No truer words were ever spoken:
And with that in mind, let’s talk about food for a second.  I remember going through a phase where I tried to eat a different meal every single day based on a few articles I had read. Apparently constantly surprising your metabolism ensures it functions most efficiently. Also eating a varied diet will provide you with a greater balance of nutrients. Fast forward some time later and new studies reveal that automating your meals (i.e. eating the same meals) can make it more likely you will eat for health & satiety as opposed to eating for your tastebuds.
- Peri Peri Salmon with Grilled Veggies & a Herbed Yogurt Dip
- Homemade Vegan Burgers: I’ve been meaning to post the recipe for ages as they’re SO yum & full of protein…stay tuned!
Especially as eating is so personal, it’s impossible to say one style of eating trumps the other. As long as you make it work for you, and not vice versa, that alone makes it perfect.
Do you frequently mix up your meals or stick to the same few options?
And as much as the word “nom” cringes me out:
What have you been “nomming” on this past week?
ahhhh, I’m hungry looking at the pictures!
I gotta say, my meals are SO basic and usually the same. All the time. I can’t cook though, so that’s made a huge impact on what I eat. University life was just terrible with all the take-out and processed food, so it’s getting better in that regards at least!
Sometimes you gotta just make the best of the situation and it sounds like you are! 🙂
I’ve been thinking about something similar recently – it seems that every day some new way to eat, workout, live is the BEST thing ever. That annoys me. I think if we just listened to our bodies and made good decisions (more fruits/veggies, protein at every meal, good carbs, move a lot, etc.), we’d be a lot better off. Anyway, I’ve been eating a ton of veggies this week! We made zuchinni pancakes this week that turned out really well (recipe from Gina at Skinnytaste)!
It annoys me too…you’re damned if you do & you’re damned if you don’t! Zucchini pancakes sound yummy…checking out that recipe!
Hi Khushboo,
The food looks healthy and delicious!
Thanks Asmita :)!
Your “nomming” history is so similar to mine! Several years ago, I would go out of my way to ensure that every lunch and dinner was different; if I was craving the same meal two nights in a row, I’d deny those cravings because I thought I needed to mix things up in order to meet nutrient quotas. Talk about obsessive? 😉 Now, I’m a complete creature of habit. I tend to eat the same meals over and over again, not necessarily because I want to , but because they’re cheap and convenient! I rarely have time to prep a nice dinner during the week because all of my classes are at night. This means that dinner four nights/week typically consists of either a brown box salad (thank god for Whole Foods!), or a protein bar (homemade or packaged) with a yogurt. So exciting! 😉 I’m looking forward to finishing school so that I can have leisurely evenings at home–and time to make dinner!
My latest “noms”: plantain chips (love!), salmon burgers with tahini and/or tzatziki, pumpkin protein bars with peanut butter and waaaay too many Reece’s peanut butter cups (I’ve been eating extra just for you!). <3
Have a lovely weekend!! xoxoxo
Yikes four night classes a week doesn’t sound fun but I’m sure it’s nice to have your days open too! And good call on brown box salad…I’ll take any excuse to eat at Whole Foods ;)! Love all your “noms”, especially the plantain chips! They remind me of the years I lived in Nigeria!
Nom… *eye twitch* I only forgive you because I adore you.
A few years back, I was completely obsessed with getting in as much variety as I possibly could on an everyday basis. I followed so many silly rules like not being able to eat the same meal two days in a row and not being able to have more than 1 serving of each thing a day; and not only was it stressful to think about food and meal planning all the time, but my stomach didn’t appreciate it one bit either – all the different foods it had to digest were just way too much. These days I’ve become more of a creature of habit. I’ve figured out what works for me and tend to stick to those foods on a daily basis. Sometimes I throw something a little different in there just to keep it interesting, but overall? I’ve found my groove 🙂
Hahah I’m glad you understand my lack of appreciation of the word “nom”- bleh! Like you I’m a creature of habit and I”m fine with that- if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right!
Man i am always just amazed by your killing nomming. You really have great taste and even better creativity in the kitchen.
Haha I only wish these bursts of creativity would be more frequent ;)!
Awww you use ‘rather’ the same way my MIL (who I love love love) uses it – made me smile!!! =) =)
I find that eating the same things over & over again does make dieting easier for me.
When I was counting points, it definitely made dieting easier. Now it just makes life easier in terms of convenience and not constantly having to think up meals! 🙂
I can’t eat different foods for each meal because I cook for one on weekdays. I make 3 – 4 things and switch it up as much as I can. But I end up repeating a lot of my meals.
This past week I’ve been ‘nomming’ on goodies from Whole Foods.
Yep not jealous at all about you “nomming” at Wholefoods…at all ;)!
Oh man that chickpea flour pizza looks SO good!!
PLEASE try out the recipe if you haven’t already!
I have heard that if you eat different meals it’s supposed to make your metabolism stronger, though I never really knew if it was the case or not. I tend to eat a lot of the same stuff, it just never gets old! Occasionally I will experiment and those times are always fun!
I’m with you….my meal repetition has little to do with the science behind it :)!
I’m with you! I go through phases of eating the same meals every single day (and I wouldn’t have it any other way!) then I crave variety and weird food combinations ;). I love your taco chickpeas!
So glad you tried (and enjoyed) the taco chickpeas…it’s a current favorite :)!
Interesting thoughts on changing up your meals vs. keeping them the same. While I think both sides have their benefits and disadvantages I think the only “right” way is to follow one’s own preferences. As long as you’re happy with the way you eat and don’t feel like you’re missing out it’s the right way.
That being said I’ve been trying to change up my meals at least a little every day because I am not happy at the moment. Still returning to old favourites I truly like and don’t want to miss – so it’s a mix of both eating styles for me.
It’s nice to hear that you are doing something about your meals rather than just eating them for the sake of it. The food you eat should make you happy and when it doesn’t, it’s definitely time for a change!
I’m the same way as you – I just eat what I’m craving! So some weeks I’ll end up eating sandwiches 5 days in a row and other weeks I’ll eat something different for every meal. Lately I’ve been making a lot of big meals in bulk to save myself time, so I’ve been eating a lot of the same things!
Bulk cooking is so handy when life gets busy! I’ve been making batches of quinoa regularly to save time during the week!
My cooking creativity definitely comes in waves…I’m in a creative funk right now, so I’m happy to have found your blog! That salmon looks great!
Hope you try out some of my recipes- promise they are all fairly easy :)!
Right now my eating is really in a rut, an overload of Indian food…blah! I love to mix up my meals.
Love the new layout of your blog!
Thanks Priyanka, hope you’re well! 🙂
I try to mix things up but really, due to my work schedule and lack of planning, I usually eat many of the same things. Eggs are a staple! As is rice. Lots of rice.
Great new layout by the way!
Hope you are having a great weekend.
Thanks Ameena! Eggs are a staple for me too…your love for rice is definitely an indication of your roots ;)!
I have been so boring with breakfast and lunch all I want to eat is peanut butter on toast. Dinner I get more creative with, but still in a bit of a rut. Making something new everyday must have been hardcore!
Peanut butter on toast sounds perfect right about now…or any other time for that matter 🙂
OMG, i’m at work and starving right now looking at all this food, I skipped lunch. I’m so bad! I don’t really mix up my meals, I think partly cuz i don’t have the time, if i was home more, I probably would. I have all these things on my list of foods to make.
I’ve stopped making “to make lists”…or at least limiting what I add to it otherwise it just keeps getting longer & longer! So much to make & not enough time to do so ;)!