Same Food, Different Day

What do you eat in the average day? Cereal for breakfast? Sandwich and crisps for lunch? Maybe try to have a piece of fruit mid-afternoon? A random assortment of pieces of ham, handfuls of grated cheese and biscuits while you wait for your dinner to cook (guilty)? Then spag bol if it’s Monday, lasagne if it’s Tuesday, shepherd’s pie on Wednesdays, spag bol again on Thursdays and Chinese on a Friday (chicken chow mein, duck spring rolls and extra prawn crackers – always)? Week in, week out?

If this slightly soulless-sounding creature of habit seems familiar, you’re not alone, as new research from Arla Fibre found that 61 per cent of Brits tend to eat pretty much the same thing every single day, and 67 per cent of us feel stuck in a food rut.

One in five of us are in the habit of ordering the exact same takeaway every Friday and 21 per cent of us cook the same meals on the same days every week without fail. Obviously, we’re chuffed to hear that people are actually cooking from scratch, but you need more than seven meals in your repertoire, or you’re going to get B.O.R.E.D.

What’s more, 22 per cent of us have the same thing for lunch every day. As if eating lunch at your desk isn’t bleak enough, you’re not even giving yourself the excitement of the choice of jacket potato or sushi or a salad or a sandwich or leftovers from the night before. It’s those little things that keep us going! And what are people filling their mornings with if they’re not trying to decide what to eat? Actual work?! Pfft.

Variety is the spice of life, so they say, and we think this is something we all need to embrace more when it comes to our food. In the same way it doesn’t count to class five apples as your five a day, you can’t be getting the right balance of nutrients if you always eat the same stuff. In fact, rickets or scurvy might me more likely.

Some 22 per cent of Brits claim they don’t have time to mix up their diets. But we’re sure many of these people would have time for one last episode of Black Mirror before bed – save yourself the nightmares and cook up an interesting lunch for the next day instead.

via GIPHY

One in five claim they’re too fussy with their food, and like what they like, which is fine, but it’s always fun to try something new – you never know, you might not have discovered your number one favourite food yet. It’s okay to not know how to process that thought. Get adding some different stuff to your next online grocery order. Never heard of pak choi? Add to basket. No idea what to do with samphire? Add to basket. Always go for chicken? Add some tofu to your basket.

Commenting on Arla Fibre’s findings, TV doc Dr Ranj Singh said: “It’s clear that our busy lifestyles are causing meal times to become repetitive. But with a few simple swaps, we can add more colour and excitement into our diets, while also ensuring we get enough of the different food groups we need to stay healthy.”

*Loudly clears throat in the style of Dolores Umbridge*.

This leads us onto something quite exciting… Helping people discover the joy and benefits of cooking a good range of meals from scratch – and giving you the confidence to try – is something we’re very passionate about here at Tefal. That’s why, over the next few weeks, we’ll be launching a new series of hints and tips on how to expand your cooking horizons and add more variety into your meals, helping you GuaranT Good Food. Keep your eyes (and maybe your veg) peeled.