Last week, my executive assistant came to me with something surprisingly personal — and refreshingly actionable.
She confessed that her reliance on delivery apps was draining her budget and leaving her feeling nutritionally unsatisfied. She works from home, which meant food was always within reach — and often, so was impulsive ordering. But instead of simply venting, she made a plan.
And honestly? Her execution blew me away.
The shift from consumption to consciousness
Using her background knowledge of nutrition and a bit of AI assistance, she built an entire weekly menu from scratch — rooted in affordability, nourishment, and zero waste.
She intentionally scaled back on higher-cost ingredients like daily meat servings and committed to using her remaining quinoa more strategically — blending it with brown rice to extend both its nutrition and value. Instead of impulse purchases, she concentrated her grocery choices on versatile, affordable staples like couscous, sweet potatoes, eggs, legumes, and oats, carefully portioned to suit her weekly needs. She assessed her spending with intention, even calculating weight-to-price ratios (like asking, “If a melon weighs 2.5kg at R$8.00/kg, is it worth adding to the cart this week?”) — then laid out a clear plan for what to buy, prep, and freeze.
It’s worth noting: organizing our meals, especially when we’re responsible for prepping everything ourselves, is something nearly all of us have struggled with at some point. Whether juggling remote work or just trying to break the delivery cycle, it takes effort, experimentation, and plenty of recalibration to build a system that actually sticks — and hers did.
What she created wasn’t just a meal plan — it was a mindful nutrition strategy.
Mental Models that made it all work
This transformation wasn’t just built on spreadsheets — it was supported by powerful decision-making tools. Here are the mental models she used (knowingly or not) and how each one shaped her results:
1. First Principles Thinking
Instead of copying popular meal plans, she paused and asked a deeper question: “What do I truly need to feel nourished — and what am I actually willing to commit to eating?” That self-awareness reframed her relationship with food. She began focusing on macronutrient essentials — complex carbohydrates, proteins, and fiber — while skipping what felt heartwarming only on paper or matched the mood of fleeting cravings. This wasn’t just about what seemed healthy or aspirational — it was a mental reset to plan around foods she genuinely liked, could realistically prep, and would feel good about eating. Knowing what to expect made it easier to shop intentionally and cook with confidence.
💡 Example: She mixed quinoa with rice and legumes instead of eating it alone, saving money while boosting nutritional volume. Rather than creating elaborate plates packed with variety, she embraced a minimalist structure for meals: one protein, one vegetable, and one carbohydrate. That mindset made planning easier, prep faster, and digestion smoother — without compromising on nutrition. The goal was never gourmet complexity, but balanced consistency.
2. Opportunity Cost
She weighed each food decision against its trade-offs. Since including meat in every meal proved too costly, she made the thoughtful shift toward more affordable — yet equally nourishing — protein sources like eggs, legumes, and couscous.
💡 Example: Cutting ground beef from the menu meant more budget space and similar nutritional value.
3. Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule)
Most of her nutrition and satisfaction came from a few key ingredients: oats, sweet potatoes, eggs, and tomatoes. These staples featured in multiple dishes.
💡 Example: 6 sweet potatoes yielded purée, chips, breakfast bowls, and more.
4. Inversion
Rather than asking “What should I buy?”, she took a more strategic approach and asked, “How can I avoid spending three hours in the supermarket and walking out with a cart full of random expensive things?” That simple shift in framing led her to focus on minimizing waste and maximizing clarity. She portioned ingredients in advance, labeled expiration dates, and skipped anything she knew wouldn’t get used quickly.
💡 For example, she carved out time in her weekly schedule to review her pantry and fridge against her pre-thought meal plan, identifying which ingredients were not used and could be creatively incorporated into upcoming dishes, adjusting her meals before hand.
📌 This allowed her to create a precise shopping list for the following week — knowing she only needed one onion and could skip buying more potatoes, since the remaining ones were already allocated for a single dish on the menu.
5. Budget Envelope System
She mentally divided her grocery budget into categories: proteins, produce, grains. That allowed her to splurge intentionally — like buying the R$16.50 papaya — while still staying within plan.
💡 Example: She spent R$66.17 on key ingredients and stayed on budget.No more grabbing five different types of fruit only to let half of them spoil untouched by the end of the week. Now, every fruit has a purpose — chosen based on what she’ll actually eat, what fits into her planned meals, and how long it will realistically last.
6. Chunking
Instead of planning meal-by-meal, she batched tasks: prepping chicken, chopping veggies, and freezing in advance. Cooking became simple and less time-consuming.
💡 Example: Organizing her couscous pot and meal portions brought structure to her day.
7. Regret Minimization Framework
She aimed to avoid future frustration — not just chase perfection in the moment. Each decision she made considered long-term emotional and financial peace of mind. Instead of letting her eating routine become an afterthought in the hustle of remote work, she began to treat nourishment as something essential — something worth planning for. After all, you, I, and she will eat every single day for the rest of our lives. It’s not a side task — it’s a lifelong ritual. By thinking ahead, she took ownership of that reality, making space for it in her schedule and honoring it with calm, conscious preparation.
💡 Example: Instead of guilt from wasted food or late-night orders, she now opens her fridge with pride knowing everything has a purpose.
The Result: nourishment with intention
Her new system isn’t restrictive — it’s fulfilling. It respects her nutritional needs, her budget, and her daily routine. Now she has the freedom to enjoy meals without stress, and knows she’s treating herself with care and intention.
Honestly, for a personal project born out of concern, this may be one of her most impactful accomplishments.
The brightest minds on the planet are always searching for sharper ways to think — and that’s exactly what mental models help us do. They’re not just frameworks; they’re tools for better decisions, deeper insights, and everyday breakthroughs. If you’re ready to upgrade the way you think, we invite you to explore our upcoming book series, How to Think Smart. Volume One is on the way, and it’s packed with practical wisdom you won’t want to miss.
⚠️ Note: This article is not intended as nutritional advice or a substitute for professional guidance. It simply illustrates how structured thinking, intentional planning, and smart decision-making — supported by helpful mental models and everyday tools — can empower anyone to improve their eating habits and regain control over their routine and budget.
