Variety or little variety in what you eat?

BellaRoma10

I have found for me that if I eat pretty much the same things every day it is easier to stay on track with a healthy lifestyle. However, I have heard that doing this can make you plateau. I am just curious what everyone else does. Do you switch up what you eat every day? every week? Thanks!

nothingisred

Because I'm single and my flatmate and I rarely eat together I am usually just cooking for myself, so I usually end up with leftovers and end up eating the same thing for a few days at a time. I do get bored easily though, so I try to not cook the same thing all the time. But I do have my go-to staples which I'll cook every week. I would go mad if I ate the same thing every day!

dargytaylor

I usually have the same thing for breakfast and lunch M-F (but change it weekly); and then my dinner is different every night.

msarro

I've eaten the same lunch almost every single day for... years. Breakdast is usually either cereal or meusli, but dinner tends to change up based on whatever I or my girlfriend cook.

cramernh

It is important to keep giving your body a variety.... the vitamins and minerals found in one vegetable will vary greatly to the next vegetable - but that vegetable will have more of something else.

I have different meals each day/every day.

This is where disciplining yourself into meal-planning really does come into play.

Last night I roasted off about 5# of whole split chicken breasts (there were six breasts), a full rack of ribs, and prepped up some angus steaks for a stout beef stew for tonight's dinner.

Half the chicken will be pulled and used for quick sandwiches...

The other half will be used for making dishes and freezing them individually....

Rack of ribs - that meat will be pulled and be used for making dishes and freezing them individually as well...

I work with all varieties of vegetables including exotic...

BrandyontheRun

I've also heard you need to have a variety of foods... But always find myself buying the same foods at the grocery store everytime we're there. I'd love to change it up lol but I'm not that creative when it comes to cooking!

Kimmer2011

I have certain things I really like (oatmeal or eggs for breakfast, for example), and I tend to get in a groove with things, like soups in the winter, but I also have as much variety as I can. I always get red, yellow, and orange peppers, but I recently discovered kale chips. I try making new things for the family, though they don't always appreciate it, lol!

MissJenn33

I have a pretty good supply of the yummy snack foods i like (caramel greek yogurt, weight watchers string cheese, Think Thin protein bars, Ann's House Chocolate nut antioxidant trail mix etc) and rotate between them every other day. some days I'll eat dinner left overs for lunch. If there aren't any left overs I'll turn to my stand by turkey burger. Breakfast is the same everyday except sunday.

PinkEarthMama

To be honest... not a whole lot of variety.

I'm trying to eat a metric ton of veggies ( lettuce, onion, peppers, celery, carrots ) every day, so that isn't a whole lot of variety there.

I often do soup with black beans / lentils for lunch, or have vegetarian baked beans ( mmm fiber )

Later in the afternoon, I eat a can of tuna for some protein... almost every day.

Dinner has a bit more variety, but it could really use more. I had taco salad last night and it was so yummy that I might have licked the plate clean.

cramernh

Dinner has a bit more variety, but it could really use more. I had taco salad last night and it was so yummy that I might have licked the plate clean.

There is no shame in admitting the plate was licked clean! LOL!

Angelabec

Hi, I tend to eat the same things for a week at a time. For example I buy a box of cereal and eat that until it's gone, I make a big batch of soup or pasta and eat that every day for lunch, I buy a packet of fruit for my afternoon snacks, and I buy a couple of packets of veg or salad to go with my evening meals. However, I do try and change it for the next week, so that I am not constantly eating the same things week in and week out. Having said that, onions, mushrooms and peppers do seem to form part of my everyday diet, as do bananas.

idauria

I have very little variety in what I eat for breakfast and lunch but I cook dinner for the 4 of us so I try to do different things so we don't get bored. I eat the same things mostly because I don't know what else to eat. I drink a protein shake every day for breakfast. Lunch is my hardest meal especially if I don't have food I like in the house.

TigersFanHoosierMama

I've heard of both being recommended. For me personally I find that being on "auto-pilot" during my work day helps a LOT. If I know what I'm going to be eating I can easily plan ahead, pack my food etc... and not be swayed by what others are eating. We are on an extremely tight food budget so it also works that I can buy and cook in bulk. I tend to "cook ahead" every Sunday for most of the coming week and use leftovers and such a lot. However, having said that I do shake things up at dinner or on weekends. I believe that averaged out over the month I do have variety of vitamins and minerals. Example: sandwich may for lunch with carrots but then one week I buy a big bag of radishes and have those each day. Or my afternoon snack may be some fruit and almonds but the fruit will change each week based on sale prices/season.

If I have to absolutely chose one I choose autopilot only for the fact it works for me and takes my mind off obsessing over calories, what should I eat, etc.. It's easier to log something you've had

QueenJayJay

It just depends on your personality. I'm a creature of habit. I like to stay within my comfort zone. Others may not.

DottieNewton

I tend to stay on one thing for a week or so and then go on to something else. I like hot food for breakfast and need protein so there is not a whole lot of wiggle room there--mostly eggs. This week it has been open face grilled cheese fixed under the broiler.and I love soups or casseroles in the winter.

Yanicka1

Well I do not eat breakfast and I almost always have a peanut butter sandwish for lunch with hard boiled eggs or maybe some cheddar.

For dinner, I try to do different things but not sure if it is very successfull since my kids complain we always eat the same thing LOL.

NatGnat

I try to keep variety but it doesn't always happen.

Breakfast is almost always Greek yogurt with a banana. Sometimes I add cinnamon or honey. Sometimes no banana and I add raisins and cinnamon. This week it has been banana and blueberries! If it's not Greek yogurt then it's oatmeal with whatever I would put with the yogurt. I add a boiled egg white for protein when I eat oatmeal. I usually go over on my protein everyday but it helps keeps me full and satisfied.

Lunch is usually left overs from previous night's dinner and dinner changes constantly. I have a few staples like chicken and steamed vegetables on days I don't feel like thinking. I also made turkey patties and bean patties to bring for lunch sometime this week too. If I don't have anything for lunch I will make a lettuce wrap. My lettuce wraps consist of everything I would have put on a sandwich just no bread (I don't eat mayo, I never have really liked it).

I usually eat 200ish cal for breakfast, 100ish cal am snack, 300ish for lunch, 100ish pm snack, and 400ish for dinner. I know this adds up to 1100 but those ishes add up. I am usually 50 or so calories over my 1200 calorie allotment. I almost always eat my exercise calories too. When I stick to this my weight consistently goes down during the week. Right after Christmas I was 125, I weighed 120.4 this morning and I was really bad this weekend... peach cobbler crepes.. ice cream.. oreos and milk.. can you guess my vice?

mallory3411

On days that I'm working the opening shift I take a 100 cal bagel, cooked egg white and a wedge of laughing cow cheese for my breakfast. I eat it at my desk while I check emails and review cameras. I will sometimes bring a yogurt or fruit as well. Breakfast on my closing shifts or days off are usually a bit better. Bacon, fruit and yogurt usually. Sometimes cereal. Sometimes a BLT. Breakfast all depends on the time I have.

Lunch at work is usually switched up a bit. I tend to eat my lunch in my office and not in the staff room so I usually bring things that either don't need to be heated or are good cold. Any leftovers that fit that I bring. Or I'll bring salad with chicken if there is some left over from the night before. Sandwiches. Veggie and dip tray etc. Sometime soup in my thermos.

Dinner gets switched up based on what our schedule is like.

I like variety as it keeps me from getting bored.

BellaRoma10

I usually have 2 hard-boiled eggs for breakfast and lunch has been oatmeal topped with greek yogurt and almond slices or raisins. It's easy and cheap too. Dinner lately has been chicken or some other protein and veggies. I have some fruit also during the day as a snack. Maybe I'll start switching it up a bit and see what happens. Thanks for all the responses everyone!