Minimalism as a Diabetic Strategy?

Could minimalism be a strategy for managing food for people with diabetes?

It happens to the best of us. We hit our limit. We run out of energy or enthusiasm or focus. The thought of having to prepare one more diabetic-friendly meal is just too much. Could a minimalist approach to cooking get us through this rough spot?

Minimalism is defined as that which uses the simplest and fewest elements to create the maximum effect. Cooking the fewest ingredients simply for the maximum yumminess? Sounds like an idea worth pursuing.

Jules Clancy at Stonesoup defines her criteria for minimalist cooking this way:

i. minimal time
ii. minimal number of steps
iii. minimal number of ingredients
iv. minimal equipment

Jules recently took a 5 ingredients pledge after producing a cookbook of yummy 5-ingredient dishes that can be prepared in 10 minutes. Looking through her recipe index she’s certainly no slouch when it comes to simple, yummy food that’s quick to prepare.

The Minimalist Woman, Meg Wolfe sums up how to become a minimalist cook this way: learn 5 utterly basic things to prepare, then either learn variations on those 5 or learn 5 more utterly basic recipes.

What is it about the number 5 with minimalists, anyway?

Then there is The Minimalists himself, Mark Bittman. Cookbook author, New York Times columnist, and self-dubbed “lessmeatarian.” His recipes generally involve more than 5 ingredients. Maybe it’s best to save his recipes for when we’re back on the upswing…