I find often that I go to the same types of foods while I am
at the grocery store. Of course, there are staple items that everyone needs
such as milk, cheese, eggs, bread and so on. I started wondering though, am I
getting enough of all of the different vitamins and minerals in my diet? I feel
lately that my diet is typical, predictable and boring. I then came across an
article on Betterhealth.org explaining the importance of variety in the diet. I
have always know that a variety in the diet is an important aspect to overall
health, but I really did not think this applied to me as I always ate
healthfully and tried to eat different foods. As the school year has gone on
though, I have had less and less time to cook and not only that, but cook
creatively or try new recipes. So this past week, I have really made an effort
to try different recipes that incorporate foods I do not normally eat. So far,
it has been going well and I love that I know I am getting a lot of different
vitamins and minerals from all types of foods. I put sprouts on my sandwich
instead of lettuce, made couscous instead of rice, steamed asparagus instead of
broccoli. Although these changes are small and may not make a very big
difference nutritionally, it is giving me more motivation to explore new ways
to cook and create new dishes. The importance of including different foods from
each food group is not only nutritionally important, but important to sustain
your love of food and cooking. There is no better feeling then making a new
dish that you haven't had before that taste SO good and is healthy too! Here is
the article I found on Betterhealth.org. Check it out!
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Food_variety_and_a_healthy_diet?open#.T2DUcyAIDV4.twitter
You are so right! We definitely get into the habit of eating the same things. Though they may be healthy we need variety in our diet. I often turn to the same things because I know they will get eaten and won't go to waste. When I buy something new that I'm not used to eating I find I'll use it one or twice and then it ends up going bad (bok choy). I love trying new food but this is one thing that keeps me from consistently buying different items. Preplanning meals may be one way to incorporate new foods. If you have something you want to try pick a few dishes that the item can be used in so it won't go to waste!
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