simple, a website that inspires thousands of readers each month to simplify the home and life. She is also the author of Minimalism for Families and a simplicity coach. Her readers describe her teaching style as pragmatic and thoughtful. As an expert in letting go, Zoë’s aim is to help people let go of the clutter that is weighing their family down, so they can live their life with more purpose and joy.

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Spend Less and Eat Well

by Erin Chase

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It was the fall of 2008 and I ran across a video clip of Whoopi Goldberg on Rachael Ray’s show. They were discussing the frustration of eating healthy on a budget and how it seems unfair to punish those who are overweight or living an unhealthy lifestyle because they can’t afford the healthier foods and ingredients. The issue at hand and “punishment” was a fat tax and premium hike that was being used as a threat by health insurance companies and others in an attempt to motivate healthier eating.

Pfffft. I thought. They don’t know what they’re talking about. I’m fit, I’m healthy, and I eat well on a really, really tight grocery budget.

I’d just started the $5 Dinners website, and I was (and still am!) a woman on a mission to educate and help others learn how to do this healthy-eating-on-a-budget thing. The misconception is that eating healthy will make you go broke. It won’t.

I felt so strongly about this that I ran over to our computer and typed up a little blurb and hit Send on the “segment submissions” page of the Rachael Ray show’s website. I figured the part-rant/partsermonette that I submitted would probably land in a bottomless sea of other segment ideas, requests to appear on the show, and

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whatever other junk information gets sent in daily. But out of the blue, almost eight months after I had submitted it, a producer called me and we chatted for a bit. Then we set up the first interview in my home and made arrangements for me to appear on the show in New York.

What I shared with them was just what I’m going to teach you now.

Intention—The Secret Ingredient Before I get to the building blocks of saving money on groceries and eating healthful ingredients, I must share this. Spoiler alert: It’s not going to happen overnight—there is no “get rich quick” scheme for grocery shopping and saving money on your weekly trips. It takes a little bit of time (no more than 20 minutes a week) and a whole lot of intention.

Did you catch that word intention? You have to be intentional about following through with the simple steps that I will teach you below.

When you act week after week with intention on cutting your grocery spending, you will soon find yourself with extra cash you didn't know you had hiding in your grocery budget.

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Five Steps to Inexpensive and Healthy Meals I’d like to share with you five simple habits for healthy meal planning and shopping that will help you eat well while spending less on groceries. When you work through each of these, with intention, you will start to see savings add up on your weekly grocery totals.

Step 1. Look at the ads.

The first thing you need to do is look at the store ads and sales before you go into the store. That means sitting down at the kitchen counter or table, laying out the ads and really looking at them—studying them even—and circling the items you see on sale that you will actually use in a meal.

How do you find these store ads? Well, they are not hard to find and I recommend getting them to come to you. You can find them on the grocery store website; you can get them emailed to you; you might be able to get a push notification from the store’s mobile app; you can find them in the newspaper flyer section; and sometimes they come in your mailbox. The key is getting them to show up in the most convenient way for you, so that you’ll be reminded to look at them

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and you’ll stop and sit down to make a plan based on what’s on sale that week.

If you have to choose one area to focus on, I’d suggest meat or produce. Meat is typically the most expensive ingredient in a meal.

On the other hand, if you’re vegetarian, you’re going to want to watch produce prices closely each week. Cutting your weekly meat and produce costs in half will unearth hundreds of dollars this year.

One final quick recommendation: as you study the sales from week to week, be sure to look for trends of meat sale prices. I typically see meat prices cycle on sale every seven to nine weeks. Because of that, I’ll purchase enough of that cut of meat to last until the next sale— and then I’m not paying full price in between sales cycles.

I’ll quickly add the meat to the freezer with some other ingredients.

This way I’ve got a double whammy of meat on sale and meals in the freezer. This is the winning combination for the busy family who wants to eat well on a budget.

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Step 2. Write out a simple meal plan based on what’s on sale.

Let me start with this: keep your meal planning simple. My guess is that you are over-complicating your meal plans or, worse, not making any at all. A sensible and workable meal-planning method is essential to healthy, inexpensive eating and will save you time in the long run.

Consider the fact that we have to eat every day, in fact multiple times a day, and sometimes with multiple eaters (i.e.: kids!). Not having a solid meal plan in place means you are setting yourself up for disaster. Or worse, overspending on drive-thru or takeout again.

My recommendation is that you plan your meals around what meats and produce are on sale each week. If planning dinner meals for seven whole days each week is too much, back it down to planning three to four days at a time. I’ve found this strategy helps many families reduce food waste and plan better meals, based on their schedule and mood.

Of course, life happens and we get derailed on some days. But having a simple meal plan written down somewhere will definitely help you quiet that What’s for dinner? question that runs through your brain 800 times a day.

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Step 3. Prepare a solid shopping list.

Now that you have studied the ads and sketched out a simple meal plan, it’s time to write the shopping list. I like to call the shopping list your battle plan for the grocery store because you will use it to get all that you need and it will help you fight off the bright, shiny objects that you think you need. This shopping list is your tool for combating impulse purchases and falling into marketing traps in the store.

There are many ways to write a shopping list. As I’ve worked with frustrated grocery shoppers over the years, I’ve found that the majority weren’t writing them in the way that best fits their organizational personality. Could that be true for you?

Check out the following options and try a different type of shopping list to see if one of these will work better for you and help you spend less money.

• Write ingredients based on the aisle where they are stocked in your store.

• Organize ingredients based on store section—meats, produce, dairy, cleaning, etc.

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• Write out ingredients based on your meal plan plus other pantry and household staples you’ll need.

• Write your shopping list and meal plan on the same page.

• Organize your most commonly purchased ingredients into an Excel spreadsheet and update it weekly with what you need.

• Make a document with a pre-made template of the ingredients you buy often and include some blank lines for other ingredients you need to pick up that week.

Do not—I repeat, do not—chicken-scratch a grocery list on the back of an envelope!

Step. 4. Follow through on your plan, even if you don’t feel like it.

You wrote your plan with intention, based on the sales. You purchased all the groceries you needed. Way to go! And then...something minor happens, and now you just don’t feel like making the meal you had planned to make.

Make it anyway.

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Let me ask you which is worse: throwing away food (picture the dollars you spent on that food as you throw it away) or buzzing through the drive-thru to buy some junk food? There’s really not much to choose between. Either way, you’re wasting money and overspending on food you didn’t plan to eat—just because you didn’t feel like it!

I’ll say it again: Make the meal you planned anyway. Use your ingredients as intended, regardless of whether you’re in the mood for it.

Step 5. Use about $5 to $10 a week on coupons or cash-back apps.

I can almost hear it: Wait, what? Really, Erin?

Yes, there are so many coupons for cleaning items and toiletries like toothpaste, toothbrushes, and razors. Personally, I mostly use coupons on those items, though sometimes also on food items that we consume regularly.

Think about using coupons on cleaners, laundry soap, and toiletries so that you can free up money in your grocery budget to spend on healthful items and ingredients. Spend less on toothbrushes and

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toothpaste; have more money for organic meats. Get razors for $1; spend more money on fresh produce. Prioritizing your grocery dollars and coupons is a great way to free up money to spend on healthful items.

The goal is to just use $5 to $10 a week. That could be $500 this next year.

Ready for Your Next Grocery-Store Run My hope is that these steps and habits will reshape the way you think about and plan for your grocery shopping trips, so that you can stretch your budget further and squeeze in more healthful foods.

With the right plan and “flow” in place, along with the right motivation and intention, you’ll walk out of the grocery store feeling confident in how you spent your money. Plus, you will be motivated to follow through on your plan and make delicious, healthful dinners throughout the week.

Cheers to spending less money on groceries and eating wholesome, healthful meals with your family!

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...

Erin Chase is the founder of 5 Dollar Dinners and author of the $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook series. Her resources and programs have helped tens of thousands of shoppers save hundreds of thousands of dollars, plus countless shreds of sanity. She's also helped many people come to enjoy cooking again and to stop feeling stressed and overwhelmed with feeding their families every single night. She lives with her husband, four hungry boys, and one furry boy in San Antonio, Texas.

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You Eat Less Variety Than You Think. Embrace It.

by Joshua Becker

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The first time I ever heard about it was from the family practice doctor in Wisconsin who delivered my son, Salem. The doctor—old enough to be my father—became a man I grew to love and appreciate and would soon call friend. He once told me that he ate a taco salad every day for lunch.

The next time I encountered the phenomenon, a few years later, was with a friend at his parents’ house. He walked me into their basement pantry loaded with shelves of canned tuna—solid white albacore, if I recall correctly. He told me that his dad, a professional fisherman, ate a tuna fish sandwich every day for lunch.

Two men, both well respected in the community, ate the same lunch every single day. I didn’t give the idea much thought after that, other than occasionally being jealous that my doctor friend got to eat a taco salad every day for lunch. Mmm, I do like taco salad.

Life continued, ten years passed, and I picked up a copy of Tim Ferris’s book The 4-Hour Body. Tim is a serial entrepreneur and a number-one New York Times bestselling author best known for his rapid-learning techniques.

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In his chapter on “Rapid Fat Loss,” he offered a passing sentence when asked about boredom with the limited food options in his prescribed diet: “Most people vastly overestimate the variety of their meals.”

My mind immediately raced back to my role models in Wisconsin from so many years ago, both of whom had chosen to eat the same meal every day for lunch. They had discovered a routine that worked well for them. Rather than fighting against routine in their diet, they had embraced the practice. Few could argue with the results—both were healthy and successful.

It got me thinking…

What if there is nothing wrong with eating the same meal over and over again?

In fact, what if repetitive eating is a good thing?

You Could Already Be There As a writer, blogger, and overall promoter of the benefits of minimalism, I have seen countless times how people overestimate

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the number of material possessions they need. So when I read the sentence in Tim’s book that “most people vastly overestimate the variety of their meals,” I almost instinctively knew it was true. I have seen “overestimating variety” to be true in clothing, entertainment, books, linens, and any number of other examples. Why not food?

The Pareto principle is proven true over and over again—roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. We wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time. We use 20% of our kitchen gadgets 80% of the time. We watch 20% of the same channels 80% of the time. And, generally speaking, we eat 20% of the same food 80% of the time.

Assuming you’re not traveling, think about what you have had to eat for breakfast over the past week. Most likely, you’ve eaten the same couple meals. Or how about lunch?

My breakfast these days is two eggs and four strips of turkey bacon.

My lunch consists of rotisserie chicken (with Frank’s buffalo sauce) or a salad (with chicken). And I know I’m far from alone in these kinds of habits. According to one study conducted in Great Britain by Whole Foods Market, almost 33% of us eat the same lunch every day. [1]

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Here’s the reality: We tend to eat many of the same foods over and over again, but for some reason, we want to deny this truth. We contend that variety is the spice of life. Or we remember our mom telling us, “But you just ate pizza yesterday. You can’t eat it again today.” We think it reflects poorly on our cultured-self or creativity or palette or commitment to health to eat the same foods over and over again. So we quickly convince ourselves that we need to think up something new every day for breakfast or lunch or to feed our family in the evening.

But as I’ve thought more about it, I’ve realized there really is much benefit to be found in leaning in to the reality that we crave stability in our meal patterns. We eat less variety than we think—and there are good reasons to realize that and accept it.

Why You Should Say Yes to Meal Monotony Speaking at a conference earlier this year, I was asked by a mother of three for advice on how to keep down food waste and costs in her home.

By this time I was a convert to meal repetition. I answered, “Accept the fact that you eat less variety of foods than you think. Don’t fight

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against it. Don’t believe society’s pressure that you need to be dreaming up something new for every meal. Find your family’s favorite meals and serve them often. You’ll lower your monthly food costs, waste, and time spent in preparation.”

Consider the benefits to us (and our families) of establishing a regular meal rotation: 1. Money savings. When you begin to establish a weekly routine of your family’s favorite meals, you save money by wasting less, learning the correct portion size, recognizing sales and good prices, and knowing which spices or condiments to purchase.

2. Time savings. Not only does a weekly routine of meals save time hunting for recipes or new ideas, but we become more and more efficient at preparing each of the meals that we do enjoy. This “time saved” may be more precious during specific seasons of life (when you have young children at home, for example), but extra time in the day can be appreciated by everyone.

3. Better health. A thought-out and intentional routine of meals offers greater opportunity to align our diets with nutritional recommendations.

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4. Less food waste. About 150,000 tons of food is tossed out in US households each day, equivalent to about a third of the daily calories that each American consumes. [2] Not only does this waste take a toll on our household budget (as mentioned above), but there is also an environmental toll from that much waste.

5. Weight control. Many people who eat the same lunch every day attest that the practice is helpful in weight control, contending they eat less because of it. It’s called “school cafeteria syndrome,” and according to researchers, it really works in reducing the amount of food we eat. [3] 6. Fewer failed recipes. As I will mention in a moment, there is still room for trying new foods and recipes, and I recommend it with young kids at home. But establishing a stable routine of meals each week and experimenting with fewer new recipes means fewer failed meals. As I can attest, there are few things in life more disheartening than spending hours preparing a meal, only to have it flop at the dinner table.

7. Benefits for kids. The more children see specific foods in front of them, the more likely they are to learn to enjoy them. Creating a

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routine certainly doesn’t eliminate all “eat your vegetables” negotiations at the dinner table, but they do make them easier, as the expectations have already been established.

8. Greater simplicity. Embracing a meal routine (whether daily or weekly) promotes simplicity in our home and life. It reduces stress and anxiety, removes decision fatigue, and frees us to pursue more important things than answering “What’s for dinner?”

Tips to Implementing a Meal Rotation How do we go about this in our own unique families? Here are some thoughts to get you started: 1. Meals on your own are a great place to start. If you eat lunch every day at the office, it’s easy to choose your one or two favorite meals and repeat them each day. The same is true for breakfast if you eat it alone. As mentioned above, breakfast and lunch are where I embrace the most routine.

2. Determine your family’s favorite meals. Take each person into account. Are there specific meals that everybody likes? If so, those are obvious places to start establishing a routine. I’d recommend

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identifying five or six family favorites. If you can’t get that much agreement in your family, be sure to think about those with pickier palettes and what accommodations can be made.

3. Write out a weekly schedule that can be repeated each week. Take into account your weekly commitments. Does someone have volleyball practice on Tuesday night? Youth group on Wednesday? Or a business meeting on Monday? Factor in both the time you have to prepare and the time to sit down and eat. My family loves tacos on Tuesdays. And we serve frozen pizza on Wednesday because we need quick clean-up to accommodate the small group that meets at our house that evening.

4. Don’t sacrifice health. Eating foods you enjoy doesn’t mean sacrificing healthy nutrition habits along the way. If you’re serving pizza or pasta, pick a vegetable to go with it. Or look for healthy options of pizza. I actually find it easier to eat healthy when a routine has been established, because we are intentional about including fruits and vegetables every evening.

5. Don’t think you need to sacrifice all variety for this to work. Rare is the family for whom a week’s schedule doesn’t vary from time to time, so

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some variety in meals is almost inevitable. But it can also be scheduled. You can decide that every Monday is new-recipe day, or you can choose variety when you eat out. Establishing a meal routine five nights of the week still leaves room for variety.

6. Proceed with trial, error, and adjustments. If you discover that one meal takes longer to prepare than you want, change it. If one meal is no longer enjoyed by your family, pick a new one. Or if you discover that a routine works well for one month and then you want to make a new one, go for it! The goal is to find something that works for your family and saves you time and money.

Eat. Repeat.

One of the greatest things I have discovered about minimalism is that removing unneeded things from my life means I am left with only my favorites. Another benefit is that removing distraction brings money, time, energy, and peace into my life.

I have found the same benefits by leaning in to the reality that we eat less variety of foods than we think. We all have our favorite foods to eat. Accept it and embrace the idea of eating the same foods over and

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over again. You’ll be excited every time you sit down to eat…and you’ll save money and time along the way. ...

Joshua Becker is the founder and editor of Becoming Minimalist, a website that inspires 1 million readers each month to own less and live more. He is also the best-selling author of The More of Less. His new book, The Minimalist Home, was released on December 18.

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What Every Parent Needs to Know About Childhood Obesity

by Marci Serota

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Almost everyone has heard that childhood obesity is on the rise. In fact, we hear it so often that the words have started to lose their meaning. Many people don’t pause to consider the implications of childhood obesity, but neglecting the issue as a society has grave ramifications. Something must change. Our children’s lives are at stake.

Before I proceed, it’s necessary to state the obvious: Children come in all shapes and sizes. This is cause for celebration. No one should ever be made to feel badly about their body size or shape. As with any other corporal feature, genetics play a large part.

Most human bodies are one of three types: ectomorphs, mesomorphs, and endomorphs. Ectomorphs tend to be very lean with little muscle mass. They don’t put on weight easily. Mesomorphs tend to be muscular and bulky. Endomorphs, on the other hand, are genetically hard-wired to be round and soft.

An endomorph will always be an endomorph. They will likely struggle to lose weight, even with proper diet and exercise. But there’s a huge difference between a naturally pudgy endomorphic child who can

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keep up with their peers and a child who cannot run and ride a bicycle because of their size. Other factors are at play.

Reasons for Today’s Childhood Obesity Epidemic According to the World Health Organization, “childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the twenty-first century.” Globally, as of 2016, a staggering 41 million children under the age of five were overweight or obese. That number is estimated to climb to 70 million by 2025. [1] Think about that. In 1990, less than 32 million children fell into that category. [2] More and more, children are becoming obese…but why? The answer is complex.

First, our lives are increasingly sedentary. With each passing decade, we rely more and more on computers and machines. We move our bodies less and less. People used to hunt and gather their own food, slaughter their own dinner, clean it and cook it themselves. They grew their own fruits and vegetables. Children walked to school and back each day and helped with chores all afternoon. Not many children move around that much in the twenty-first century.

Second, our food supply has changed dramatically. Much of what we eat now barely resembles real, nature-made food. Public policy and

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influential stakeholders in the food industry ensure that healthy, nature-made food is more expensive than processed food. (Think high-fructose corn syrup and soy oil, which are subsidized and therefore less expensive for producers.) Millions of lower-income families are living in “food deserts” where there are no fresh fruits, vegetables, or meats available for miles, and highly processed junk food is the only affordable option. Food companies liberally add sugar to their products, like sliced bread, deli meats, crackers, chips, yogurt, cereal, and pretzels. Sugar activates the brain’s reward center and causes us to overeat. Too much sugar and highly processed food also trigger our bodies to produce excess insulin. This makes us feel hungry and causes our bodies to be more stubborn to weight loss.

Third, in many homes, both parents work full time and commute long distances. Many people are often too tired to cook a meal from scratch at the end of the day. Relying on ready-made food allows parents to quickly prepare dinner, help with homework, clean up, spend time with the kids, and fall asleep before 11 pm. Convenience wins.

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The Problem Comes Home It’s important to note there are sometimes extenuating medical and psychological issues that result in severe childhood obesity too. You never know what people are struggling with. It very well may be beyond their control, and they may be working on it harder than you can ever imagine.

I can relate. When my child was only three years old, he was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor. It left him with a lifelong condition called hypothalamic obesity, a severe form of obesity that is extremely stubborn to weight loss. I fought this aggressive condition with him for years, doing everything in my power (or so I thought) to keep him healthy. I assumed my background as a dietitian would help me, but I was unprepared for the uphill battle against an obesogenic society fueled by convenient, human-made, high-sugar, overly processed food.

The constant power struggles with my child were exhausting. Our entire family suered. His doctors told me there was nothing I could do to win.

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After years of fighting a losing battle, I finally gave up. I focused my attention away from his condition and more toward creating happy family memories. Within a year and a half, my nine-year-old son was morbidly obese and sick enough for his doctor to recommend gastric bypass surgery.

At that point, I admitted to myself that I hadn’t really been doing everything in my power to keep him healthy. It had to become my first priority or I was going to lose him.

Facing the Harm That Obesity Causes Why must we boldly stand up against childhood obesity? Because the implications are frightening. We are seeing children bullied about their body size and hating their bodies in kindergarten. We are seeing kids who cannot fit into children’s size clothing. We are seeing kids under the age of 10 with sleep apnea, fatty liver disease, high cholesterol, heart disease, aching joints, and type 2 diabetes.

Allow me to illuminate what life with type 2 diabetes is like. It means taking medication or injections daily. It means feeling tired and hungry all the time. Chronically high blood sugar does irreparable damage to the blood vessels in the eyes, kidneys, hearts, and feet.

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Years’ worth of high blood sugar can lead to blindness, permanent kidney failure and life hooked to a hemodialysis machine three days a week because your kidneys can no longer clean your blood. It means heart attacks in your twenties and thirties and amputation of toes and feet later in life. And that’s just diabetes.

Fatty liver disease can lead to liver failure, which results in death, short of a liver transplant. High cholesterol can lead to heart disease, which may result in a heart attack, stroke, or even death. Sleep apnea leads to more weight gain, stress on the brain and heart, overall exhaustion and poor academic performance. These are very real diseases impacting children worldwide.

Waitlists to see a pediatric endocrinologist, cardiologist, or sleep doctor can take months. The burden on healthcare systems, and often on family finances too, is enormous.

Things Parents Can Do to Help Kids Eat Better What can we as parents and caregivers do to prevent childhood obesity or to combat it in our own homes?

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First, get our children moving! Take away tablets, cell phones, and video games during the school week. Limit hours on the weekends.

Introduce exercise that builds muscle mass, such as weight lifting, yoga, resistance training, and Pilates. The more muscle mass one has, the more calories one will burn while resting. Walk or bike to school.

Hit the playground more often. Take walks after dinner or swim laps together. It’s important to exercise with our children. Children won’t do it if they don’t see their parents doing it.

Second, teach our kids about the main culprits: highly processed human-made food, excess sugar, and enormous portion sizes. Take the focus off calorie and fat gram counting and help them understand that not all calories are created equal. The calories in man-made food cause hunger and weight gain, whereas the calories in nature-made food will help them feel full.

Take a look at your pantry with your child and try to identify which foods are human-made. (Hint: if it comes in a box that can sit in your pantry for weeks without molding or rotting, it is likely to be contributing to childhood obesity). Create a kitchen where the majority of food and snacks are nature-made foods, such as vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, legumes, cheese, and unprocessed

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meats with no sugar added. It is fine to use frozen or canned fruit, vegetables, beans, and fish to cut down on expenses and save time.

Read food labels together and avoid items where sugar is one of the first five ingredients. Look out for words that are used in place of sugar, like maltose, dextrose, cane syrup, caramel, and barley malt.

Because sugar can be addictive, it’s best to avoid keeping it in the house as much as possible. Easy? No. Important? Yes. When it comes to eating out, make a habit of ordering the small portions to model self-control. Avoid soda, juice, syrupy coffee drinks, and artificially sweetened beverage. Don’t fall for the countless marketing traps trying to convince you that human-made food such as pretzels, crackers, chips, fruit “snacks,” and candy labeled “organic,” “gluten free,” “low fat,” “cholesterol free,” “low sugar,” and even “heart healthy” are good food for your children. They most likely are not.

Take a look at your dinner plates and cups. Most are too big and contribute to overeating. Use salad plates for meals and dessert plates for snacks. Cups need not be bigger than eight ounces (240 mL). Be aware that most portions served in restaurants and in “single serve” bags usually contain 2.5 to 4 servings. Only eat half of that

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enormous cookie, bagel, or muffin and take half of your dinner or lunch order home to eat another time.

If your child is obese, using star charts and offering positive reinforcement for accrual of healthy behaviors can be very motivating. Celebrate when they choose nature-made foods over human-made foods, and drink water instead of juice, coffee, and sugary drinks.

Conquering Childhood Obesity as a Family You’ll be most successful if the fight against childhood obesity becomes a family affair. Don’t feel you have to make all of these changes overnight. Encourage each other and remember: this is not about appearance, this is about staying alive and healthy.

Combating childhood obesity starts at home. Children follow their parents’ lead. When we as adults accept our own genetics and learn to love the body that nature has given us, we model positive body image for our children and teach them to celebrate size diversity. If we make wise choices around food and exercise, our children will follow suit. It takes personal responsibility, commitment, and sacrifice, but giving our children the gift of healthy living is powerful

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motivation. Now that my son is healthy, I can say with absolute certainty that the hard work is worth it. ...

Marci Serota is a registered dietitian nutritionist, public speaker, and the author of Hungry for Solutions: A Mother’s Quest to Defeat Hypothalamic and Childhood Obesity. She completed her dietetic training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. She lives with her family in Dallas, Texas.

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Mindfulness Helps Children to Eat Healthy Foods

by Nimali Fernando

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I have been a pediatrician for almost two decades. From this experience, there’s one thing that I know for sure: If we do not change how children are taught to eat, we will continue to see their health decline. An article in the New England Journal of Medicine recently predicted that 57 percent of today’s children will be obese by age 35.

[1] The erosion of children’s health is already happening at such a startling rate that much of my day is spent treating symptoms that are directly or indirectly related to the processed, convenience food diet that has become the norm. Behavioral problems, digestive irregularities, musculoskeletal complaints, and more are being exacerbated by “kid-friendly foods” that are high in sugar and laced with preservatives and additives.

How do parents swim against the tide of this pervasive conveniencefood culture and teach their kids to eat a more life-sustaining, wholefood diet? The answer lies partly in a mindful approach in early education.

Parents can help their children appreciate food by teaching them how it grows in nature and how it strengthens their bodies. This can

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culminate with preparation of a recipe using a fruit or vegetable.

Parents can encourage children to use their senses to explore food while chopping, peeling, juicing, tearing, stirring, and mixing the recipe. Through a fun and hands-on approach like this, kids learn to make friends with food.

Here are six key points that parents can use when teaching kids to love healthy foods: 1. Mindfulness builds a healthy relationship with food. Teach kids to appreciate the beauty of food, where it comes from, and what it does for their bodies. Take time with children to appreciate the fuzzy skin of a peach, the way it smells, and how pretty the color is. Learn about how a food is used or celebrated in other cultures.

In addition to your teaching in the kitchen, consider trying “extension activities,” including music, books, science, and art activities that relate to the food you’re discussing. Perhaps you would even like to take your child on a visit to a farm or orchard where the food is grown. These activities can strengthen a young child’s connection to the food.

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2. Playing with food is important. When children use all of their senses, not just taste, they learn to make friends with food. Studies show that playing with food, even as babies, provides sensory experiences that enhance cognitive development.

For parents of babies, that means taking the onesie o and letting babies get messy, with food squished in their fists and spread on their faces. For kids, it may mean using senses in a playful way, even if it does not immediately result in kids eating those foods. When we play with foods, we are having fun and building confidence that may later results in eating and enjoying those foods.

3. Cooking with kids builds a connection. Cooking regularly as a family provides children with a rich sensory experience around food that can lead to improved eating habits and a love of healthy food. It also provides a way to develop and enhance skills like language and motor development. Furthermore, children have a sense of pride when they participate in making their own food and are much more willing to try it. When family meals begin by cooking together, the whole family becomes invested and has an appreciation for the food that is served.

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4. Learning to eat takes practice. As parents, we should understand that giving up on teaching children to eat healthy foods is not an option. With enough practice and persistence, we can help kids develop habits that will overcome the grim health statistics they might otherwise face.

Think of teaching your kids to eat good food in the same way as teaching them to read. Being able to read a longer chapter book takes years. Progressing through letter recognition, phonics, sight words, simple books, and gradually reading longer books takes year of patience, persistence, and faith that your child will finally get there.

Similarly, dozens of exposures to each food in multiple ways takes time, persistence, and courage that they will finally eat a variety of good foods.

Some children read quickly, while others may need extra help, attention, or tutoring. Similarly, some children are naturally more adventurous eaters, while others may need more practice at trying foods, more encouragement, and more time.

Finally we would never call a child a “bad reader” if reading was difficult, and in turn we should not label a child a “picky eater” and

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give up on their food education. The time spent helping a child to learn to eat is time invested in their health for the long term.

5. Some kids need more help, but they can still learn to eat good food. For children who have particular feeding challenges, a patient and steady approach is key.

To go back to the example of reading, for a child who may have a reading problem like dyslexia, there are education specialists who can help kids who need a specialized approach to learning. Similarly, for kids who have feeding challenges, there are feeding specialists who are trained to help kids overcome feeding obstacles.

Kids with developmental challenges, kids with sensory integration disorder, or kids who have a medical issue like food allergies may need a lot of extra time and attention from such a specialist to get them to a point where feeding is not stressful. Talking to your pediatrician is a good first step if you feel like a child may need this kind of help. A patient, steady approach has helped kids with developmental disabilities to enjoy food their families would have never imagined they could.

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6. Serve as a role model. As parents, our actions as role models are very powerful even when it comes to food. We don’t have to be perfect in our habits to be good role models. We may have our own preferences or experiences with food. Maybe we hated beets or Brussels sprouts as a child but want our kids to enjoy those foods along with their health benefits.

Being a good role model means being honest about our experiences and showing kids that we are willing to grow and learn. That may mean trying foods that we didn’t think we liked as children. It may mean working and improving on health habits even if it’s not easy. It may mean saying, “I’m learning to like this new food but I’m not there yet.” Talking with children about how healthy foods give us energy and strength and make us feel good can make a big impression.

Parents, when teaching your kids to eat healthy foods, don’t give up.

Ask for help if you need it. And try to have fun along the way! ...

Nimali Fernando, MD, MPH, also known as “Dr. Yum,” is a pediatrician practicing in Fredericksburg, VA, and founder of The Dr. Yum Project, a nonprofit dedicated to helping families change their

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lives and health with food. She is also co-author of the awardwinning book Raising a Healthy, Happy Eater: A Parent’s Handbook and Dr. Yum’s Preschool Food Adventure. Her work has been featured

by NPR, The New York Times, and NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt.

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The Dinner Table

by Erica Layne

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Six-year-old Max felt the biggest butterflies in his stomach as he hid under the kitchen table. His heart was thumping so fast that he wondered for a second if it were possible for a heart to beat out of a chest.

He heard his dad, who had just gotten home from work, greet his mom, just a few feet away, next to the kitchen sink. Mom better not give me up! he thought.

“Hey!” his dad bellowed. “Has anyone seen that scraggly little boy who lives somewhere around here? You know, the one with a missing front tooth?”

Max clapped his hand over his mouth in an effort not to giggle.

His dad made a show of picking up the lid of a pot that was simmering on the stove. “Hmmm,” he said. “He’s not in here!” Max’s dad dramatically opened and closed most of the kitchen cabinets, acting disappointed not to find the little boy. Finally, he pulled out a dining chair and sat down with a huff, only to exaggeratedly bump into Max with the toe of his shoe.

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Max dissolved into peals of laughter, while his dad grabbed him— victorious for finally finding the scraggly little boy who lived under his roof.

“Time to eat!” Max’s mom called. “Everybody wash your hands and come help!”

Max and his dad carried dishes and food to the table while his mom buckled his little sister into her high chair and then started ladling spoonfuls of soup into their bowls.

Max stirred his vegetable soup unenthusiastically before bursting out with “Why do we never eat at McDonald’s? Or Taco Bell? I’ve never once been to Taco Bell! All my friends say it’s so-o-o-o-o good!”

Andrea, Max’s mom, couldn’t decide whether she felt annoyed or amused by the 180-degree shift in attitude her son had just made. No one does it like a six-year-old, she thought to herself. Hiding gleefully under the table one minute and crying over a bowl of soup the next.

“You know how you have basketball practice tomorrow?” she said to Max. “This will help you have energy for your practice, and it’ll help

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you grow into a big, strong basketball player someday. Eating healthy is the best thing you can do for those growing muscles of yours!”

Max rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders but begrudgingly put a spoonful to his lips.

Some Things Never Change And so it continued for another ten years, until Max was 16 years old and could no longer fit under the kitchen table to hide from his dad.

Until he could inhale three bowls of soup before his parents had finished their first.

By this point, Max had most definitely tried his first crunchy taco supreme from Taco Bell, but Andrea was still cooking just the same way as she had when he was six. He realized now that his parents had shopped for organic produce and practiced Meatless Monday long before either of those things had become mainstream.

All of his friends complained when they came over to his house and scoured the fridge for food. Chickpea kale salad and ground turkey lettuce wraps weren’t exactly what a crew of teenage boys had in mind.

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In addition to his parents’ unchanging food selections, they still held family dinner almost every night. Even in the midst of basketball season for him and soccer season for his sister, they still managed gather around the table more nights than not.

“How else are you going to get as big and strong and fast as you want to be?” his mom always said.

And she had a point...because all Max really cared about at age 16 was how well he could perform on the basketball court. He was 6 foot 1, the tallest player on his team, and hitting point after point every game. He had his sights set on playing in college, and if green smoothies and organic eggs helped him get there, he was all in.

But Then Again…Sometimes Things Do Change Ten months later, Max sat on his bed with his head in his hands. His left knee was propped up by a couple of pillows and wrapped with ice. A video game controller lay dejected by his side. He had no interest in playing virtual basketball when he couldn’t play the real thing.

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I knew that lake trip was a bad idea, he thought. I should never have gone.

The summer before his senior year, he’d ignored a feeling that quietly tugged at him, a gentle but insistent tap: Skip this trip to the lake. You can water-ski next summer, after senior-year ball.

But he hadn’t listened. All of his friends were going to be there, and he’d trained so hard even through the hot summer that he felt like he deserved a break.

So he’d gone to the lake…and come home with a torn ACL. “Max!” his mom called to him from the hall. “Come on out for dinner!”

He sank lower into his bed, finally giving in to the self-pity that he’d been trying so hard to keep at bay through the diagnosis and then the surgery. Now that he’d gotten through the worst of it—now that all he could do was wait and wonder how well it would heal—he was losing the will to stay positive. He slammed a fist onto his bed in frustration, tears pooling in his eyes.

“Max!” his dad called this time. “You coming?”

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Again he didn’t answer. What’s the point of going out there and eating Mom’s ultra-healthy food? he asked himself. I can’t play anymore.

What’s the point of any of it?

He took a few deep, shaky breaths, picturing his parents and sister down the hall in the kitchen, gathering food and dishes like they had most every evening for his entire life. Torn between wanting to sit in his despair for a while longer and, to his surprise, not wanting to miss out on the usual pre-dinner banter and dinner conversation, he slowly swung his legs to the side of the bed and reached for his crutches.

“Max!” his sister said as he limped into the kitchen. “Amber stopped by with cookies—again—while you were in the shower.”

She continued in a singsong voice: “I think someone has a crush on you!”

Max rolled his eyes and set his crutches to against the wall, hopping on one foot to his usual chair at the table.

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“Hey, I saw the way your eyes were glued to the Keller boy the other day when they stopped by,” he teased. “If Amber has a crush, she’s not the only one around here who does!”

A Bigger Purpose The family settled into their spots, the same chairs they’d sat at for more than a decade, and started passing the food.

Max still had a pit in his stomach. An emptiness where basketball had always been. Not to mention the uncertainty and fear that came with not knowing whether he’d ever play competitively again.

But as he sat at that table, dishing up seconds of his mom’s spaghetti squash and red sauce, surrounded by the comforting presence of those who loved him most, he wondered if maybe there was more to family mealtimes than fueling their bodies, like his mom had always said.

Catching his eye from across the table, his mom’s expression seemed to confirm what he was thinking. (How she could read him like an open book, he did not know. But she could.)

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Sure, what they ate mattered. It gave them the strength and energy they needed to carry out their purpose in the world. But more than that, he was starting to see that while he didn’t have full control over his body, his healing, or his future path, he did have influence over his relationships with the people sitting around him. Maybe, he thought for the first time in his life, the stability of a longstanding tradition— and the connection they had built around that table—had given him more than the food ever had. ...

Erica Layne is a sunset chaser, mom of three, founder of The Life On Purpose Movement, and author of The Minimalist Way. Her writing encourages women to give up the frantic life and trade it in for a focused one. She'd love to connect with you on Instagram and Facebook.

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Uncomplicated Recipes

by Claire Tansey

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Cooking doesn’t have to be difficult to be delicious. It can be hard to remember that in this age of cooking competition shows and perfectly staged Instagram posts. But I truly believe that cooking at home makes us happier in all aspect of our lives—our physical, mental, and financial health as well as the well-being of our families, communities and our planet. That’s a heck of an impact from a simple bowl of pasta!

Uncomplicated cooking is easy to shop for, easy to prep, requires neither specialty ingredients, nor elaborate techniques, nor fancy kitchen equipment. It also can be a daily reminder that cooking doesn’t have to be a chore; it can be a pleasure. It’s the anchor of my day and my favorite way to spend time nourishing myself and my family.

Garlic Spaghetti At first glance, this dish seems almost too simple to be called a recipe.

Well, let me set the record straight: This recipe inspires my entire food and cooking philosophy. It’s easy, fast, affordable, adaptable, and (most importantly) delicious. I’ve lost track of the number of times in

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my life I’ve been so close to ordering delivery, only to realize that garlic spaghetti is faster and smarter.

So put down the phone—you do not need a pizza. Even if your pantry is truly bare, I bet there’s still half a box of pasta and a few cloves of garlic around, right? (Yes, even that dried-out clump of tiny garlic cloves that has been around for weeks counts.) Put on a pot of water.

Dinner is 20 minutes away.

Download the Garlic Spaghetti recipe.

Asparagus Mushroom Frittata This could be called “Whatever Is in the Fridge” Frittata because it’s so flexible. Adapt the vegetables to suit your family’s tastes. As long as it’s got onions, eggs, and cheese, this is a delicious supper, lunch, or breakfast—and it makes for excellent leftovers, too. To add a bit more to the meal, serve with sautéed potatoes and roasted squash.

This recipe highlights the brilliance of my favorite cooking tool, my 10-inch cast-iron frying pan. This workhorse goes from stovetop to oven to table without skipping a beat or looking any worse for wear.

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It’s the one pan I cannot live without, and I intend to hand it down to my son when the time comes.

Download the Asparagus Mushroom Frittata recipe.

Roast Chicken Roast chicken is one of the simplest, easiest weeknight meals I know, and yet it’s also a dish that intimidates so many home cooks. I struggled with it for years, until I met my partner, Michael, who has been perfecting the art of roast chicken his entire life. His method, in which the bird isn’t fully trussed or stuffed, captures everything I love about uncomplicated cooking: it’s fast, smart, easy, and delicious.

Now we have it once a week, with a baguette and a big salad, and then I use whatever chicken is left in a simple risotto or chicken fried rice later in the week. Of course, I save all the bones in the freezer for stock.

Download the Roast Chicken recipe.

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...

Claire Tansey is an author, teacher, and food expert. She started her food career cooking in fine-dining restaurants, then transitioned to recipe development and writing. In 2010 she was named food director for Chatelaine, Canada’s most iconic women’s brand, and became a regular guest expert on Cityline. She now inspires home cooks on Cityline, onCBC Radio, and at Claire Tansey’s Kitchen. Her bestselling cookbook is called Uncomplicated: Taking the Stress Out of Home Cooking. Originally from Montreal, Claire lives in Toronto with her partner, Michael, and son, Thomas.

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From our Co-Founder, Joshua Becker

The Minimalist Home: A Room-by-Room Guide to a Decluttered, Refocused Life

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Colophon Becoming Minimalist — becomingminimalist.com Becoming Minimalist is designed to inspire others to journey towards minimalism in life... discovering the joy of intentionally living with less... and realizing what that means for your unique lifestyle.

No Sidebar — nosidebar.com No Sidebar is a collaborative blog about minimalism, simple living, and happiness. We want to help you turn down the noise that disrupts the quiet of your heart and mind and soul.

Simplify Your Life — simplifyyourlife.com We’ll knock on your door every other Saturday. You’ll receive a clean and simple email to explore and enjoy at your leisure.

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