Variety is one of the first things I consider when shopping for next week’s meals. I noticed that when there isn’t enough variety over a period of a few days, then it’s much more tempting for me to grab an unhealthy snack just to break it off. That’s why I try to have a little bit of everything in my kitchen, as this way the combinations are endless.
A Variety of Fruits and Vegetables
Seasonal vegetables are one of the best ways to enhance variety in your diet. In the region where I live, summer is full of tasty veggies such as tomatoes and cucumbers, fresh beans on the pod, lettuce, and green onions. In the spring there are red radishes, and the end of summer comes laden with peppers and eggplants. I got into the habit of making one or two new dishes each week using whatever’s in season at the moment – that would also be the cheaper option, especially if the produce is grown locally.
A Variety of Grains
I make home-made pastries like pancakes and muffins using other types of flour than what’s most commonly used – white flour. One of my favorites is rye flour, I just love its taste. Other examples would be whole-wheat flour, quinoa flour, buckwheat flour, and even flax flour. I ground the flax seed in a small coffee grinder to get a light brown, slightly greasy powder. Basically you can grind any nuts and seeds to obtain a flour and flavor your baking with it.
Cereal flakes are another great addition to a healthy diet: I’ve got on my shelves wheat flakes, spelt flakes, rye, barley, oat, quinoa, and millet flakes. Each has its own distinctive flavor and texture, and you can mix and match depending on your taste. Breakfast cereal and cereal bars are a great way to do this, and can be combined with the dried fruits of your choice
A Variety of Protein Rich Foods
I love salads, and sometimes I add small bits of chicken to them to make them more substantial. You can also achieve this by adding black beans (or kidney beans, edamame, and any other kind of beans), chickpeas, lentils (red, green or black), or tofu. I love to pre-cook my beans and store them in small bags in the freezer, ready to use whenever I need them. I usually put about 4 tablespoons in each bag, that will be enough for two portions if I mix them up with fresh vegetables.
The advantage of having a variety of foods included in your diet is that there’s little chance of you not getting the right amount of nutrients. With such a wide array of flavors you can easily make up your own combinations too!