Controversial statement: I do not have a complicated relationship with food or “dieting.”

This is not meant to be a brag, humble or otherwise. I realize how deeply people struggle with body image and do not take the topic itself lightly. I’ve also known and loved many people who have struggled with eating disorders, for whom I have infinite compassion.

But I start this post with that statement because I think it’s important to be upfront about how I view food in my life, which is reflected in the way I write about it.

I love eating. I love good food. As they say, I “live to eat, I don’t eat to live,” and growing up in an Italian-American family where food was the centerpiece of nearly all connection and celebrations thankfully established some pretty good food associations for me, which I’m grateful for.

So, ehen I talk or write about food or health, it’s not from a restrictive perspective. I’m simply writing from my own experience. What works for me may not work for you. Please take these words as simply my own personal thoughts; health is an incredibly individualized thing.

What I Don’t Believe in When It Comes to “Dieting”

Let’s be clear: I don’t believe in restrictive dieting. Full stop.

I do believe in intuitive eating, which works for me. It’s listening to my body’s cues on the food I feel I need in that moment—savory or sweet, protein or carbs, more or less.

I also had hypoglycemia as a kid and have learned that I need certain types of food for sustained energy—namely lots of protein, and limited sweet things in the morning. (Side story: I remember being at friends’ houses for sleepovers growing up and moms would make pancakes in the morning that I literally could not eat because my blood sugar would spike so noticeably.)

As I grew, I learned how to eat to naturally balance my blood sugar, and I keep learning what helps me to stay fit and healthy. Here are some basic principles I go by:

• A savory breakfast, usually including two eggs prepared either fried or scrambled
• No snacking: I find that when you’re well nourished, you don’t feel the need to snack. Also, I tend to eat pretty decent-sized regular meals.
• Simplicity and real food ingredients: I rarely eat prepared, ready-to-heat foods, with the exception of these lentils, which are amazing and which my doctor says I need to eat more of. (Low iron problems!)
• Intuition and awareness: It’s a simple rule, but I pay attention to hunger cues. I always eat when I’m hungry, as restriction always backfires. And although I rarely skimp on dessert, I also don’t eat the whole thing. I can tell when I’ve had too much sugar and immediately set down the fork/spoon.

How I First Tried Methodology

I interviewed the founder of Methodology, Julie Nguyen, on my podcast several years ago. I loved her story of starting a food company based on the idea of whole foods prepared in a gourmet way. The concept behind the brand is to bring luxury to everyday meals, and I can honestly say they deliver on that.

Methodology’s approach also aligns with my belief in the healing power of food. 

I believe the foundation of health is good, whole food ingredients. I also appreciated that their recipes are unique, and have a restaurant-level quality to them.

Finally, knowing that the meals are pre-portioned takes the guess work out for me; and with the nutrition facts on each meal, I know exactly how much protein is in each meal. (That’s the main thing I look for these days.)

What Methodology Actually Is

Methodology is a prepared meal service—luxury clean eating, made simple. Every meal—breakfast, lunch and dinner are all included in their resets—is prepared and ready to heat.

In a three- or five-day reset, you get:

• Meals—breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Individual sachets of organic matcha powder
• Five, three-piece boxes of chocolate-based “protein balls” for dessert or snacking
• Five bottles of flavored apple cider vinegar to mix with water and drink before meals

Each meal also has all nutrition facts clearly marked. Their recipes rotate regularly, and you can choose meat + seafood, vegetarian, pescatarian or vegan options. I’ve only ever done the meat + seafood option.

How Much Does Methodology Cost?

I’m going to get ahead of this most-asked question and say, yes, it is pricey. Cost will vary depending on if you do the three- or five-day reset options, but basically:

• Average cost of a 5-day reset is between $400-$500
• Average cost of a 3-day reset is between $240-$300

In the interest of disclosure, I have gotten many of my resets comped, but have also gotten them myself. If I were buying these on my own, I would get the meal plan before a special event that I wanted to feel my best for.

You can use code WGT10 to get 10% off your first order.

What I Like and What I Notice When I Do a Methodology Reset

• My stomach feels flatter. I can’t say if I lose weight while I am on these resets, as I didn’t track my weight when I had my most recent one, but without a doubt clothes fit a little looser at the end of any week when I have Methodology.
• I feel full after every meal. I cannot stress how important it is for me to feel satiated when I eat. I simply would not do, or endorse, any meal service that did not have good portion sizes. I can confidently say that I feel full when I do my Methodology resets.
• I can easily hit my daily protein goals. Getting enough protein is hard for me—I get overwhelmed trying to work enough into my daily routine. With these meals I easily hit my protein goals, which I love.
• Unique recipes. Methodology is always switching up their recipes, and there are a few meals I’ve gotten that I remember loving—the shrimp paella; a bolognese; an egg scramble for breakfast; and a protein pumpkin bread thing for breakfast. They’re always coming up with new food and spice combinations, most of which I like.
• The inclusion of treats. I love that they include those chocolate protein balls for dessert. You have three per day, and they’re surprisingly filling as a snack, too.

What I Don’t Love About Methodology

• The cost is prohibitive. I typically save getting these resets for times when I have a special occasion coming up, and I want to feel and look my best.
• Some recipes are a miss. I’m very adventurous with food, but sometimes the combos just don’t hit for me. When a meal is a miss (usually a dinner), it’s a big miss.
• Not ideal for families. The cost, and the complexity of the recipes, make this not a great fit for families, in my opinion. If you’re wanting something special just for you, this is a great way to go. If you’re feeding other people, especially kids, this would get expensive quickly, as well as maybe not be the best fit food-wise.

Who Methodology is For

Well, obviously it’s for anyone who wants it, but here’s who I envision liking Methodology the most:

• Busy professionals
• Moms who want something just for themselves
• People who hate meal prep—the meals are literally heat and serve
• People who want “guardrails” on their meals

Who Methodology Might Not Be For

• Large families
• People who want to partially prepare their own food
• Tight grocery budgets
• Highly-restrictive dietary needs or preferences

Methodology Discount Code for First Timers

Again, I won’t share about it if I don’t love it, and overall, I remain a big fan of Methodology. You know if I’m taking the time to write about something, it’s something I genuinely like and use.

You can use the code WGT10 to get 10% off your first Methodology order.

Thanks for reading!