At Eat by Alex, we are all about providing the highest quality food that is rich in nutrients to support your health. One of our very important nutrition principles is variety. Variety is so important because each different food brings its own nutrients, and the bioavailability of a nutrient depends on a person's age, gender, body composition and more. Therefore eating variety ensures you are consuming an adequate amount of all of them.
It is important to have variety in sources of food, types of foods within one source, colours of foods, and lastly food preparation.
Sources
Having a variety of food sources, including fruits, vegetables, and grains, ensures a diverse intake of essential nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Each different food group offers unique nutritional benefits, so incorporating a variety of these sources optimizes micronutrient intake, supports digestion, and reduces the risk of deficiencies. It is all about balance!
Types of Foods
Similar to food sources, types of one source of food should be diverse. Try to eat a variety of fruits not only apples for example. This also ensures a broader range of nutrients (and their amazing benefits!) and prevents deficiencies. Oranges, blueberries, and pineapple are all fruits but give very different nutrients from Vitamin C, to antioxidants, to manganese!
Colours of Foods
Different colors in fruits and vegetables are indicative of various phytochemicals, antioxidants, and nutrients they contain. Each color group provides unique health benefits, such as red fruits and vegetables being rich in lycopene and blue/purple ones being high in anthocyanins. By consuming a diverse range of colours, you ensure a wider array of beneficial compounds, promoting overall health.
Preparation
We steam, bake, broil, fry, and blend our ingredients! Having different cooking methods is important to ensure maximum nutrient coverage as different methods affect the nutrient content of food in various ways. Some nutrients are more heat-stable and are preserved during cooking, while others are more sensitive and can be lost. By varying the cooking techniques, you can ensure that you retain a broader range of nutrients. Also, it keeps your palate excited and never bored!
In our nutrition programs, rather than seeing only one type of nut, grain, or seed, we use different ones for each meal. If you look at our menus you will see that each day, week, and month contains recipes that are diverse and variable. We hope you enjoy the flavour burst and rainbow food!