COLUMN : eating like a minimalist

first of all, it’s not about eating less.
for me, it’s about eating well.

high quality food, that has as little an impact on the environment as possible.
deliciously pleasurable food, that at the same time is good for my body.
simple food with few ingredients, that still has quite some thought put into to it.
beautifully prepared fresh food, that is uncomplicated and easy to make.

basically – eating as well as i can for my body, taste buds, the planet and everyone on it. food boiled down to its absolute best, and yet simplest.

and for me, being vegan is a huge part of that. i would find it difficult to call myself a minimalist on a non-vegan diet. eating low on the food chain is the minimalist way to go. living a life where as few resources as possible are wasted.
eating the grain. not feeding the grain to the animal, to later eat the animal – while loosing 90 percent of the energy in the process.

buying the small organic jar of peanut butter, with only 2 ingredients – instead of the largest, cheapest in the store, with ingredients i can’t even pronounce. and enjoying it so much more because of the quality and ethical production. and as a result needing less to feel happy and satisfied.
buying good quality food doesn’t have to be that much more expensive. here in sweden, organic and locally grown oats, carrots, apples, pasta, peas, and cabbage are all as cheap as it gets. i make that my bulk. and eat smaller servings of the more expensive treats.

it’s going out to a nice restaurant with great produce and thought-through dishes once a month, rather than getting cheaper fast food for lunch everyday.

i want to point out one thing though, being a minimalist is not about being a perfectionist. this is a huge misconception. minimalism can sometimes come across as very perfectionist and strict, and for me that’s not true at all. i don’t always buy organic veg, i don’t have rules that i follow. and i definitely don’t frown upon people with another lifestyle than my own.
i just try to live life as well as i possibly can. without it being difficult or strenuous. because remember, it’s about living simply and happily, not complicating or over-thinking things.

i know not all minimalists will agree with this post. but that’s one of the things i love about minimalism – it’s not dogmatic. there are no leaders, rules, or sacred texts. we all make up our own philosophy, getting inspiration from each other.
if you’re an aesthetic minimalist for example, you might have never even thought about how to eat like a minimalist. and that’s fine too.

do you want to know which type of minimalist you are ?
read my column are you a minimalist,
or my view on how to start when becoming a minimalist.

love // jenny

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