‘Less is more’ is the new food trend and this can be achieved by minimalistic cooking, which is catching on in 2011. Lavish seven course dinners might be a thing of the past. Now minimalistic cooking is taking on a whole new dimension, not with just what you are cooking but also what grocery you are shopping and how your kitchen is set up.

For any trend to catch on, there must be overwhelming causes either economic or a desire to change for the better. The new food trend is all of that.

Minimalistic cooking is all about using your resources carefully, minimizing waste but having great food at the same time. Reduction in number of dishes and going local is also part of the concept.

The idea is to make one or two dishes that are satiating and healthy with minimal wastage. The dishes are made delectable, palatable and menu worthy with minimal raw-materials but gives maximum food comfort. One can follow this food trend easily and make it a habit by following the minimalistic cooking ideas below:

1. Recycling everything is one way to go about it. You can make use of canning liquid from beans, broccoli, beet leaves, and bones from chicken. Soup from bean cans and the liquid that canned food comes in can be used as soup bases to avoid wastage.
2. Minimal wastage is part of this food trend. This can be achieved by buying only what is necessary for the day or the week. That way throwing out unused or rotten vegetables can be avoided. One can buy fresh grocery everyday as per required for the day instead of buying a lot and keeping it unused.
3. Expiry date smartness can be achieved by making use of certain food even after expiry date. One can figure this out by checking out the canned food with expiry dates which might not be too old. Some of the food are good even after expiry date and need not be tossed.
4. Use filtered water instead of buying bottled water. You can avoid the accumulation of plastic as well as save on bottled water.
5. Sometimes cheaper foods are as tastier as and better than the expensive foods. So explore and find stores that are selling inexpensive but good food.
6. Basically it is all about minimalism, downsizing, unitasking and going slow on the food and budget.
7. Simplicity is the hallmark of minimalistic cooking.
8. The latest food trend also involves converting chaos in the kitchen to calm and relaxation.
9. The new food trend of minimalistic cooking can be called ‘budget cooking’ to suit one’s needs and requirements.

Restaurants are also going through minimalistic choices where one can choose one’s own food and the quantity. The concept of communal table and eating is also back in vogue now. This concept will save on space and also promote socializing in a restaurant set-up.

In addition cheap renovations and used furniture’s are part of the minimalism concepts going around the restaurant scene. For people who want an informal gathering in a homely set-up with food quantity as desired, this might work out very well.

 Give minimalistic cooking a try and see how well it works for you. You might actually like it and it will save you money too.

Image Credit: thestonesoup.com