I’ve never enjoyed spending too much time in the kitchen. When I lived alone, I just cooked simply, or just grab some snacks. Things felt fine in the short term. But with fitness in my life, I understood that my body needed balanced nutrition, not just quick fixes. Back then, cooking for proper nutrition wasn’t really a challenge; I knew what my body needed, I just wasn’t interested in spending an entire day making elaborate dishes.

Everything changed when I had my baby. Cooking was no longer just for myself—it became about preparing healthy meals for my family while still making time for work, fitness, and the things I love. Things stayed messy for a while, but eventually I found a way to adjust cooking as a part of my life. That’s when I turned to a minimalist approach to meal planning: simplifying food choices to save time, reduce stress, and eat well.

Why Minimalism Works in the Kitchen

Minimalism isn’t just about owning less—it’s a mindset you can bring into the kitchen. For me, it’s been a game-changer both practically and mentally because:

• It reduces clutter—both physical and mental.
When you have fewer ingredients, fewer tools, simpler plans, the kitchen feels tidier up. You spend less time searching for things or figuring out what to cook.

• It saves time and energy by focusing on essentials.
You’re not reinventing the wheel every day. You work with what you already know and love, which speeds up both planning and cooking.

• It encourages intentional eating instead of impulsive choices.
By planning ahead, you avoid last-minute takeout orders or grabbing something quick but unhealthy.

• It helps prevent food waste and unnecessary spending.
You only buy what you know you’ll use, which means less food going bad in the fridge and more money saved.

So how can you cook like a minimalist and still enjoy all its benefits? Here’s how I do it—and how you can too.

Guides for Minimalist Meal Planning and Cooking

1. Cook for Several Days at Once

Batch cooking is one of the simplest ways to save time, energy, and reduce the mental load of daily cooking. Instead of starting from scratch every night, you prepare enough for several meals in one go.

For example, I might roast a big tray of vegetables, cook a pot of quinoa, and bake or grill some chicken all at once. With those ready, I can mix and match them into different meals throughout the week—grain bowls, wraps, salads, or even quick stir-fries.

Planning your meals ahead like this works even better when you pair it with a calm start to the day. If you need ideas, I’ve shared minimalist morning routines that actually work to help set the tone for everything—including your cooking.

◉ Storage tips:

• Use airtight containers to keep food fresh.

• Label them with the date so you know when they were made.

• Store in the fridge for up to 3–4 days, or freeze portions for longer storage.

2. Plan Around Nutrients, Not Just Dishes

A big shift for me was thinking about nutrient balance instead of specific recipes. Instead of saying, “I’ll make pasta tonight,” I think in terms of what my body needs: a carbohydrate, a protein, vegetables for vitamins and minerals, and fats.

Here’s my basic framework:

• Carbohydrates – whole grains, starchy vegetables, legumes.

• Protein – eggs, fish, poultry, tofu, beans.

• Vitamins & Minerals – vegetables, fruits, herbs.

• Fats – olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds.

Once you think in these building blocks, you can create endless variations without getting stuck in recipe overload. For example: quinoa + roasted vegetables + chickpeas + tahini sauce = one meal. The same quinoa can be paired with salmon, greens, and olive oil for another.

3. Create Your Core Meal List

Minimalist meal planning works best when you have a go-to list of meals your household loves. I like to set a timer for five minutes and quickly write down breakfasts, lunches, and dinners we already enjoy.

For example:

• Breakfasts: oatmeal with fruit, Greek yogurt with granola, vegetable omelet.

• Lunches: grain bowls, chicken salad, lentil soup.

• Dinners: baked salmon with vegetables, stir-fry with tofu, roasted chicken with potatoes.

This list becomes my meal planning cheat sheet. It’s quick to refer to, and I know these meals already work for our tastes and schedules.

4. Try New Recipes Without Pressure

While I stick to core meals most of the time, I like to keep things interesting by trying 1–2 new recipes a month. This could be inspired by seasonal produce, something I saw in a cookbook, or even a twist on one of our favorites.

The key is to keep it low-pressure. A new recipe is an experiment, not a test. If it works, it might make its way into our regular rotation. If it doesn’t, no big deal—we move on.

5. Simplify Cooking Tools

A cluttered kitchen can make cooking feel like a chore. I’ve found that I only need a few quality tools:

• A good chef’s knife.

• A sturdy cutting board.

• A skillet, saucepan, and baking tray.

• Optional: a slow cooker or Instant Pot for hands-off cooking.

Keeping my tools simple means less time cleaning, less space taken up, and a more peaceful cooking environment.

Bonus Reminder: Decision Fatigue is on the way...

Why do I mention this? Decision fatigue is the mental exhaustion that comes from making too many choices in a day. From deciding what to wear to handling work tasks and family responsibilities, your brain can feel worn out long before dinner.

When this happens, it’s easy to default to quick but less healthy options like fast food or skipping meals. It’s even more serious if you cook for your family this way, or with tired mind. A minimalist approach can help you protect your energy and make food choices feel lighter. Here’s some tips to minimize decision fatigue in the kitchen:

• Stick to your plan: Make a weekly meal plan. It gives your mind a clear path to follow. Avoid searching for new recipes all the time or changing your mind about what to cook each day. Fewer options make decisions easier. A few reliable meals you love are enough to keep you on track and avoid stress.

• Don’t be afraid to repeat meals: Repeating meals is not boring—it’s practical. Eating the same dishes often saves mental energy for other things. Familiar meals bring comfort and make cooking faster. Having fewer choices can also make you more satisfied with what you eat.

• Focus on enjoying the process: See cooking as an experience, not just a chore. Notice the sound of sizzling onions, the feel of chopping vegetables, and the smell of garlic in the air. Cooking mindfully can turn meal prep into a calm and enjoyable part of your day.

Reducing these daily mental demands helps you preserve energy and make better choices—with less effort and more joy.

From My Kitchen to Yours

Minimalist meal planning is about more than food—it’s about creating a life with less stress, better health, and more time and energy for the things you love. When you simplify how you cook and plan meals, you cut down on unnecessary decisions, save time, and make healthier choices without extra effort.

If you’re curious about the bigger picture of living with less, you might enjoy reading about my journey to a simpler life. Minimalism in the kitchen is just one piece of the puzzle—when it flows into other areas of life, the benefits multiply.

This approach doesn’t require a dramatic lifestyle change. You can start small. Try batch cooking one meal this week so you have leftovers ready to go. Spend five minutes writing a core meal list of dishes you and your family already enjoy—then use it to guide your weekly plan. Or, take a few minutes to clear your kitchen of unused gadgets so the space feels open and easy to work in.

Each small step builds on the others. Fewer tools mean quicker prep and cleanup. A core meal list means faster planning and less decision fatigue. Batch cooking means more free time on busy days. Over time, these habits create a calmer rhythm in your kitchen and in your life.

Minimalist cooking isn’t about giving up variety or settling for bland meals, it’s about cooking in a way that supports your body, your schedule, and your priorities.

Start today. Pick one small change and try it. Notice how it feels. Then add another when you’re ready. Before long, you’ll discover a way of cooking that feels effortless, nourishing, and perfectly aligned with the life you want to live.