How do you even decide what to eat?

That’s a great question—and an overwhelming one for a lot of people.

For me, the answer has been to keep things as simple as possible.

Most of my decision-making happens before I ever step into a grocery store. That starts with something basic but powerful: a shopping list.

Having a list removes a lot of old habits. It keeps you from wandering. And it protects you from buying things out of convenience, nostalgia, or impulse—especially foods that may have contributed to problems in the past.

Because once you walk into a grocery store, especially in North America, it can feel like a minefield.

Grocery stores are designed to overwhelm you

Everything is on sale.

Everything looks good.

Everything is bulked, boxed, branded, misted, and marketed to you.

Vegetables are shiny. Packaging is persuasive. Deals are everywhere.

That environment makes it very easy to forget why you’re there in the first place.

So the first rule for me is simple:

Have a game plan before you go in.

I avoid boxes before I read labels

I try to stay away from boxes.

From barcodes.

From anything heavily processed.

That alone eliminates a huge amount of decision fatigue.

If I do go a level deeper, I’ll look at ingredients—but I try not to overcomplicate it. Most of the time, you can tell pretty quickly whether something is real food or something that’s been engineered.

My focus is whole foods.

Whole ingredients.

As little modification as possible.

Living in Europe taught me a lot here. The contrast made it obvious how many landmines exist in North American food systems—many of which probably contributed to the health issues I found myself dealing with later.

Sourcing matters more than people realize

Another thing I pay attention to now is where food comes from.

“Product of” versus “made in” versus “assembled in” can be intentionally confusing. That goes for vegetables, meat, and seafood alike.

I look at origin.

I decide what I’m comfortable with.

And I stick to that.

You don’t have to make the same choices I do—but being aware of sourcing alone changes how you shop.

The 80/20 rule keeps me sane

I also give myself permission.

I roughly follow an 80/20 approach.

Eighty percent of the time, I eat clean, whole foods.

Twenty percent of the time, I might grab something like dark chocolate or another small indulgence.

That balance matters.

Because perfection is not sustainable.

And punishment doesn’t build long-term habits.

Deciding ahead of time what I’ll allow myself removes guilt from the equation. I’ve already made the choice. Sometimes I say no. Sometimes I say yes. But either way, it’s intentional.

Quality over price—when you can

Food in North America is expensive. I understand why people gravitate toward sales first.

But I’ve learned to prioritize quality over the lowest price whenever possible. What you put into your body has long-term consequences—physically and mentally.

If budget is tight, I’d rather eat less food of better quality than more food that works against me.

That’s not always easy. But over time, the cost of poor habits is far higher than the cost of better ingredients.

Don’t get fooled by labels and serving sizes

One practical tip that’s helped me a lot:

Always look at the serving size.

Nutritional labels can be very misleading. A product may look “healthy” until you realize the numbers apply to a tiny fraction of what you’ll actually eat.

One cookie.

One spoonful.

One unrealistic portion.

That’s a common trick—and once you see it, you can’t unsee it.

Simpler beats perfect

I try to see the forest for the trees.

Whole foods.

Clear sourcing.

Intentional balance.

Less noise.

This approach keeps me from feeling overwhelmed—and it keeps food from becoming another source of stress.

I’ll talk more in future posts about specific habits and small “hacks” that helped move the needle for me. But this is the foundation.

Practical takeaway

You don’t need the perfect diet.

You need fewer decisions, made earlier, with intention.

Create a list.

Avoid the noise.

Choose quality when you can.

Allow balance without guilt.

Simple, repeatable choices will take you further than any rigid plan ever will.