Healthy eating doesn’t need to be anything less than enjoyable, tasty, and full of variety. Yet for many people, healthy eating means eating in a rut, a boring rut.

We settle into a limited variety of dishes with which we feel safe and don’t have to think about much. We don’t want to have to make decisions; it’s just easier to have the same bowl of cereal for breakfast, a “ditto” turkey sandwich at lunch, and a piece of baked chicken for dinner.

Why such a rut? It’s easier for us to trust the rut than to trust ourselves to make healthy choices. Some people are subconsciously trying to work wonders, thinking that just the right (or only one) combination of food will work and be safe. Some people seem to punish themselves with the same old, boring foods, thinking they are paying some kind of penance for their last binge. Others, who don’t care enough about themselves to do anything differently, feed themselves with as much forethought and effort as they feed their pets.

So what’s the problem with ruts? Time and again I see people set up to overindulge as soon as they get the taste of anything more exciting. Then once they get off track, it becomes very difficult to get back on track—since, to them, “on track” means returning to the same old, boring rut.

Eating a variety of foods in their whole form provides you with a gamut of vitamins and minerals, including as yet hidden benefits.

#youbfit