The first time I ever heard about it was from the family practice doctor in Wisconsin who delivered my son, Salem. The doctor—old enough to be my father—became a man I grew to love and appreciate and would soon call friend. He once told me that he ate a taco salad every day for lunch.
The next time I encountered the phenomenon, a few years later, was with a friend at his parents’ house. He walked me into their basement pantry loaded with shelves of canned tuna—solid white albacore. He told me that his dad, a professional fisherman, ate a tuna fish sandwich every day for lunch.
Two men, both well respected in the community, ate the same lunch every single day. I didn’t give the idea much thought after that, other than occasionally being jealous that my doctor friend got to eat a taco salad every day for lunch. Mmm.
Life continued, ten years passed, and I picked up a copy of Tim Ferris’s book The 4-Hour Body.
In his chapter on “Rapid Fat Loss,” he offered a passing sentence when asked about boredom with the limited food options in his prescribed diet: “Most people vastly overestimate the variety of their meals.”
My mind immediately raced back to my role models in Wisconsin from so many years ago, both of whom had chosen to eat the same meal every day for lunch. They had discovered a routine that worked well for them.
Rather than fighting against routine in their diet, they had embraced the practice. Few could argue with the results—both were healthy and successful.
It got me thinking…
What if there is nothing wrong with eating the same meal over and over again?
In fact, what if repetition is a good thing? Why not embrace it?
You Could Already Be There
As a blogger and overall promoter of the benefits of minimalism, I have seen countless times how people overestimate the number of material possessions they need. So when I read the sentence in Tim’s book that “most people vastly overestimate the variety of their meals,” I almost instinctively knew it was true.
I have seen “overestimating variety” to be true in clothing, entertainment, books, linens, and any number of other examples. Why not food?
The Pareto principle is proven true over and over again—roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. We wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time. We use 20% of our kitchen gadgets 80% of the time. We watch 20% of the same channels 80% of the time. And, generally speaking, we eat 20% of the same food 80% of the time.
Just think about what you have had to eat for breakfast over the past week. Most likely, you’ve eaten the same couple meals. Or how about lunch?
My breakfast these days, when I eat it, is two eggs and four strips of turkey bacon. My lunch consists of rotisserie chicken (with Frank’s buffalo sauce) or a salad (with chicken).
And I know I’m far from alone in these kinds of habits. According to one study conducted in Great Britain by Whole Foods Market, almost 33% of us eat the same lunch every day.
Here’s the reality: We tend to eat many of the same foods over and over again, but for some reason, we want to deny this truth. We contend that variety is the spice of life. Or we remember our mom telling us, “But you just ate pizza yesterday. You can’t eat it again today.”
We think it reflects poorly on our cultured-self or creativity or palate or commitment to health to eat the same foods over and over again. So we quickly convince ourselves that we need to think up something new every day for breakfast or lunch or to feed our family in the evening.
But as I’ve thought more about it, I’ve realized there really is much benefit to be found in leaning in to the reality that we crave stability in our meal patterns.
We eat less variety than we think—and there are good reasons to realize that and accept it.
Why You Should Say Yes to Meal Routine
Speaking at a conference several years ago, I was asked by a mother of three for advice on how to keep down food waste and costs in her home.
By this time I was a convert to meal repetition. I answered, “Accept the fact that you eat less variety of foods than you think. Don’t fight against it. Don’t believe society’s pressure that you need to be dreaming up something new for every meal. Find your family’s favorite meals and serve them often. You’ll lower your monthly food costs, waste, and time spent in preparation.”
Consider the benefits to us (and our families) of establishing a regular meal rotation:
1. Money savings. When you begin to establish a weekly routine of your family’s favorite meals, you save money by wasting less, learning the correct portion size, recognizing sales and good prices, and knowing which spices or condiments to purchase.
2. Time savings. Not only does a weekly routine of meals save time hunting for recipes or new ideas, but we become more and more efficient at preparing each of the meals that we do enjoy.
This “time saved” may be more precious during specific seasons of life (when you have young children at home, for example), but extra time in the day can be appreciated by everyone.
3. Better health. A thought-out and intentional routine of meals offers greater opportunity to align our diets with nutritional recommendations.
4. Less food waste. About 150,000 tons of food is tossed out in US households each day, equivalent to about a third of the daily calories that each American consumes. Not only does this waste take a toll on our household budget (as mentioned above), but there is also an environmental toll from that much waste.
5. Weight control. Many people who eat the same lunch every day attest that the practice is helpful in weight control, contending they eat less because of it. It’s called “school cafeteria syndrome,” and according to researchers, it really works in reducing the amount of food we eat.
6. Fewer failed recipes. As I will mention in a moment, there is still room for trying new foods and recipes, and I recommend it with young kids at home. But establishing a stable routine of meals each week and experimenting with fewer new recipes means fewer failed meals.
As I can attest, there are few things in life more disheartening than spending hours preparing a meal, only to have it flop at the dinner table.
7. Benefits for kids. The more children see specific foods in front of them, the more likely they are to learn to enjoy them. Creating a routine certainly doesn’t eliminate all “eat your vegetables” negotiations at the dinner table, but they do make them easier, as the expectations have already been established.
8. Greater simplicity. Embracing a meal routine (whether daily or weekly) promotes simplicity in our home and life. It reduces stress and anxiety, removes decision fatigue, and frees us to pursue more important things than answering “What’s for dinner?”
How to Implement a Meal Rotation
How do we go about this in our own unique families? Here are some thoughts to get you started:
1. Meals on your own are a great place to start.
If you eat lunch every day at the office, it’s easy to choose your one or two favorite meals and repeat them each day. The same is true for breakfast if you eat it alone. As mentioned above, breakfast and lunch are where I embrace the most routine.
2. Determine your family’s favorite meals.
Take each person into account. Are there specific meals that everybody likes? If so, those are obvious places to start establishing a routine. I’d recommend identifying five or six family favorites.
If you can’t get that much agreement in your family, be sure to think about those with pickier palettes and what accommodations can be made.
3. Write out a weekly schedule that can be repeated each week.
Take into account your weekly commitments. Does someone have volleyball practice on Tuesday night? Youth group on Wednesday? Or a business meeting on Monday? Factor in both the time you have to prepare and the time to sit down and eat.
My family loves tacos on Tuesdays. And we serve pizza on Sunday evenings because my son typically works late and my wife and I take my daughter to church that night.
4. Don’t sacrifice health.
Eating foods you enjoy doesn’t mean sacrificing healthy nutrition habits along the way. If you’re serving pizza or pasta, pick a vegetable to go with it. Or look for healthy options of pizza.
I actually find it easier to eat healthy when a routine has been established, because we are intentional about including fruits and vegetables every evening.
5. Don’t think you need to sacrifice all variety for this to work.
Rare is the family for whom a week’s schedule doesn’t vary from time to time, so some variety in meals is almost inevitable. But it can also be scheduled. You can decide that every Monday is new-recipe day, or you can choose variety when you eat out.
Establishing a meal routine five nights of the week still leaves room for plenty of variety.
6. Proceed with trial, error, and adjustments.
If you discover that one meal takes longer to prepare than you want, change it. If one meal is no longer enjoyed by your family, pick a new one. Or if you discover that a routine works well for one month and then you want to make a new one, go for it!
The goal is to find something that works for your family and saves you time and money.
Eat. Repeat.
One of the greatest things I have discovered about minimalism is that removing unneeded things from my life means I am left with only my favorites. Another benefit is that removing distraction brings money, time, energy, and peace into my life.
I have found the same benefits by leaning in to the reality that we eat less variety of foods than we think. We all have our favorite foods to eat. Accept it and embrace the idea of eating the same foods over and over again. You’ll be excited every time you sit down to eat…and you’ll save money and time along the way.
Rae says
I appreciate this thought. I am finding it difficult to cook all the time. My husband grew up eating the same thing all the time and doesn’t mind. I guess I feel guilty if I don’t offer a variety of meals all the time. We both really enjoy salads, bowls and a variety of fruit. I’m not worried about our diet nutritionally, just that it will get boring.
Jessalynn Jones says
This was a really interesting article. My husband used to like a rotation of 3-5 different breakfast options. That stressed me out cause I had to have all those different things on hand and it stressed him out because every morning he had trouble deciding what he wanted. Then we met some friends that recommended making smoothies (heavy on the veggies) every morning and not only has it greatly improved our immune system and energy but it has also simplified our morning routine and our grocery budget! I could totally start doing the same thing for lunch too! It definitely reduces stress.
Martin says
Eat. Rep-eat. Bingo!
Diane Giefer says
As a Dietitian, thisarticlemakesme cringe. Variety in plant foods (fiber) feeds our microbiome and protects our health from many things, including autoimmune diseases. I agree that it doesn’t have to be difficult, but it should be healthy (whole foods, mostly plants) and include a variety. Our diets can improve our life in many ways by improving our health if we do it right. We can get rid of excess weight, heart disease, diabetes, pain and so much more. What we put in our mouths is very important to a well lived life. Read Fiber Fueled. I appreciate much of what you share, but this advice regarding nutrition could harm your readers.
Anne Pratt says
I must agree with the naysayers here.
While I eat a smoothie and Matcha tea every morning, I intentionally vary what goes into that smoothie, so as to reap the benefits of a wide variety of fruits and greens. Each one offers something different, not just in terms of fiber for the microbiome, but various micronutrients that very from plant to plant.
Eating a hamburger daily would be dangerous for me (and for many) – the excess of saturated fat and iron is not good for many of us. And eating the same 7 meals for dinner each week would deprive us of the need for a bigger variety of vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, etc. – all foods that are very high in nutrients and tend to be lower in calories. Losing weight because I got bored with food would be the worst diet of all!
Shelby LaSalle says
In response to Diane Giefer, I have to say the field of dietetics is what makes me cringe. So many fads have been introduced by dieticians that have harmed us (low fat, reduction of food into component nutrients, snacking, labeling food as good and bad) that I question much of what is touted as truth by dieticians. What Joshua is emphasizing is that the meal planning doesn’t have to churn to introduce variety. A taco salad can have variety. A pizza can have variety. A meal of fish can have variety. A sandwich can have variety. Pasta can have variety. A smoothie can have variety. No one says that the same ingredients have to always be exactly the same and that we would be depriving our bodies of healthy nutrients by eating to a regular meal plan, that could be adjusted seasonally or by what’s on sale. Joshua has the right idea, and people can adapt this to what works for them.
Glenna Lenardson says
This sounds soul-sucking and boring! I can accomplish all of this: less waste, healthy eating, and staying within a budget by spending 30 minutes doing meal planning and shopping with a list. AND eat a delicious variety of different foods and recipes! We almost never throw away food and include leftovers in our meal plan.
Leah says
As someone who is super passionate about minimalism and also about food and nutrition, I was a bit disappointed to read this article. Study after study shows that a varied multitude of plants is the way to keep your physical and mental health strong and avoid disease and inflammation (the blue zone study, which has explored the common denominators in the lifestyles and diets of people who live the longest and healthiest lives in the world, is a great starting point to understand this body of research). The example given by the author — eating two eggs plus turkey bacon for breakfast, and chicken for lunch — would not be considered a healthy, varied diet if consumed daily, according to this aforementioned research. Moreover and maybe even more importantly, this is not really a joyful iteration of minimalism. Food is life; it should be nourishing, colorful, and shared. In a healthy society, it should not be something to be rushed through every day in the name of greater productivity or success. It should be dining al fresco with the people you love, discovering the simple pleasure of homegrown tomatoes, or catching the wafting aroma of rosemary and garlic as you walk through the door.
If you are really pressed for time (admittedly life does get busy sometimes!) or don’t enjoy being creative in the kitchen, in my opinion you could employ this suggested mono-meal strategy in a slightly healthier way by having a rotating base of foods. For instance, you could try a veggie and egg or tofu scramble in the morning, but change up the veggies and spices every week or two to keep things flavorful and nutritious. Similarly, you could have a salad plus a protein for lunch, but switch up the dressing and protein (fish or beans, for example) from time to time. Or choose one mono-meal (like lunch) but keep it super antioxidant rich, and vary the rest.
Apologies this was so long! Just some ideas and thoughts!
joshua becker says
Thanks for the comment. Each breakfast and lunch also include a variety of vegetables and legumes. I didn’t list every single food that I eat at my meals in this article.
Barbara Hvilivitzky says
That we must have variety in our daily foods is a modern concept – only 100 years ago most people ate the same foods week in, week out and were happy to do so. Eating seasonally (the old-fashioned way) is preferable to striving for 10 different veggies and 10 different fruits pureed into smoothies when we have to ship strawberries to Alaska, and tomatoes from Mexico out of season. Eat potatoes, carrots, beets, turnip and rutabaga, squash, beans and peas in the winter; salads and berries and other fruits in spring, summer and fall. That’s variety naturally. I agree heartily with Joshua on this one. Traditional, very healthy people like the Hunsa eat probably 10 different foods, prepared in different ways all year round – wild greens, wild berries, olives and olive oil, lemons, goat cheese, lots of lamb/goal/pork, all ladled with yogurt. That’s ALL YEAR, EVERY YEAR. Imitate them.
Eve says
My husband discovered he liked to chop and cook things a few years ago when he gave up smoking. I hate cooking and complicated meals so he started making his meals and I usually eat whatever I feel like. If I eat cold cereal three days in a row for breakfast that’s fine. I’ll probably have scrambled eggs or oatmeal sometimes during the week.
I eat just one other meal at 4pm and I use whatever leftovers are in the fridge to make soup or sandwich which could be tuna or a stuffed pita pocket with small amount of meat and veggies. I eat fruit, nuts or occasional cookie. I feast on Holidays. I’m 78.?
Janice says
I eat a whole food, plant based diet and have steel cut oats every morning. It’s so easy and healthy.
Dr. Greger’s books have a wealth of information on eating healthy.
Angeline says
I always enjoy and look forward to your weekly articles. They are thought provoking. This one is no exception. This article has help me to put together my thoughts on the many aspects concerning meals that I have read and been thinking about – meal prep, food waste, clutters, routines, repeats, etc. It’s interesting to know that the concept of 80/20 can also apply to food/meals. I can’t agree more on that. Thanks for opening my eyes to see in this new light. I always wonder how could someone eat the same thing again n again. But my husband is one of them – PB on toast as breakfast all these year of our marriage (27 years !), With occasional cereal?. I also constantly face with the question of “what’s for dinner?”. Anyway got to stop here, it’s getting too long. Thanks for tickling my brain on this. Food for thought.
Jo Ruminson says
My mother served the same foods each weeknight–I always knew what to expect for dinner by what day of the week it was. I think she did it so she could use leftover food–she’d use the leftover sauce from our big Italian Sunday dinner to make spaghetti on Tuesday, and we’d have fish on both Wednesday and Friday because it came in fresh on those days to the local grocery store. We were a Catholic family and so we had shrimp and spaghetti (sort of a cioppino) every Friday, for as long as I can remember. It was all good and it was something we could always count on. But Tuesday night’s spaghetti was my least favorite meal of the week and so, as a child, I started to dislike Tuesdays–it wasn’t until I was married and could cook whatever I wanted to cook before I realized that it was the food I disliked, not the day of the week! It worked well for our little family and I do a version of it with my own family.