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I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this when someone decides to give being a “mindful foodie” a try.
I want to do this, but I’m afraid it’s going to be too much. Meaning...
- I don’t have any extra time. My to do list is already full
- It is so hard to change old habits
- The thought of getting my kitchen organized overwhelming
I get it. I remember how heavy even small changes felt when my kids were young — and now, as I watch my own children raise theirs, I see those same feelings show up all over again.
That said, I also remember how hard it felt just to maintain the status quo:
- How many times did I toss perfectly good food into the trash — knowing that was thousands of dollars a year, just gone?
- How many nights did I scramble to get dinner on the table, stressed out and frankly not happy. Thinking: “this is not a great way to show up for my family.”
- And how many Sundays did I give myself the same pep talk — “This week will be different” — only to reach Friday and ask, “What happened?”
The exhaustion is real… which is exactly why I built the My Mindful Kitchen (MMK) method the way I did. Not as a big overhaul or a test of endless willpower, but as an interlocking system where one small effort uplifts everything else.
At the core of this system is a simple idea:
Do one small thing.
I’ve been studying and researching how food decisions shape our stress, our budgets, our family rhythms, and even our sense of control for years now, and I’ve learned that most of the stress we feel around food actually comes from small, everyday challenges.
What’s for dinner? With prices so high, how do I spend less without making sacrifices? Why do I always buy too much and land up throwing so much away? What ever happened to sitting down as a family for dinner?
All of that lives in the kitchen — which means the solutions live there too. That’s why I’m always sharing “one small thing” ideas that you can try: low-effort, low-stress, and highly rewarding.
Today, let’s start with one that makes a difference today.
Pick one small thing: use what’s already in the fridge.
Before you shop – before you plan, even, and certainly before you feel behind – just pause and look inside your fridge.
Grab one ingredient you know needs love this week —
that half bell pepper, the sad little handful of shredded cheese, or last night’s leftover pasta.
Then do something super simple with it. No big meal plan required.
Got leftover rice?
Make Crispy Fried Rice Cups
- Press the rice into a muffin tin
- Drizzle a little oil + a pinch of salt (or a splash of soy sauce)
- Bake at 400°F for 12–15 minutes until crispy
That’s it!
Done!
Delicious!
Why One Small Thing Works
First, it saves money. When you eat what you already have instead of tossing it, you’re using more of your grocery dollars — wasting less and saving more.
Second, it’s one less thing you need to worry about later. You just checked off a component of a future meal… maybe even the whole meal.
And then there’s everything else it does:
- You’re cutting down on waste
- You’re living your values (and modeling them for the rest of your home)
- You’re lifting some of the mental load — no more guilt over that ingredient sitting in the fridge
- And most importantly, you’re acting with intention — doing one small thing at a time
All this from one small thing. This is how we nourish what matters.
With gratitude,
