How often to do you try a new recipe, or buy an ingredient that you’ve never tried before? Chances are not very often. Most people (me included) have a handful of recipes and dishes that we cook week in week out. Why have we become unadventurous in the kitchen? Lack of time, for both shopping and cooking, is certainly one reason, but perhaps another is that we just don’t understand how important eating a variety of different foods is. Variety may be the ‘spice of life’ but I believe it’s also the key to healthy diet. Our body needs over 40 different nutrients to function properly and stay healthy and no single food or food group provides all the nutrients we need. Eating a variety of different foods is the best way to ensure you get the full range of vitamins minerals phytochemicals and other nutrients necessary for good health. Variety is particularly important when it comes to fruit and veg. When I was growing up, if someone talked about vegetables chances were they meant carrots, cabbage, swede or cauliflower because things like peppers, courgettes and sweet potato just weren’t available. Now even a modestly sized supermarket has a cornucopia of fruit and vegetables from every corner of the world. Although I’m not a big fan of exotic fruit and vegetables from far flung corners of the world (I’ll write more about the importance of eating locally grown seasonal produce in another blog) the point I’m making is that we have a wealth of fruit and veg to choose from, yet most of us choose the same things from one week to next.

But good nutrition isn’t the only reason for ringing the changes once in a while. Introducing new foods into your diet could be the secret to a healthy mind as well as a healthy body. Experts in memory and mental agility suggest that breaking routines helps stimulate and refresh the brain. Living a varied and interesting life increases the chances of the brain working efficiently and changing routines and varying patterns in daily life helps us to stay alert and stimulated.

So next time you go shopping, why not throw caution to the wind and try something different? – you never know it might just be what you brain and body needs!