Variety in Diet. Is it Necessary?

[Pitbull]

I've been working on cleaning up my diet since the first of the year and I feel that I'm doing pretty good. The only thing I seem to be struggling with is my imagination in coming up with different things to eat. I'm ok with eating the same thing every day as long as I get the right amount of nutrients. Is this ok or could it stunt my weight loss?

[Lost Dog]

Depends on what you're eating. I eat close to the same thing every day, except for dinner. But, my same thing contains a mixture of veggies (zucchini, eggplant, cabbage, onion, bell peppers,etc., chopped and cooked together), fruit, cottage cheese, eggs, chicken, smoked salmon, fish oil, etc.

So, while a variety of nutrient sources is desireable, I don't think it's necessary to actually eat different things each day as long as you are getting the wide variety, overall.

But, I keep my meals simple so I don't over eat. I've found that if I have really good things to look forward to in my cooler, I get obsessed with the thought of it and often eat it before I'm supposed to. So, a cooler packed with my healthy, yet boring food, fits the bill for me.

[Johnka]

In general, variety is key, particularly with veggies. Pick as many different colors and varieties you can, and make it a point to find new varieties each time you visit the market.

[Pitbull]

Originally posted by Johnka:
In general, variety is key, particularly with veggies. Pick as many different colors and varieties you can, and make it a point to find new varieties each time you visit the market.

Johnka - Are you saying that variety is key in successful weight loss or it's key in being able to stick with your healthy eating plan?

[Johnka]

Oh you can probably get away with eating very little variety and still get lean (look at Shugart's Velocity Diet), but to stay lean and for overall health, you'll need to learn to eat a lot of variety.