Need to add variety to your diet?

Hard working Mum Monday to Friday?  Grabbing what you can and noticing it’s always same old same old?  Telling yourself, what is so bad about eating the same foods all the time, especially if the foods are healthy ones?

Well, it’s not wrong to eat the same meals on a near repetitive basis but there are reasons why we should mix it up a little sometimes.

Even if you started the year out with great resolutions and have been sticking to your grilled chicken and Spinach dinners, or white fish and greens, that’s not so bad as there are many great nutrients in spinach like fiber and phytonutrients and other antioxidant nutrients including vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, manganese, zinc and selenium.  However if you don’t stray from the same type of veg all the time you’ll definitely be missing out on lots of other very valuable nutrients found only in other vegetables.

Fruit & Veg are a key component of a healthy diet and we should all be ensuring we get our 5 – a –day, however variety is key as each fruit and veg have varying ‘helpful’ properties.  By looking to add different ones in each day / week we are working towards including more vital nutrients into our diets.

How can I start to add variety?

• Firstly, make time to understand your own weekly diet.  Are you always eating Yoghurt and berries?  Or a Mushroom Omlette?
• Rotate the fruit and veg you have.  Look at colour as well and change the colour of the fruit and veg you choose.
• Make a list of all the fruit and veg you like and start to mix it around a little – look for new recipes with these veg / fruit in and try completely new things.  www.bbcgoodfood.co.uk is great for inspiration.
• Try sweet potato instead of white potaotes.  Swap a normal sandwich for a wholemeal pitta bread.
• Make a stew with Pearl Barley, a bean stew, try salmon steak instead of Tuna, Tuna steak instead of chicken.
• Try a Ramen soup and have Mange Tout and Bok Choi, Peppers in a str fry, Add avocado to salads, Cous Cous with Lamb and rocket and a harissa sauce, choices are endless
• Try watermelon, pineapple, peaches instead of bananas and apples, try a grapefruit and some pears or cherries, make a list and keep rotating.

So, if you’re always eating chicken and brocolli, try some Kale and Salmon instead.  Nourish your body with nutrients, learn new recipes and inject a little variety (with ease) into your cooking.