How many different foods do you eat every day?
I read in a cookbook once that we should aim for 30 different foods every day. According to the internet, this is a common rule in Japan. (In four years of working in a Japanese elementary school, I've never heard this specific rule taught... but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen.)
Even in America, it's common sense nutrition that we can access a greater variety of vitamins and minerals if we eat a greater variety of foods. We can reduce our exposure to toxins if we don't eat the same thing all the time.
I find it a little easier to practice here in Japan, where there's more of an emphasis on seasonal ingredients, wild vegetables, local specialties, and of course the bounty of the sea in forms we would never dream of eating back home. Presentation is also very important here, and colorful ingredients are more aesthetically pleasing. (But all that is not to say one couldn't live on fried chicken, cronuts, and beer in Japan if one wanted to.)
On the other hand, I think cooking Japanese meals can be more time consuming when every little side dish has its own long list of ingredients. But maybe that's just because I have more practice cooking American style food.
When I find staple foods I like, I tend to eat them every day: eggs, avocados, nuts, yogurt, dark chocolate. And even though I want to eat a variety of veggies, cooking for one makes it impractical to buy a whole bunch of produce. If I buy a cabbage, all my meals are cabbage themed until I can finally work through that thing! Making and freezing veggie soups might be one solution.
Do you try to eat a "rainbow" of foods every day? Or do you stick with your favorites?
[pictured: shabu shabu dinner for three]