Imagine a world where meal planning and cooking become a stress-free experience. A world where you can nourish your body without worrying about making the “right” food choices. This is the promise of stress-free eating, as advocated by registered dietician and cookbook author Kylie Sakaida.
What is Stress-Free Eating?
Stress-free eating is not just about cutting down on calories or following a specific diet. It’s about making meal planning and cooking easy and enjoyable. It’s about lowering our stress around food and focusing on nourishment rather than perfection.
For Sakaida, stress-free eating starts with increasing the fiber and water in our diets. It can also involve using canned and frozen foods to simplify meal prep. And, of course, it’s all about embracing imperfection and letting go of the need for perfection.
“Understand that one meal won’t make or break your progress, and that we don’t have to stress about eating perfect all the time,” Sakaida says. (And be sure to consult a medical professional with questions about your specific diet.)
Sakaida’s Approach to Balanced Eating
Sakaida’s recently released cookbook “So Easy So Good” offers up recipes for balanced eating. But what does a typical day in her life look like? We took a closer look at how she structures her meals and what she eats.
| Meal | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Savory oatmeal or a smoothie, usually pre-made | Mason-jar noodles, salads, or wraps | Tofu, chicken, beef, or fish with white rice or brown rice and vegetables |
| Snacks | Fiber and healthy fats like popcorn and roasted chickpeas, carrots and cottage cheese dip or apples and peanut butter |
In her own words, Sakaida’s idea of a balanced plate is: half a plate of produce, a fourth plate of protein and a fourth plate of starch. But, she admits that this isn’t always the case for all of her meals, just because it would be unrealistic for her.
Practical Tips for Stress-Free Eating
- Plan ahead: Gather recipes, write down ingredients, and swap out ingredients that are similar to each other to make meal planning seamless.
- Embrace imperfection: One meal won’t make or break your progress, and you don’t have to stress about eating perfect all the time.
- Focus on nourishment: Increase the fiber and water in your diet, and use canned and frozen foods to simplify meal prep.
By following Sakaida’s approach to stress-free eating, you can make meal planning and cooking a stress-free experience. You can nourish your body without worrying about making the “right” food choices. And, most importantly, you can let go of the need for perfection.
Conclusion
Stress-free eating is a journey, not a destination. It’s a mindset shift that requires patience, practice, and self-compassion.
