As I read the food diaries of MFP members..

theflyingartist

I notice that they are lacking in one characteristic all around:
VARIETY.

Speaking as someone who often eats the same types of food out of comfort (mostly because I'm on what my brain thinks is a DIET, so I want foods that reassure me that I'm NOT DIETING)... what is your answer to this claim?
If you eat most of the same types of food is it out of convenience, comfort, cost? (That's a lot of reasons that start with a "c." Strange.)

I think, for me, if it is not comfort then it is most definitely because I bought a pack of something and have to eat it because it is perishable. I'm curious to see what others think, though.

Falisha13

I buy things mostly out of convenience & Low Cals, although I too eat alot of the same things day in & day out But I'm ok with it as long as I'm losing!

cmriverside

Lack of imagination? Ha ha, the thing that cracks me up about some people with open diaries is that a lot of people are drinking a lot of supplement shakes, and eating a lot of sugar, and not much else.

That's gonna work long term.......

aehenson

I am single & live alone so I can't afford to buy a huge variety of groceries.

AngieM76

I am a picky eater so when I find something I like, I eat it to death. As long as its healthy for me and keeps me under my calories, I am ok with the no variety. But the more I look around at peoples diaries and look in the recipe section, the more I find that I want to try so thats a plus.

Jorra

I buy the same things to save money, I know they are good, and I like them. If I have certain foods every day, I know I'll have a good ratio of nutrients that I need. It's hard enough getting the numbers right one time, I wouldn't want to figure it all out again every day!

allystone

I tend to eat the same things during my 5 day work week-and on my days off-I do different things--but still under my calories, just to add spice. But mostly-my stuff I eat is out of convience and how easy it is for example Cheese & Mustard Sandwich, 100 calorie packs of nuts, pretzels, string cheese--etc--and my healthy choice frozen dinners.

TexasNurseMom78

I think for me it is convinience. I know what I can eat easily at home and at work. I have a crazy schedule and so sometimes it is just easier to go woth something easy than to try to plan out an elaborate meal, as much as I may want to.

aippolito1

Check out my diary. I like to keep about 4 different proteins on hand so I think my diary is pretty varied.

AngieM76

I am single & live alone so I can't afford to buy a huge variety of groceries.

Also this....I am not single or live alone but I am home 6 nights a week by myself so I cook as I do when everyone is here and then have leftovers so I normally make one thing Monday night and have it till its gone. Sometimes it lasts me all week.

arewethereyet

I find I get a taste for something and then eat it everyday until I hate it :laugh:

barbiecat

:flowerforyou: I decided to get entertainment and recreation from something other than food, so I keep my eating simple and find my fun and variety in other ways. :bigsmile:

suzikelley

We have 5 children (4 of them growing boys), and we live on one modest income. COST is a HUGE factor for me!! I try to keep a few of my favorite things in the house... but a lot of things I really only buy if they're on sale.

CoachKaren

I have hypothyroidism, so i eat what works for me. I eat GENERALLY the same things MOST of the time. Having dropped my BF% from 45% to 15%, I will be that boring character. i enjoy myself on my refeed meals and stick to eating to Live 95% of the time. :-) I say do what works for you!

ajbeans

My diary will be relatively lacking in variety for a week or two, and then I'll change it up and be in a new rut for a while. Mostly because I'm not creative, so if I find a combination of foods that gets me the protein and calories I need then I like to stick with it for a while. Also because I do a lot of leftovers, and I don't like food to go to waste. But mostly because I'm lazy and don't feel like putting forth the effort to come up with a fun new menu every day. :-P

therealangd

All of the above, I guess.

I have to pack two meals and two snacks 5 days a week. I don't want to spend a whole lot of time thinking about it. It's easy to throw 1/3 cup of oatmeal and 1/8 cup of craisins in a covered container.
I usually try and cook a big pot of something on Sunday to freeze in single portions for a weeks worth of lunches.
Something I just like to eat. My fruit and cottage cheese recipe is probably my favorite snack.
And cost too. I typcially buy fresh. I can't afford to add too much variety.

Jenscan

I get on kicks. One week, I'm all about X food; next week, something else. I find things I REALLY LIKE and just want to eat them a lot!

Also, for me, I find it easy to make large batches of food then have the leftovers for lunch/dinner so there are repeats there.

Then there's convenience too - I know how many calories are in something, which makes it easier to decide if I have room without looking.

And finally, there's the perishable factor. It's just me and my son, so we don't go through food as fast as other families. So, we'll eat something for several days.

LotsOtots5

I think I could probably be more varied but for the most part I eat what I do because I know about how much to eat without having to guess. It makes it easier for me to always have coffee and cereal for breakfast cause I know it's going to be right around 277 calories. Then lunch is around 3-350. Dinner around the same. Then the rest is my snacks and supplemental coffees. I don't do any shakes or supplements though. That would make it TOO easy!

taso42_DELETED

I'm in a routine. It makes shopping and decision making on what to eat very easy. It keeps my calorie and nutritional intake consistent.

AlsDonkBoxSquat

We have gluten allergies in my house, so that limits us to some extent. However, it's mostly what's on sale, what's growing in the garden, what's convenient. I do try to mix it up as much as possible, we get super bored eating the same thing all the time.

jarrettd

Funny...seems like my variety of foods has increased since my lifestyle changed. I'm willing to try things that I wouldn't have tried before, to keep flavor and zest in what could be a boring, bland diet. I have a few standby's that I've discovered, for quick packing if I'm rushed, but otherwise, I'm surprising DH and my girls every few days with something new, exciting, and healthy.

CharlieBarleyMom

I am single and live alone so that means that whatever I buy or make, either has to be eaten by me before it goes bad (which happens more than I care for) or freeze it. I've got a lot of containers but I find that if I make something and take the time to portion it out and freeze it, I end up taking it right back out of the deep freezer and eating it because it was so good... It's unfortunate, but the stuff that I make and freeze that I didn't love so very much, but was edible, seems to be forgotten in the freezer and I go to the store and buy new stuff!

I'm better off eating something until it's gone... but I do create recipes in the MyRecipe section so that I can create it again if I really liked it.

kr3851

If I have wraps for lunch, I'll have the same wrap every day for a week - because I buy the produce and spread it out over the 5 wraps. And then if I'm cooking, I'll pack up the leftovers into containers to freeze, so if I really like something I've cooked I'll eat it a couple of days in a row. I only have so many containers so can only freeze three different things at once (and having them for lunch and dinner, those three things don't have much variety!)

I try to eat different things to keep myself interested, but sometimes the old faithful stuff is better because I know what is in it, I know that I like it, I know that it's good for me and I know that it will give me the balance I need.

animamelodic

I am single & live alone so I can't afford to buy a huge variety of groceries.

Same here. A lot of what I cook makes more than one serving and there's no one else around to finish it so I end up eating it for another day or two. I'm also a creature of habit; eating the same thing for breakfast every day makes me feel like I've started the day right and I know I can get it eaten before I have to rush out the door to work.

Katbaran

I like to keep various vegs and fruits on hand and then vary the proteins a bit with different preparations. I've started trying new recipes from Cooking Light and anywhere else I can find something that doesn't have too much fat or salt. I'm not against a healthy amount of fat but we're trying to stay away from fried foods and salty, processed stuff.

I like looking at the diaries of other members to get ideas. Sometimes I'm just out of thoughts on what to make. I like that I can see what others are making and eating. Sometimes though, I see fast food or frozen dinners and it makes me crave the real, homemade kind! The versions of those I make at home are not exactly healthy either. But such is life.

Elzecat

Lack of imagination? Ha ha, the thing that cracks me up about some people with open diaries is that a lot of people are drinking a lot of supplement shakes, and eating a lot of sugar, and not much else.

That's gonna work long term.......

Kind of a generalization there, don't ya think? This is why many people choose to keep their diaries private--they may be doing the best they can, whether it meets with your standards on protein shakes and sugar, ya know? Personally, my diary is open and I appreciate suggestions, but insults and generalizations are hurtful, not helpful. I think we all oughta keep reminding each other that MyFitnessPal is about support, not tearing others down.

To get back on topic, I agree with another poster who said when they eat many of the same things regularly, they don't have to guess about their nutrients...I tend to go through periods where I will eat the same thing a lot, then I change it up when I get sick of it...

reddcat

Lack of creativity for me and unsure of what else to eat. I get the same things at the store each week because they are "approved" foods (chicken, fruits/veggies). Plus, I know how much I can have of those foods each day.

Sweetpea472

In the past, I've had trouble coming up with tasty ideas. I got tired of the same old stuff, and I got to the point where nothing was enjoyable any more. I would end up in a drive-thru because I simply couldn't think of anything I wanted to spend time making. Yuck, huh?

Now, I am working harder to come up with fun meals (for at least one meal a day). I am experimenting a lot, and I am also getting ideas from blogs. It seems like many of the blogs I've seen link out to other blogs, leading to a wealth of information!

theflyingartist

Thanks you guys! I can totally vouch for all the reasons everyone has posted.
The cost factor is so important, I usually buy things on sale to try and mix it up (if kiwis are 3/1.00... heck, why not? haha).
About allergies, I'm gluten intolerant as well it's totally important to stick with what works (especially if all other options are not tolerated by the body). Cornbread, rice bread, and rice are staples! Ha!

kristidem

I like routines. Weekday breakfasts I do eat the same thing and don't mind one bit - it's a protein bar mostly of out convenience (i can't be bothered to get up earlier to make eggs). Lunch often is a cheese sandwich and salad. Dinner changes, but I like plain foods so there's noth much to be done with plain old grilled chicken! And Wednesday nights is Outback steak night - my all time favorite meal healthified. Looking back, for me, it's convenience and comfort.

angp7711

I have about 5 different breakfasts that I do, 10 lunches and prolly 20 dinners. But that isn't any different whether I am counting calories or not. It's more about ease of cooking. Most of the things I cook I can do inu sleep. trying not to give food too high a priority because the more I try to spice things up the more indulgent things get. I do try to get a new recipe about every other week.