I recently came across an approach to health and fitness that really resonated with me, the concept of boring: boring meals and boring fitness routines.

It resonated with me because it aligns with and articulates where I’ve been heading overall in terms of simplifying my life. I didn’t know exactly what to call it, but boring sums it up and boring is what actually makes sense and works for me.

The idea is to stick to the same meals and routines when it comes to getting healthy. Building meals around the same foods, training at the same time, sleeping and waking at the same time and so on. Doing so reduces what’s referred to as “decision fatigue” which is another term that perfectly sums up many of my frustrations on this journey.

Credit where credit is due, I came upon these concepts through this Instagram post by Dr. James DiNicolantonio. I’m not familiar with all of his work, but a large portion of his content thus far has resonated a lot with me and is really helping me clarify and hone my own approaches and habits.

Back to boring.

I think as humans we get so wrapped up in “needing” constant stimulation through variety, newness, and excitement that we make things harder on ourselves than they need to be. I know this was certainly the case for me, as far as food and nutrition were concerned. I felt like I needed to slave away in the kitchen making complicated or time consuming recipes, or that I needed to have something different for dinner every night so I wouldn’t get bored, ironically enough.

But these days, I embrace boring.

While I believe that over a period of months and years we should consume a wide variety of fresh whole unprocessed foods as to obtain their unique nutritional benefits, the way we consume these foods can also be “boring” so to speak. For example, why can’t we just enjoy well seasoned ground beef with steamed veggies or fresh fruit just like that? Why do we have to always turn simple ingredients into time consuming meals rather than enjoying them as basic as possible? And why can’t we have that several nights in a row if we enjoy it? If basic boring whole food is supplying the nutrition we need, why make it harder than it is?

Embracing the boring food concept has been refreshing and liberating for me. It has taken the pressure off feeling I need to slave away in the kitchen or feeling like I inherently “need” fancy prepared dishes in order to feel satisfied or get proper nutrition. In that spirit, I recently did a pantry and fridge refresh and re-stocked with the following foods around which I will build my uncomplicated boring meals (list is a work in progress):

• Ground beef

• Various types of steaks

• Chicken thighs

• Chicken sausage

• Uncured turkey bacon

• Fruit: bananas, pineapple, frozen berries, grapes, and watermelon

• Veggies: broccoli, carrots, celery, bell peppers

• Greek yogurt (Pro tip: doubles as sour cream)

• Cottage cheese

• Pastured organic eggs (these are my favorites)

• Guacamole from Costco (individually vacuum sealed and minimally processed)

• Uncooked tortillas from Costco (love that they are minimally processed)

• Dry basmati rice

• Sweet potatoes

• Bone broth

• Legumes in various forms

• Kerrygold butter

• Oats

• Chia

• Flax

• Vivo Life Vegan Protein (affiliate link)

• Lowfat pastured dairy milk

Meal ideas: taco bowls; teriyaki and rice bowls; burritos; sausage, egg and veggie scrambles, overnight oats with berries, steak with rice and veggies or fruit, Greek yogurt with bananas and berries, + much more.

The idea is to build nutrition around fresh, whole, unprocessed foods. That’s where it’s at in an overarching way regardless of the label attached to any one specific way of eating be it omnivore, vegan, vegetarian or anything else, though these days I would describe myself loosely as a flexitarian. I’m not about putting a label on how I’m eating so long as the majority of it is fresh, whole, unprocessed foods.

In keeping with my overall approach of sticking to what works and what I enjoy this boring food concept, and the foods I listed, check off both boxes. They work because I genuinely enjoy them and because they are nutritious, satiating, and I feel good when I eat them. What a concept.

As I navigate a new season in life, boring is where it’s because of what it represents: focus, determination, and discipline.

And the outcome of consistent focus, determination and discipline are very exciting: a fit, strong, and healthy body, sanity and peace of mind. So yeah, I’ll take the same basic boring dinner five nights in a row, and I’ll enjoy it very much.