Variety foods: how much does it count on Thrive Course?

Hi all!

Before following Thrive Course, I had a very limited variety of foods. Not so much about meat and seafood, rather about veggies (I've never considered to eat them in my whole life, big mistake!) and starches. When I began to follow thrive course, I realized that about starches the only most favorable option I used to eat was white rice. In time I decided to say goodbye to pasta, and to add more often potatoes. 

So, especially in the beginning, I usually eat the same kind of starches/meats in the same day: so white rice or veal chop both at lunch/dinner. During the last months I've been trying to avoid at all this: I aim to add as much variety as possible, not only in the same day, but always during the whole week.  

So My first question is about how much variety counts in thrive course: I can easily imagine that it is not so good to eat for example only and always white rice, or pork steak, even though they are compatible with the most favorable foods suggested in the course.

The issue for which I'm a bit worried is that During the week I have lunch at workplace canteen. In order to construct a lunch as much as possible compatible with thrive course, these are my typical options:

- protein: luckily everyday they offer a different type of meat (veal, pork, turkey and chicken); fish is also avaialble in some days, but I'd rather have it on dinner or in the weekend, because I don't trust very much the way they are cooked and the origin.

- As raw veggies I try to make a mixed salad. In order to add variety I make my own at home, but in canteen is also available. In this period it is tipically about lettuce (or valerian, spinach, or similar), peppers, tomatoes, carrots and onion (also radicchio and fennel sometimes).

- starches: the only choice compatible is white rice. Only once a week they offer baked potatoes, but other days I have no other choices; since that it is a typical italian canteen,  pasta is the main other option, but I stay away from it.

So basically I think I have no big issues about proteins and veggies. I'm a bit worried about starches: my choices are quite limited, since that basically I eat almost everyday at lunch white rice. Could it be a problem? Of course I can improve variety on dinner: as starches I can choose between potatoes (white and sweet), and squash soup. Is it enough to make my daily meals sufficiently various? I wonder if I should find a way to add variety between starches even at lunch.

Thanks to All!

Alessandro

I think I can chip in since I am following Thrive from the beginning and had similar thoughts at some point.

At the beginning I thought 'why complicate, every day eggs for breakfast, potatoes and chicked for lunch and so on'. Few weeks went by, but cravings that at some point diminished (pizza, sweets) started to knock on my mental doors. 

One day I woke up and I felt I had enough of scrambled eggs in the morning. At this point it seemed like meals were just another duty, just like job. I realized that my nutrition may be super-duper optimal, but it is not sustainable.

It was the day I understood that for the long term variety is as crucial as other factors that Thrive focuses on(quality, quantity, timing etc). There are reasons why people stop their diets and go back to bad habits. It seems that boredom and lack of pleasure in eating is one of them. 

It is great that you mentioned that topic. I suggest you porsue variety, not because it will be better from technical point of view, but because it may bring a little bit of joy to the meals, just enough to keep boredom away ;-). I would suggest even getting pasta once in a while(even if its not Thrive-complaint), it will not hurt.

I seem to eat the same meals for 1-3 months and, when it feels right, I will replace them with a different variation. I never differ too much from the basic healthy principles like Thrive provides but if certain foods are in season, cheaper, or just sound good, I'll throw them in. 

Like Everett, I go through phases. I eat the same meal for dinner every night for a week and then change it up. I eat the same lunch every day for a week, too. But some elements stay the same for multiple weeks until I get tired of it (for instance, I've eaten the exact same salad every day for three weeks, before!). 

So long as we're eating Thrive, no matter what we eat, we're covering most of our micronutrients. I've logged my food in Cronometer, which shows you you micronutrients in addition to macros, and I've never had as good all around coverage as I do on Thrive.

We should supplement to fill in small gaps/balance us out, and that should all be covered in Thrive 2. That said, I've seen Jeff recommend a quality daily vitamin to start on the forums somewhere (maybe in the general nutrition forum?).

41 minutes ago, Everett Carroll said:

I seem to eat the same meals for 1-3 months and, when it feels right, I will replace them with a different variation. I never differ too much from the basic healthy principles like Thrive provides but if certain foods are in season, cheaper, or just sound good, I'll throw them in. 

yes and also i add that for someone who wants to achieve athletic performance and shape it wont be a problem to eat for example and rotate meat poultry fish and so and also the salades are not boring especially that veggies and fruit change from season to season i also noticed that since i am convinced about what i want to do with my body and nutrition i even dont feel that i need to eat between meals and i dont crave for it 

9 hours ago, Alessandro Di Sanzo said:

I wonder if I should find a way to add variety between starches even at lunch.

Hi Alessandro,

You are making me hungry talking about all those good foods.

For me, bringing a cold starch sometimes for a work-lunch has helped. Plus the cold temperature reduces the glycemic impact and increases the resistant starch... fertilizing the gut as Jeff mentioned in one of the essays.

I couldn't have said it better than Artur. 

3 hours ago, Ryan Bailey said:

Hi Alessandro,

You are making me hungry talking about all those good foods.

For me, bringing a cold starch sometimes for a work-lunch has helped. Plus the cold temperature reduces the glycemic impact and increases the resistant starch... fertilizing the gut as Jeff mentioned in one of the essays.

I didn't know about the cold temperature, I'm going to try, even though I don't like cold food too much, however summer is the best season to try!

thanks to all for your answers, I really received beautiful answers to my questions!