Why Variety Matters More Than Trying to Eat the “Ideal” Diet
Why Variety Matters More Than Trying to Eat the “Ideal” Diet
Last month, I spent quite a bit of time talking about diets.
What the word “diet” actually means.
What makes an eating pattern worth following.
Why there isn't one best diet for everyone.
How popular diets get distorted.
And ultimately, how to find an eating pattern that works for you.
So where does that leave us?
With something far less exciting than the latest trending diet:
Variety.
I know. It doesn't sound nearly as interesting as a new eating plan with a catchy name and a long list of rules.
But one of the reasons variety matters so much is incredibly simple.
No single food provides everything your body needs.
Not blueberries.
Not salmon.
Not kale.
Not eggs.
And definitely not whatever food is currently being called a “superfood.”
Food Variety and Healthy Eating FAQ
Why is variety important in a healthy diet?
Different foods provide different combinations of nutrients. Eating a variety of foods helps provide the vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, healthy fats, and other compounds your body needs without relying too heavily on any one food.
Do you need to eat from every food group every day?
Not necessarily. Your nutrition doesn’t have to be balanced within every meal or even every single day. Looking at your eating pattern over several days or a week can give you a better picture of your overall variety.
What does a varied diet look like?
A varied diet includes different foods from and within the major food groups. It might mean choosing different fruits and vegetables, rotating protein sources such as fish, poultry, beans, and eggs, and including a mix of grains and dairy or appropriate alternatives throughout the week.
Can you get all your nutrients from one food group?
No single food group provides all the nutrients your body needs. Each contributes something different, which is why including foods from a variety of groups helps support overall nutrition.
How can I add more variety to my diet?
Keep it simple. Try a different fruit, rotate your vegetables, swap one protein source for another, experiment with a new grain, or prepare a familiar food differently. You don’t need a completely different menu every day. Small changes throughout the week add variety too.
Different foods provide different combinations of nutrients. Eating a variety of foods helps us get those nutrients without having to micromanage every vitamin, mineral, gram of fiber, or phytochemical we consume.
Why Variety Matters Nutritionally
We need carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and many other compounds from food.
But these nutrients aren't distributed equally across foods.
Or even across food groups.
That's why eating from a variety of food groups, and choosing different foods within those groups, is so useful.
First, let’s look at what each major food group provides as it relates to nutrients.
Grains
Grains often get an unfair reputation, especially when carbohydrates become the latest thing we're supposed to avoid.
But grains provide important nutrients.
Whole grains, such as oats, brown rice, barley, quinoa, and whole wheat, provide carbohydrates for energy along with fiber, B vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial plant compounds.
Enriched grains also provide important nutrients, including iron and several B vitamins that are added back after processing.
And no, every grain you eat doesn't have to be a whole grain.
Variety can include oatmeal at breakfast, whole-grain bread with lunch, rice with dinner, and yes, a piece of sourdough or a tortilla.
Different choices can fit.
Fruits
Fruit provides carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, minerals, water, and a wide variety of phytochemicals.
But different fruits bring different things to the table.
Citrus fruits are known for vitamin C.
Berries provide a variety of beneficial plant compounds.
Bananas provide potassium.
Cantaloupe provides beta-carotene along with vitamin C.
And this is why I don't like ranking fruits.
Blueberries aren't “better” than strawberries.
An apple isn't nutritionally superior to a peach.
You don't need to identify the healthiest fruit and eat it every day.
Eat different fruits.
Fresh, frozen, canned, and dried can all contribute to variety.
Vegetables
If you've worked with me or followed me for any length of time, you've probably heard me encourage people to eat more vegetables.
And variety matters here too.
Dark leafy greens provide nutrients such as folate, vitamin K, and carotenoids.
Orange and red vegetables provide different carotenoids and other plant compounds.
Beans and peas provide fiber, protein, folate, iron, and other nutrients.
Starchy vegetables such as potatoes and corn provide carbohydrates along with vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
No single vegetable does everything.
You don't need to force yourself to eat kale because someone told you it's the healthiest vegetable.
If you hate kale, don't eat kale.
There are plenty of vegetables in the world, so find the one you like.
What About “Eating the Rainbow”?
You've probably heard the advice to “eat the rainbow.”
The idea is that choosing fruits and vegetables in a variety of colors can help you get a wider range of nutrients and beneficial plant compounds.
There is some usefulness to that.
Red foods such as tomatoes and watermelon may provide different plant compounds than orange foods such as carrots and cantaloupe. Dark leafy greens bring something different to the table than blueberries, purple cabbage, or cherries.
So yes, color can be an easy visual reminder to include variety.
But please don't turn “eat the rainbow” into another rule you have to follow.
You don't need every color on your plate.
You don't need to check off red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple every day.
And foods that aren't particularly colorful still count.
Cauliflower is nutritious.
Mushrooms are nutritious.
Onions are nutritious.
Potatoes are nutritious.
Bananas are nutritious.
The goal isn't to create the most colorful plate possible. It's simply to avoid eating the same few fruits and vegetables over and over because you think you've found the “best” ones.
If your produce choices naturally include different colors throughout the week, chances are you're also getting a nice variety of nutrients and plant compounds.
Think of “eat the rainbow” as a reminder to mix things up, not another nutrition assignment.
Protein Foods
The protein group may have the greatest variety of all.
Meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, and soy foods can all contribute protein.
But they aren't nutritionally identical.
Red meat provides highly absorbable iron, vitamin B12, zinc, and protein.
Fatty fish provides protein along with omega-3 fatty acids.
Beans and lentils provide protein along with fiber, something animal proteins don't provide.
Nuts and seeds provide protein, unsaturated fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Eggs provide protein along with several vitamins and minerals, including choline.
This is exactly why variety matters.
You don't have to decide whether animal protein or plant protein “wins.”
You can eat different protein foods throughout the week and benefit from what each provides.
Dairy and Dairy Alternatives
Milk, yogurt, and cheese can provide protein, calcium, phosphorus, and other nutrients. Many dairy products are also fortified with vitamin D.
Fortified soy milk is nutritionally the closest plant-based alternative to dairy milk because it provides a similar amount of protein along with added calcium and vitamin D.
Other plant-based milks can also fit, but their nutrient profiles vary significantly, especially when it comes to protein.
And then there's ice cream.
Yes, ice cream is made from dairy.
Does that mean I'm counting a bowl of ice cream as a serving from the dairy group?
Not really.
Ice cream can provide some calcium and other nutrients, but that's probably not the primary reason you're eating it.
You're eating it because it's ice cream.
And that's okay.
Which brings us to another reason variety matters.
Food Doesn't Have to Earn Its Place Through Nutrition
Not everything we eat needs to be selected because it provides the maximum possible nutritional benefit.
Sometimes food contributes enjoyment.
Birthday cake.
Chips and salsa.
A favorite cookie.
French fries.
Chocolate.
Pizza.
Ice cream.
These foods may provide some nutrients, but we don't need to justify eating them by finding a nutritional reason.
Food serves more purposes than meeting nutrient requirements.
It is part of celebrations.
Culture.
Traditions.
Travel.
Social connection.
And simple enjoyment.
A varied eating pattern has room for those foods too.
The question isn't whether every food you eat is nutrient-dense.
It's what your overall eating pattern looks like.
Variety Doesn't Mean Eating Everything Every Day
This is important.
You don't need to fit every food group, every color of vegetable, every type of fruit, and every protein source into every single day.
That would be absurdly difficult.
Think bigger.
What does your week look like?
Maybe you eat chicken one night, beans another, salmon later in the week, and eggs on the weekend.
Maybe you bought blueberries this week and strawberries next week.
Maybe your vegetables today are carrots and broccoli, while tomorrow they're peppers and zucchini.
Variety happens over time.
That makes eating well much more manageable.
Variety Helps Prevent Food Fatigue
Have you ever decided you were going to “eat healthy” and then eaten the exact same meals repeatedly?
Chicken.
Broccoli.
Brown rice.
Repeat.
There is nothing wrong with any of those foods.
But eating them every day because you think that's what healthy eating is supposed to look like can get old very quickly.
And when you're bored with your food, how long are you realistically going to keep eating that way?
This brings us to sustainability.
And I'm not talking about environmental sustainability here.
I'm talking about whether you can sustain your eating pattern.
Can You Eat This Way Long Term?
This was one of the biggest messages from my diet series.
An eating pattern isn't particularly useful if you can't maintain it.
If your diet requires you to eliminate foods you love, avoid entire food groups without a medical reason, bring your own food everywhere, or constantly think about what you're “allowed” to eat, how long will that work for you?
A varied eating pattern gives you flexibility.
You can eat differently when you travel.
You can go to a restaurant.
You can celebrate a birthday.
You can have pizza one night and salmon with roasted vegetables the next.
You can have oatmeal for breakfast Monday and eggs and toast on Tuesday.
You aren't starting over every time you eat something outside a rigid plan.
You're simply eating.
Variety Is Also About Enjoyment
We sometimes talk about food as if its only purpose is to deliver nutrients.
But enjoyment matters.
If you enjoy what you're eating, you're more likely to continue eating that way.
That doesn't mean every meal needs to be exciting.
Sometimes lunch is just lunch.
But a healthy eating pattern should include foods you genuinely like.
You don't get extra nutrition points for suffering through foods you hate.
There are too many foods available to spend your life forcing yourself to eat something just because someone online declared it healthier than something else.
The Bigger Picture
If you followed my diet series last month, you already know where I'm going with this.
There isn't one eating pattern everyone needs to follow.
And there isn't one collection of foods that creates the healthiest possible diet.
What matters is the pattern.
Are you eating a variety of fruits and vegetables?
Are you including different sources of protein?
Are you getting whole grains and other fiber-rich foods regularly?
Are you getting adequate calcium and other important nutrients?
Are there foods you eat simply because you enjoy them?
And, most importantly, is this a way of eating you can actually continue?
Because you don't need to eat the same “healthy” foods every day.
You don't need to chase superfoods.
You don't need to optimize every bite.
You need variety.
Different foods.
Different nutrients.
Different flavors.
And enough flexibility to make eating this way work in your actual life.
That's a much more useful goal than trying to follow some imaginary ideal diet.
