Same source between two consecutive meals - should I avoid it?

Hi guys! During the week I have access at the workplace canteen, and basically it is difficult to predict what kind of proteins sources they offer day by day. Morevoer the only most favourable option compatible with Thrive is White rice as starches. Sometimes it occurs that the best option I can choose for protein is the same that I ate the day before on dinner. Moreover sometimes they offer the same source remaining  from the day before.

So here's the topic: I was wondering if I have to do my best in order to not eat the same kind of source between two consecutive meals.

So for example should I avoid to eat the same source of macronutrients (e.g. chicken, or white rice)  both on lunch and dinner of the same day, or even from dinner to the lunch of the next day? if this occurs one - a couple of times a week is It a problem or should I not worry about it?

If this is not a problem, I was thinking that for example a couple of times a week I could bring the remains of the previous dinner (e.g. potatoes), in order to avoid to eat always White rice at lunch. Also if the best option offered at the canteen is turkey, - that I just ate the dinner before - , I can choose It anyway.

what are your thoughts?

Thank you!

If you were going to eat a food repetitively - white rice would be your choice. Least allergenic food out there. 

Also, eating the same thing on consecutive days is fine. Its the only way you can eat leftovers. I frequently eat leftovers from the night before for dinner. 

Variety is good but we all eat leftovers sometimes. I say pick the best options available, ensuring they coincide with your Thrive lessons, even if you repeat some foods every once in a while.

I value variety at a macro level more than a micro level (i.e. variety in my diet over a month's time rather than day-to-day). 

Where does your concern for variety stem from? If it's getting the broadest nutrients, I recommend tracking your diet in Cronometer (online, free website and app) for a while and see what a week or two looks like. This website gives you not only macros, but micros. You can see the vitamin and mineral and amino acid breakdown of every day and every food item you eat. You might surprise yourself what with what you've got covered and where any gaps are.

18 hours ago, Julia Quigley said:

I value variety at a macro level more than a micro level (i.e. variety in my diet over a month's time rather than day-to-day). 

Where does your concern for variety stem from? If it's getting the broadest nutrients, I recommend tracking your diet in Cronometer (online, free website and app) for a while and see what a week or two looks like. This website gives you not only macros, but micros. You can see the vitamin and mineral and amino acid breakdown of every day and every food item you eat. You might surprise yourself what with what you've got covered and where any gaps are.

@Julia Quigley thank you! before starting to follow Thrive, my variety of foods was very very poor (e.g. no veggies, only pasta and rice as starches, very low amount of water and so on), and I've never taken care of it. This course changed my life style with no doubt,  and maybe now I've become a bit paranoid, but I simply aim to follow the course tips as stritcly as possible. 

I had a look at the app you mentioned! I like it! I see it gives a target of calories I should have, for each macronutrient too... I tried to add foods I ate these days, and it seems I ate a good amount of overall calories, but I have too much proteins, and a bit too low fat amount. I know that this would make me much more paranoid than I am now, and I do not want to stress Jeff about how much grams of proteins, fats, carbs and micronutrients I should have! I work as statistician, so I know numbers don't lie, but there are too much stuffs I guess I should care. Maybe this topic will be focused on the next courses, who knows?

Thanks again Julia! 

Glad you liked it @Alessandro Di Sanzo! You can change the targets so it doesn't tell you that you're over, but if seeing numbers makes you more paranoid, maybe it is best to leave well enough alone!

Guys, Just a clarification! The main sources of starches I carry out from home to work for lunch are usually squash soup and boiled White rice.

In particular I preserve squash soup for a maximum of 2_3 days in the refridgerator. I Cook rice the night before for the next day. 

Also I was considering to bring white potatoes too, the small ones that I can eat without removing the skin, so that I can Cook them the night before, take them at work the next day for lunch, and are Pretty Easy to eat Just as they are in the container.

I do The same with protein sources (Basically meat) but I prefer to Cook them the same day as I wake up. 

When I go to the Company canteen I always warm them at the microwave oven. 

For each of the sources I mentioned (potatoes, squash soup, White rice) is there a controindication to Cook them the night before I eat them (or in the case of squash soup to preserve It in the refridgerator)? Is there a Loss of nutrients/quality while acting this way?

Thank you guys!

Alessandro

1 hour ago, Alessandro Di Sanzo said:

For each of the sources I mentioned (potatoes, squash soup, White rice) is there a controindication to Cook them the night before I eat them (or in the case of squash soup to preserve It in the refridgerator)? Is there a Loss of nutrients/quality while acting this way?

 

Shouldn't be a problem Alessandro. If that works best for your schedule then keep it up!

6 hours ago, Alessandro Di Sanzo said:

is there a controindication to Cook them the night before I eat them (or in the case of squash soup to preserve It in the refridgerator)? Is there a Loss of nutrients/quality while acting this way?

Hi Alessandro,  looks like you are doing great and you are making me hungry.

There seems to always be a plus and minus with food preparation.

I read a study a while back when I was doing Thrive 1 and doing some research on Jeff's task essays. The study was on different ways to prepare tubers or starches. One of the "plusses" of cooking the night before then throwing it in the fridge is the increase in resistant starch; allowing for the health benefits of its digestion back into the large intestine. Not very exciting, but interesting to look into the benefits of cooking methods, temperatures, and storage techniques and it's chemical impact on starches.