How many different foods do you eat In a month? More than 10 different foods in a day? At least 30 different foods in a week? More than 50 different foods in a month?
I’ve counted at various times and I usually eat 40 to 60 different foods in a week. Last week I ate eight different fruits, seventeen varieties of vegetables, six different animal products, seven different nuts, seeds, and oils, two kinds of beans, three different grains, and two kinds of sea vegetables. That’s 45 different foods; 60 if I also count the many herbs and I used to prepare my meals.
Here’s my challenge to you
Keep a log every week for a month, write the name of each kind of food you eat and count how many varieties of fruits, vegetables, animal products, nuts/seeds/and oils, beans, grains, sea vegetables (if you eat them; if you don’t now’s a great time to try them), herbs and spices you eat.
Make it a point to try new foods every week
Now challenge yourself to try at least one new fruit; one new vegetable; a new kind of meat, poultry, fish, egg, or dairy product (skip the dairy challenge if you’re intolerant or choose to avoid dairy); a new bean, legume, or whole grain; new herbs and spices, or try new foods in several categories. Before long you’ll have made friends with many new foods and broadened your culinary repertoire. If you focus on nourishing whole foods you will also add more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to your diet.
Name that vegetable
Here’s an unusual vegetable you won’t find in supermarkets or fast food eateries. Can you recognize it? I frequenlty buy it from Bob McClendon at a farmers’ market I freqent (Town & Country Farmers’ Market on Wednesdays in in central Phoenix; Bob also sells his fabulously fresh produce at the Downtown Scottsdale Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings ).
This vegetable is related to a common vegetable I’m sure you’re familiar with. It tastes a little spicy when raw and more mild when cooked. I like to slice and steam or blanch it and serve it with a dip or spread, like my Cashew-Dill Dip, Spicy Peanut Sauce, Lemon Tahini Sauce, or hummus.
Do you give up? It’s a watermelon radish! Don’t be shy, give it a try and some other new foods. Remember, you have the upper hand when trying new foods. You can bite them but they won’t bite you! Try at least three bites of any new food. Try it at least three times and in at least three different recipes before deciding that you don’t like it. Even then, don't give up. You may just need to improve the quality and freshness of the food and the recipe you choose to wow your taste buds.
I've never heard of a watermelon radish, but it looks great.
What a wonderful idea, to count the different foods we eat. So often, we do eat the same things (especially when we have young children and finding the time to cook is difficult). I am going to try to do this. Thanks.
Posted by: Cassandra | January 26, 2009 at 10:23 AM
Yes, it can be so much fun. If you have kids or kids and a spouse, you can involve them in the game of counting how many foods you eat in a meal and in enlist their help in finding new and nourishing foods to add to your diet each week!
Posted by: Chef Rachel | January 26, 2009 at 01:17 PM
I have seen those in seed catalogs, but have not tried them myself. We did some icicle radish's in the garden last year, very good!
I've never kept track of how many different types of food I eat, it would be interesting to do for a week. Great idea!
Posted by: Erica | February 05, 2009 at 08:19 PM