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Diet: Variety is the Spice of Life…. Or is it? PDF Version
Copyright © 2007 by Evamarie Pilipuf
We’ve all encountered this advice, that to keep your weight at optimum levels and satisfy your body’s nutritional needs for good health and warding off disease, you need to eat a variety of healthy foods. The word “variety” is such a ubiquitous part of that mantra, it seems impossible that any suggestion for healthy eating could exist without it. In fact it gets further reiterated whenever someone references those clever tips and tricks to avoid feeling deprived. “Make sure you vary your meals!” they insist, “It will keep you more satisfied because you’ll fight off boredom!” And while there’s a certain wisdom to both of these takes on the notion of variety, I’m going to run against the grain for a moment and propose a radical suggestion: Don’t. That is, don’t be afraid to keep your range of options somewhat small. Because – and here’s where I run against the grain for a second time – it’s been my experience, both as a fitness professional and personally, that pushing for variety can actually backfire. That the more options one gives himself or herself, the more likely one is to overeat. Call me a simple mind, but when my choices for breakfast include plain yogurt, a chopped apple with cinnamon sprinkled on top, oatmeal or cottage cheese, I’m far more likely to content myself with one of the above – and not look over my shoulder askance at the choices I didn’t make – than if my options include, say, low-cal pancakes, dried dates and roasted almonds, a whole-grain waffle, an Egg Beaters omelet with low-fat cheese, dry cereal with soy milk, a smoothie, toast with peanut butter, a low-fat bagel…. You get the picture. With so many choices of food that, let’s face it, ring a lot more titillating than plain cooked oats, it’s inevitable that the decision won’t be as simple, and I’m far more likely to go back to the refrigerator after eating my bowl of “fiber flak-o’s” cereal, pondering whether it’s all that bad to add a low-fat bagel….or some peanut butter….or that nice, ripe banana….to my breakfast, even when history tells me it’s never a good idea to stray outside of my planned meal. No, with just a few simple choices, I can make my selection and move on. No grappling, no revisiting. I can eat and feel satisfied and then free my mind for other things. It might not make for the most exciting meals of my life, but the sanity I feel in exchange for releasing myself of belaboring what could otherwise be an endless array of healthy food choices is quite worth the sacrifice of….say it with me, folks….variety.
Now don’t get me wrong. I realize that the body needs a certain mix of different types of foods, both for the sake of good nutrition and because life is too short to impose the psychological duress that comes with never allowing a splurge of peanut butter chip brownies or “real” tuna noodle casserole. And of course, this is not to say that within reason, we should not vary our day-to-day food choices (in fact if anything, I would suggest that defining one’s options more narrowly can open the door to more creativity within that smaller pool than you can imagine, but that’s a topic for another day). But what I am saying is, I don’t believe lack of variety is the root of overeating or deprivation that experts claim it to be. In fact, I’ll take a step even further and propose potential value in temporarily scaling back “excessively,” THEN rebuilding your eating once you’ve had the chance to identify those foods that are either outright troublesome --- i.e. crave-inducing or just plain too irresistible to eat in moderation – or even “borderline” – sometimes fine, sometimes not so fine.
Think of it this way: If you’re at a buffet, and it has a few nice options – a couple of cooked vegetables, some baked chicken, plain baked potatoes, plus a choice between baked apples or a cup of light hot cocoa, how different do you see your plate looking than if you walked up to a buffet that had 3 different kinds of healthy pasta dishes, two types of “light” mashed potatoes (homestyle and with caramelized onion), a basket full of roles, squares of cornbread, and slices of fresh ciabatta, an assortment of steak and roasted turkey and dilled baked salmon, plus an extensive dessert bar of fresh-baked whole-grain cookies, blueberry apple crisp with low-fat granola topping, and fluffy low-fat pumpkin cheesecake? In which scenario are you likely to see yourself overeating? The selections themselves may in fact be healthy, but the variety is too dizzying to easily monitor the calories that find themselves on your plate.
Going back to my personal example, I find that, while the possibilities of cooking with vegetables are boundless, when push comes to shove, I never tire of the same five favorite recipes I rotate for myself. So for the most part, that’s what I stick with. Oh sure, I enjoy reading magazines and cookbooks to glean new ideas, but by and large my attitude is, if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. I don’t need to stray too far from my “core” of favorite meals. In fact, for the times that I may find myself struggling with cravings or a couple of unwanted pounds (after the holidays is a common time even for me), I can honestly say that the first thing I examine is the variety of my diet. And inevitably, one of the common culprits is that I’ve gradually allowed too many exceptions, too many options, to creep into my daily diet. Suddenly I’m no longer pondering carrots or grape tomatoes to accompany my dinner, suddenly I’ve included a measured slice of Italian Panettone (I tell myself it’s more bread than cake, heh), low-fat pumpkin mousse, and my “famous” homemade whole-grain apple bread as options as well. Not much imagination needed to decipher why the days I emerge with clean eating can slowly give way to the days when I’ve allowed yet another “minor” cheat! I find that the first thing needed is some serious house cleaning with my diet. Reluctantly, I’ll give up some of the recent new additions to my regular eating, going back to the core of foods I know I thrive on. And predictably, things fall back into place in a hurry.
My suggestion is this: Make a list of all the foods that you eat (or would like to be eating more of) that represent the utmost of simplicity and nutrition, minimally processed and that never cause a craving for you. Fruits and vegetables, low-fat and non-fat dairy products, rice, oatmeal, fish, olive oil, and whole grain cereal make up the bulk of this list for me, just to give an example. Then make a second list, one comprised of foods you can eat on a regular basis, but that you sometimes overeat, or that can sometimes cause a craving in you for more. In my case, these might include peanut butter, dried fruit, nuts, chocolate, whole grain bread and certain cheeses. These are foods that at times may need to be cut out of your diet temporarily, until you’re back to an even keel. For the times you’re feeling strong, my recommendation is that you limit their presence to small, measured servings, preferably served with other foods. Then make a third list, one that is comprised of foods you enjoy eating but are almost guaranteed to trigger a craving for more. These are foods to incorporate only every once in a while, but it’s important that you acknowledge them to send the message to yourself that you’re not eliminating them, you’re just allocating them to their rightful place. In my case, this might (“might”….ha ha, that’s a good one) include cookies and other sweets, as well as pizza and pasta dishes.
Then, for a couple of weeks, make your meals based entirely off of your first list only. See how you feel in keeping your options simple. Having said that, don’t hesitate to experiment with plenty of recipes within that list. In my case, I have explored all sorts of uses of fresh herbs and sautés, of interesting variations with zucchini and tomato sauce and even cooked pumpkin. Finding these recipes means I genuinely look forward to my meals, without having to expand my options to overwhelming choices.
So why not give “less variety, yet maximum quality” a try? Free yourself of the pressure to always eat something different. I once read a saying that goes something like, with limited choices comes a certain freedom. I couldn’t have said it better myself.
-ep
Copyright ©2008 The Flexibility Coach, LLC
